Transducer Placement on 12M International

[tgcasey]

I have a 12M International and I am in the process if installing a Fish finder and need to determine the location for the transducer. I currently have a transducer mounted mid ship forward of the batteries in front of the bulkhead and don't think I can fit one in the same area. I am thinking of installing it under the cockpit near the forward bulkhead to the engine room. This should be far enough away from the props and the intakes for the engines....

What do you think?

Any other suggestions?


Thanks

[gjrylands]

Transducers must be mounted in smooth flowing water, free of turbulence or air bubbles. Make sure the transducer is mounted vertically, so it sees straight down. Use a fairing block both inside and outside the hull. If your transducer has a speed temperature sensor in it, mount the transducer in an accessible area so it can be serviced.

If you are not going to use the old transducer you can remove it and put the new transducer in the old location. If the hole needs to be enlarged you can temporarily plug the hole with a block of wood so you have something to hold the pilot bit of the holesaw.

If you are still going to use the old transducer, it sounds like your choice of the transducer location should work well. Remember both depth finders can’t be operated at the same time; they will interfere with each other, unless they operate on much different frequencies.

[randyp]

Depends on the transducer in my opinion, but then again I like taking shortcuts and have been known to screw up many a project. That being said I installed a Garmin GPS/Sounder combo unit in the mighty Blue Heron a few years ago and, following the very expert advice found rahcheer in the forum, installed the transducer INSIDE the hull, mounted just starboard of the single engine, via a big gooey spooge of clear GOOP. It functions perfectly unless I'm flat out BTTW and then I get readings of 900 feet and more (in a lake with a max depth of 45'.......). Assuming your hull is solid fiberglas you can do the same without drilling holes in your hull. That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

[kevin babineau]

i glued mine too and it does the 900 ft thing too......truthfully the depth finder can get hucked out the window...i hate them...i get all freaked looking at it...plus they are usually mounted stern so by the tiime it reads shallow its too late....my trojan will be the first boat ive owned that i cant beach or hit stuff with...if i find that a problem she'll be up for sale

[RickMid]

A 12 Meter has a cored hull. You should only make penatrations where Trojan made provisions for such penatrations. The location you mentioned (in front of the batteries) is such a location. You can see where the glass appears to depress, since no coring exist there. The risk of a hole leaking water to the balsa core is too high in my opinion to attempt any drilling other than the non-cored areas.

My 11 meter has a location under the aft deck on the starboard side. It is where the raw water washdown intake is located. You would be safe in doing it there.

I hope this help.

Rick

[tgcasey]

Thanks for the input.

The challenge I with in front of the batteries is that there is already a transducer, a speed transducer, intake for the AC and intake for the generator. I am not sure I want to add another hole in that small of an area.

I the area I am thinking of is under the cockpit forward towards the bulkhead to the engine room...

I never thought of the core issue, how can I tell what is cored vs. solid?

Thanks again

Tom

[gjrylands]

Tom,
I didn't realize your hull was cored. It's best to dill in the solid part of the boat. If you must drill in the core, check out to instruction I got with my transducer. I posted them in mr elevman thread Transducers

[Jerry]

A 12 Meter has a cored hull.

Rick

I know this has been kicked around in the past so take it for what it's worth....
I don't know about all 12 Meters but I can tell you that my 12 Meter Aft Cabin doen not have a cored hull.
I also looked at a 12 Meter Convertible in Michigan before I purchased this one. It also did not have a cored hull.
A good friend of mine has a 14 Meter Convertible. His hull is cored.

[tgcasey]

That is my understanding as well... That the 10M - 12M have solid hulls and the 14M are cored...

I'll let you know after I drill a hole in the bottom of my 12M tomorrow

[RWS]

I've been told by an 11 meter (1986) owner that the hull is also cored.

RWS

[tgcasey]

Well I drilled the hole for the transducer this week end and the hull on my 12M International is cored...

May the installation a little longer but the person that owns the boat yard I winter at had a pretty easy fix....

Thanks for the responses...

Tom