Sounder transducer and knotmeter identification
I hope someone on the list can help me with this: When I got my 1985 M17 last year no electronics came with her, except for the old radio epoxied to the overhead! There is a depth sounder transducer through the hull, and a knotmeter wheel also. Lots of wire, but no identification of make or model that I can find so far. The old owner has been non-responsive. I would love to use them as is, which is to say I am very leery of removing them. But how do I match them to current electronics? Has anyone worked this kind of thing out before? And, yes, I have run aground when I wasn't wanting to. Just a few times. Thankfully the board and rudder both can be raised.
The knotmeter that came with my boat was a Horizon analog. It didn't work well, nor did the replacement I got from Horizon. Will register that you are moving, but not even close to being reliable for anything you would normally use a knot meter for. Bad news is, there is a BIG hole in the bottom of your boat. The knot meter transducer is installed with a plastic flange from the outside. Knot meter transducer plugs the hole from the inside, and the thing that seals it is an O ring. It's held in place by a wire clip. You really can't remove it unless you are willing to do the glass work (or hire someone to do it) to plug the hole. So basically, it's just there. A much better speed option is a GPS.....not something they had available back then. My GPS has a depth finder integrated into the unit. Best of both worlds. Howard On Mar 10, 2009, at 10:33 AM, David C. Patterson wrote:
I hope someone on the list can help me with this: When I got my 1985 M17 last year no electronics came with her, except for the old radio epoxied to the overhead! There is a depth sounder transducer through the hull, and a knotmeter wheel also. Lots of wire, but no identification of make or model that I can find so far. The old owner has been non-responsive. I would love to use them as is, which is to say I am very leery of removing them. But how do I match them to current electronics? Has anyone worked this kind of thing out before? And, yes, I have run aground when I wasn't wanting to. Just a few times. Thankfully the board and rudder both can be raised.
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david: don't replace the knotmeter unless speed-over-water is really important to your sailing. a GPS will give speed-over-ground information that is 'good enough' IMO. having the hole glassed would be a good repair for the off-season. if you have a local chandlery taking photos of the transducer and showing this to the 'professionals' may help in finding a modern unit that may work with the 'older' thru-hull. as you already have a hole for a transducer if you replace the old with a new just get a unit that uses an opening of the same or larger size ... at least that way you don't need to make a smaller hole. a 'no holes' in boat option is to have the transducer opening glassed and then get a depthsounder that will read through the hull. dave scobie M15 #288 - SCRED visit Scred's www-site - http://www.freeweb.com/m15-named-scred --- On Tue, 3/10/09, David C. Patterson <davidcpatterson@msn.com> wrote: I hope someone on the list can help me with this: When I got my 1985 M17 last year no electronics came with her, except for the old radio epoxied to the overhead! There is a depth sounder transducer through the hull, and a knotmeter wheel also. Lots of wire, but no identification of make or model that I can find so far. The old owner has been non-responsive. I would love to use them as is, which is to say I am very leery of removing them. But how do I match them to current electronics? Has anyone worked this kind of thing out before? And, yes, I have run aground when I wasn't wanting to. Just a few times. Thankfully the board and rudder both can be raised.
participants (3)
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David C. Patterson -
Howard Audsley -
W David Scobie