GT8 Install Question

[srobinson]

I'm about to instal a GT8 in my hull. Should I use the epoxy pack or silicone? Pros/Cons?

[86 inches]

I just put one in using duct seal.







If I get a good read in that location I'll probably go back and use an epoxy resin, although I'm hearing that the duct seal works as a permanent solution. Either way, I have to go back in and repair the spots where the old transducers were. Knocking them out removed some of the finish exposing the glass mat. Which brings up one advantage of the duct seal; you can easily move/remove the transducer if needed without damaging the surface of the bilge floor.

I would not use silicone. While most say it absorbs sound waves leading to problems with the signal, some have had good luck with it. But... it's a major pain in the arse to remove if you ever have to do that (ie. move or replace a transducer). I hate trying to get silicone off fiberglass on easy locations of my boat... it would be a nightmare trying to remove it from the bilge floor. I've heard both epoxy and silicone can crack over time leading to air spaces under the puck and loss of signal. In fact, it happened to one of my transducers that I just took out... although, I shouldn't complain because it did last a long, long time... over two decades! It was epoxied in by the dealer when I ordered my boat back in 94'.

The instructions that come with the GT8 call for resin, BTW.