2D Pain in the BILGE! - part 2 Need Help!

[OK_BassBum]

#4

[rickmb]

In an ideal world a Skeeter dealership should fix this. Obviously you are not getting satisfaction this way.
So let's cut to the bottom line. You need to do this your self.
Most likely the new transducer will be damaged getting it out. Since it's in a bad spot now I would just leave it and get another one unless it's in the way.
If a sharp blow from a plastic mallet will not break it loose try heating it up with a heat gun. The epoxy softens up with heat.
To mount the new one pick a spot on either side of the drain plug as close to the transom as practical. Block sand with some 240 grit sandpaper until you are at the fiberglass and you have a true surface. Test fit the transducer to make sure it lays flat.
Now take it out on the water and test. If it does not work repeat the process on the other side.
The only way it will not work is if there are voids in the fiberglass. I couldn't imagine there being that many - if so you have bigger issues!
We can assume the testing has worked and it's time to glue. The Epoxy they provide with the transducer is slow setting and slow cure - for a reason. Fast setting epoxy will not release air bubbles. Mix the epoxy carefully and slowly to not introduce air bubbles.
Apply epoxy to both the boat and the transducer. Let it sit for a few moments and it will self level. Place transducer and give it a slight twist and push. This will squeeze out any air. Tape in place with some masking tape so it doesn't move.

Seems like a lot of steps but it's not really that hard. Once you do it the next one will be a piece of cake.....yes, most likely you will have to do it again if you change brands or it breaks again.

[OK_BassBum]

#4

[MCIPinkie]

My standard rant.

This why I don't use shoot through transducers. Just too many variables that you can't control. I've put them in using the water trick, thought they worked, glued 'em in. Didn't work. Beat 'em out or cut 'em out with a Dremel tool. Tried again. It's just too much work to muck around in the bilge.

Get a Stern Saver. Epoxy it to the transom. Screw a transducer to it. It's still trial and error and black magic to get a transducer to read at speed, but this way, you can move it around until it works. Better signal anyway, not shooting through glass.

[rickmb]

Thanks Rick,
The problem is finding that spot in the bilge. I moved that puck all over
that bilge and never found the sweet spot. It was a brand new transducer.
But with the cash I spent, they need to fix it. I told the Service Manager
that if he needed to call skeeter to find out what to do, he should.
So they are getting one more crack at it.
One question for you, when you say block sand until you find fiberglass.
So that is past the black fibrous looking stuff in the bilge?

Basically yes. Get below the black coating to where you are on smooth raw glass. The coating is most likely gelcoat sprayed on after the hull is built which is why it is rough. If the dealer does poor prep work and doesn't smooth it out there will be problems. If they put it too far forward there will be problems.
On my 2012 Skeeter put in a recess for the transducer so the glass was actually a little thinner for better performance. The transducer was epoxied into the glass. A pain to get out when it did fail. I haven't checked this boat but I will soon as my Lowrance transducer is failing.

BTW, I agree that we spend way too much money on boats for them to have these kinds of issues. This is nothing new, actually sonar is ancient technology but no boat manufacturer has figured out how to build a reliable method for mounting transducers.

[OK_BassBum]

#4

[MCIPinkie]

If you keep working with, and apply the correct black magic, yes. This is really sensitive. Sometimes an 1/8 of an inch makes all the difference in the world.

I had my old boat where it would show a pretty good bottom as fast as I could go. Skeeter ZX200, 200 HPDI.

Bought a new boat this year. ZX200, 200 SHO. Still don't have it dialed in, but I keep trying and moving things around. I can get up to about 50 and have pretty good signal, but when I air it out, water flow breaks up and I lose it. Moved it 1/8" today. Try it again tomorrow. That's my complaint about shoot through. Once you glue it down, you're finished adjusting. Water flow under the hull is flaky. The way you drive, and the way I drive and the way we load our boats is different and it changes the water flow. What works for me may not work for you. The new boat had a transducer in the bilge installed, I assume, by Skeeter at the factory. I just unplugged it, put on a Stern Saver, and screwed a skimmer to it. Never even tried the shoot through. Heck, it may be the best thing ever. A little different for me than the normal guy that buys a boat. I completely re-rigged the electronics the way I wanted, even though it came with HB's. They were flush mounted and I don't like flush mounted depth finders, plus I had Helix Mega's on the old boat and moved them to the new one. I even remounted the trolling motor to get it the way I want it.

I like rigging my own boat. That way I understand what is going on, and can make it work the way I want. Of course, I've been doing this over 50 years so have some experience.

If you are going to try to install a shoot through your self, I suggest you build a little dam of putty or caulk or something you can fill with water and make sure the transducer is wet. Put a sand bag on it to hold it in place while you try it out. That hull will pass a signal through it almost any where once you get to glass.

[rickmb]

I visited my dealer today and shared my issue with the Lowrance transducer. It is covered under warranty and they will fix it. While I could do it myself I trust the tech there. He is meticulous so I'm confident of a good outcome. They also have a test tank to drop it into.

[gotmy5]

I took out the one installed from the factory and put mine there without issue. It was super easy to do, hardest part of the job is removing the battery charger

[OK_BassBum]

#4

[densik]

Sorry, just actually went back and read both post. Is the transducer, either original or the one they replaced reading at all? When boat is just sitting there in the water. I see you said you had a HB person go on the water with you and that he deemed the transducer bad, but they are not always the rep, might just have been a pro staff. Or is it you are just not getting reading over 50mph. If you have had 2 transducers install no matter where they where and had nothing show up on your graph, chances are it is not the transducers at fault. I see you networked to your bow and the bow transducer worked. But, your unit is only showing what the bow unit mirrors to your console, which means your bow unit works. It is not directly using the transducer, that can only be done when plugged direct. Have you physically swapped the units to see if the console unit is working off that transducer when it is plugged directly into the unit at fault, or if the bow unit will not work also when plugged into the console. I'm thinking that either the circuit board in the unit is bad, or the Y cable got damage during the initial install. Not like a transducer to get damaged or not work at all from the factory, they are pretty durable, well except when removed. I had a pin that got mashed one time when forced in and never worked right. Sorry if I'm going over things that have been approached, but again just started reading your problem and trying to catch up.

[OK_BassBum]

#4

[OK_BassBum]

#4