Installing Airmar SS264 50kHz and 200kHz 1KW Thru Hull Transducers
Finally got around to installing my new transducers in my boat on the weekend. There are other posts on the same subject, but I've got an aluminium boat, and I haven't see a post on that yet.
There are a couple of photos I took:
1. This is the ballsy bit, drilling a big hole in a perfectly good hull...no going back now. Once I measured where I wanted it, I drilled a pilot hole from the inside with a dremel tool, then used a bigarse Sutton hole saw from the outside. The instructions say to use a 105mm hole saw, but I did a test on a scrap piece of aluminium and 102mm with a slight touch up with a file was good enough. This part was quite hard, as that hole saw kicks like hell when it bites.
2. Taping over the whole tranducer dry fitted, then using a stanley trimmer to separate the bits. This is slightly harder in aluminium, as the isolation sleeve also separates. This is how it looks once the transducer is removed ready for the glue
3. Once all glued up (Sikaflex 291) and the locking nut is tighted it looks a bit like this. I went overboard with glue and the excess fell on the ground which is a pain. Still, rather have too much than not enough as you can't add it later. BTW, had to use the spacer provided with the transducers as the hull is only 5mm think. I trimmed around 10mm off of it so that there was around 4 full threads showing once the nut was tighted down. Thanks to John F for the loan of his tightening tool he made.
4. The finished job once the tape was removed. The tape ensures there is very little glue actually on the hull or transducer. Note the black isolation sleeve.
Then it was on to the second one. The hardest part is getting access to the inside of the hull. My engine well has too reasonably small round inspection hatches..the screw type ones. Getting in there with one arm and reaching down to work was hard. I dropped a couple of LED headlamps in there for light.
Now I have to install the sounder (Furuno FCV-295) and get it all connected for the test. I'll throw the boat in the water next weekend to make sure she doesnt leak
southcity104
Posts: 1659
Date Joined: 27/01/09
Tidy work!
Perfect cut with Sutton! Looks like you've taken all the right steps. Head unit then hunt some fish!
"Its a life style job"
JohnF
Posts: 2836
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Nice job. Interested to see
Nice job. Interested to see how it performs.
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
Cruise Control
Posts: 973
Date Joined: 03/11/10
Thats tidy work, now you will
Thats tidy work, now you will notice the difference between transom and through hull !
Belly Fish
Posts: 499
Date Joined: 09/03/12
Doesn't leak
Was out all day Sunday, and I'm very relieved to say it doesn't leak. This weekend I'll install the sounder, then to the test. It will be interesting to see what sort of reading I get at speed as the transducer is not exactly flush with the bottom of the hull and obviously can't be. If it's not great, I'll keep my Lowrance sounder as well for high speed running since that works brilliantly at any speed
boonmack
Posts: 69
Date Joined: 31/07/11
How'd this end up Performing
How'd this end up Performing overtransom mount was thinking of doing the same.
wish I was fishing
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Requirements for cutting a big hole like that
One of the requirements when cutting a hole of that size in an ally hull would be to take a big breath no doubt and cross all your fingers and toes.
Clint21
Posts: 7
Date Joined: 16/11/19
Transducer
Hey mate, roughly what distance off the keel did you go ?
cheers Clint
Clint