Depth Finder Repair

[Jack Carr]

I have an original Datamarine S-200DL LCD digital depth sounder that is acting up on my 1986 26D. The display is flashing a variety of depths with no pattern. How should I go about diagnosis the problem and fixing it? Given the age, replacing the display and transducer would seem to be a good idea but I hear Datamarine is no longer selling these units.

[Sea Hunt Video]

Jack:

Call Steve at Datamarine [774.213.9744]. Good guy. I talked with him a couple of times about my depth sounder and knot meter. He was very patient and very helpful.

[Steve Laume]

I was faced with a similar situation a few years ago. For $120.00 I bought a Hummingbird unit, which will read to 600' and has alarms. I hated having the huge transducer block on the outside of the hull so it seemed like a good time to remove it and glass over the hole. The puck can be mounted inside the hull and everything works great. I did have to make a teak plate to fill in the extra space in the bulkhead but that was minor as well.

I hate to throw stuff away but this was one of those times that I didn't hesitate, Steve.

http://search.defender.com/?expression= ... ounder&s=1

[Jim Walsh]

I had a Datamarine knot meter back in the early 70's. It was very high tech at the time. State of the art. Something to be admired and boast about. If I had one today I'd not spend a penny on it and replace it with a snazzy, state of the art, new unit, by one of the current crop of manufacturers. I'd donate my old unit to the Smithsonian

[Jack Carr]

Thanks for all of your advice.

[trapper]

Hi Jack

I sent my datamarine to Datamarine on Cape Cod. They re-worked it and I am very happy. I was not looking forward to filling the hole it came out of. I love the old instrument and it is now like new. Cant remember the cost but it was reasonable not to have to replace through hull and not to fill up the large hole. Just unplug it, send it off and plug it back in when it comes back.