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[Amel Yacht Owners] What to do with the hole...
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Hola from Panama, Bill. I'm glad to hear that your new sounder works without a new thru-hull. You say it works like a fish-finder...does it give a 3-dimensional picture of the bottom? Where did you install it in the hull? My old EchoPilot only gave a two-dimensional view about 1 1/2 boat lengths ahead at slow speed and shallow conditions. The transducer has died and I'm waiting until the 3-dimensional forward sonars get less expensive before I replace it. Two years ago the best ones required two new thru-hulls 18"apart. Some newer ones had a single transducer that swept from side to side, but the picture wasn't as good. Both types were very expensive. If I could add a new one that gave a 3-dimensional picture without new thru-hulls, I'd probably spring for one now. To answer your question, I would leave your B&G sounder in place as a backup even if it can be quirky at times. When mine goes out at a bad time, I'm blind. Does anyone have a solution to the irregular function of the B&G? I've checked and redone all connections with no effect. Thanks, Kent SM243 Kristy Panama |
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Bill & Judy Rouse <yahoogroups@...>
I am not sure this answers the question, but the B&G depth sounder will lose its fix in a heavy rain. That is normal. I have to believe that Airmar makes a combo speed and depth transducer for B&G. Have you checked that? Bill Rouse On Nov 12, 2016 2:22 PM, "Kent Robertson karkauai@... [amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
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Bill Kinney <greatketch@...>
No depth in a heavy rain? Ouch… I hadn’t noticed that cause and effect yet. It might be “normal” but it’s hardly acceptable. All the more reason to retire it.
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Airmar makes a variety of different combination transducers for speed, depth and seawater temperature including several “smart” transducers that can simply plug into my NMEA2000 backbone with a minimum of wiring, and without need for supporting computing hardware. (Why would I want seawater temperature? To catch more fish, of course!) Then the question is, for speed do I use a traditional paddlewheel? or the CS4500 ultrasonic speed sensor? Right now the original B&G Hydra 2 processor is being used only to push NMEA0183 data from the original wind and sonic speed sensors into the chartplotter and NMEA2000 bus. I’d like to keep it on a path to an eventual long earned retirement and not connect new things to it. Bill Kinney SM #160, Harmonie Hilton Head, SC, Headed further south in a day or two. “Ships and men rot in port."
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Bill Kinney <greatketch@...>
Kent,
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No 3-D picture, I am afraid. And nothing forward. All of the transducers with that capability I am aware of not only penetrate the hull, but protrude from it, which makes me nervous. I used the Airmar P79 transducer. I have used that on several boats in the past, and always been happy. It has performed better than spec in each case. As Bill R suggested, an combination transducer including depth might be a solution that would add some redundancy. to the systems. Bill
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Hi Bill, Thanks, I haven't looked for a while...I'll check it out. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason why my sounder goes out at times. I've also had trouble keeping it calibrated to the boat (I like to have it read the depth below the keel). It seems to, over a month or two, begin reading depth that is greater than actual. I calibrated several weeks ago and now it reads 0 below the keel when I have over a meter. Before my Echo failed, it was always spot on. I've never noticed that the B&G fails in a rain. That's weird. Change in specific gravity of sea water that far down? Failure or erroneous readings? Kent Robertson S/V Kristy SM243 Caribbean Panama |
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Gracias, Bill. I'll check it out. Where did you mount it? Centerline, or to the side a bit with a mounting that points straight down? Kent Kent S/V Kristy SN 243 .
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Bill Kinney <greatketch@...>
I mounted it just off to the side of where the B&G transducer was installed. The P79 comes with an adjustable mounting housing that you silicone down to the inside of the hull, and adjust so the transducer points vertically, independent of the hull deadrise. The housing is filled with propylene glygol (non-toxic antifreeze) to transmit the sound waves to the hull. The rated depth for the P79 is 600 feet. I routinely track bottom at 3 times that depth. On my Amel it helped to smooth the inside surface of the hull. I suspect the texture of the surface of the fiberglass scattered the sound waves and reduced it’s sensitivity. On my old boat, I installed it over the glassed over hole for the old transducer. So it had a smooth surface inside and out of solid epoxy and glass.
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Great, Bill. Just what I wanted to know. Kent S/V Kristy SM243 |
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Bill & Judy Rouse <yahoogroups@...>
The frequency of the rain hitting the ocean interferes with the reception of the signal bounced off of the ocean floor...but only when it is a very heavy rain Bill Rouse On Nov 12, 2016 4:46 PM, "Kent Robertson karkauai@... [amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
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Aha! Kent |
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svperegrinus@yahoo.com
When we no longer needed the factory transducer hole under the forward cabin, we simply used the spare black plastic blanking plug that Pochon kindly left there tied to a little string. Hull No. 350 came from the factory will all Raymarine and Furuno equipment, including: (1) a speed transducer under the forward cabin (2) a depth transducer under the space between the forward head and the forward hanging closet When we updated the instruments, we installed an Airmar DST800 supplied by B&G as part of their wind/depth/speed package. Works under all conditions, including heavy rain. It measures depth, speed, and temperature. Cheerio, Peregrinus At anchor, Venice |
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No annoying "Tock...Tock...Tock" with the ST800? Kent S/V Kristy SM243 .
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svperegrinus@yahoo.com
Kent,
The only time I have ever heard the DST-800's "tock, tock" was when I took it out to clean it and I put it in vinegar while it was still on. I turned it off. The "tock, tock" was not at all loud and I think it would be impossible to hear it from the inside even with baby ears. I am in my 40's, for whatever's worth. Cheerio, Peregrinus SM2K No. 350 At anchor, Venice |
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heinz@...
Hi Bill I'm about to install a new plotter. Where and how did you connect NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000? There are any photos. Thanks in advance With kind regards Heinz SM2000 Quetzal Nr. 292 |
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greatketch@...
Heinz, Sorry I am late in responding to this. I missed it as we were sailing... My plotter (A B&G Zeus touch 12) has a NMEA0183 input that is connected to the Hydra output. The plotter converts the NMEA0183 data and retransmits it on the NMEA2000 bus. There are devices you can buy that will do this if your plotter can not. The ones I am familiar with are made by a company called Actisense. http://www.actisense.com/product/ngw-1/ Bill Kinney SM160, Harmonie LMC, Fort Lauderdale, FL ---In amelyachtowners@..., <heinz@...> wrote : Hi Bill I'm about to install a new plotter. Where and how did you connect NMEA 0183 to NMEA 2000? There are any photos. Thanks in advance With kind regards Heinz SM2000 Quetzal Nr. 292 |
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