oil for troubled depth sounder

[Andrew Blight]

My Standard depth sounder stopped displaying the depth a few weeks past. I finally investigated the transducer puck mounted inside a cockpit locker (no, not the best place) and found that the chamber it was mounted in was bone dry. I do not have a manual, and I have not idea what sort of oil the well should be filled with, to interface the transducer with the hull. Any insights would be appreciated - corn, olive, mineral, motor? Any idea on how to plug what may be an oil leak, too...



ablight@acorda.com

[Walt Bilofsky]

I believe almost any liquid will do fine. Mineral oil sounds familiar. Water will get the sounder running again while you think about other liquids.

I put in a shoot-through-the-hull puck a while back. I placed it by making temporary enclosures with tape and filling them with water to find a spot in the hull that gave good readings. When I had a good spot, I filled it with epoxy above the bottom of the transducer. The key is to make sure there are no bubbles in the epoxy to interfere with the echos. Through-the-hull will not give as strong a reading as a transducer in the water, but it sure is easier and one less hole in the boat.

Is the oil leak from the transducer? If so, then seating it into epoxy should kill two birds with one stone. Replacing it would seem a better option though.

My Standard depth sounder stopped displaying the depth a few weeks past. I finally investigated the transducer puck mounted inside a cockpit locker (no, not the best place) and found that the chamber it was mounted in was bone dry. I do not have a manual, and I have not idea what sort of oil the well should be filled with, to interface the transducer with the hull. Any insights would be appreciated - corn, olive, mineral, motor? Any idea on how to plug what may be an oil leak, too...

bilofsky@toolworks.com

[Jerry]

My Standard depth sounder stopped displaying the depth a few weeks past. I finally investigated the transducer puck mounted inside a cockpit locker (no, not the best place) and found that the chamber it was mounted in was bone dry. I do not have a manual, and I have not idea what sort of oil the well should be filled with, to interface the transducer with the hull. Any insights would be appreciated - corn, olive, mineral, motor? Any idea on how to plug what may be an oil leak, too...

You don't have to use oil, any liquid will work. I use windshield washer antifreeze, which doesn't evaporate and I don't have to worry about freezing if I neglect to drain it out over the winter layup.

[Walt Bilofsky]

Actually it now comes back to me - while trying various spots inside the hull for transducer placement I used grease between the puck and the hull. Easier on and off than other alternatives. Gotta get the bubbles out though.



bilofsky@toolworks.com