transducer-silicone

On a thru hull installation of a transducer, can you silicone it down or do you have to use epoxy? or is there something else that can be used? (fiber glass boat)
Thanks guys!

Use a higher grade of silicone and make sure that there are no bubbles trapped between the ducer and glass. The couple I have done, I was not pleased with. I also had used a cheaper grade of silicone and it eventually had to be re-done. Mine is glassed in with Epoxy and works perfectly. However, I know there are guys on here that will swear by using good silicone.

And I thought this might have been a link to the new Hummingbird bikini team…..

I got this off another site and have saved it so that I can use it in the coming week for my inhull transducer I will be installing. the tip seems to be a pretty neat trick to make it even easier.

“. I’ve been expoxy-ing transducers in my hulls for years with this method. Have used this method on at least 4 boats so far. I think I discovered this in the instructions that came with my first Humminbird about 20 years ago.
Simply take some modeling clay or duck seal (electrician’s clay) and roll it between your palms so it shapes into like a long night crawler. Long enough to go around the transducers circumference (if it breaks while your rolling it out long enough just piece it together again).

Then place the transducer where you want it. First put some water in the bilge and test it in various locations, because prop wash or the boats chines can mess up your readings. You want to find the spot where there is not too much turbulence flowing by on the hulls bottom. This testing is easiest to do with another person who can test different spots while you’re driving or visa versa.

Once you know where you want it. Rough up the bottom of the spot in the hull and the bottom of the transducer with a course piece of sandpaper. Place the transducer in position and press your clay shaped like a night crawler all around the transducer. Remove the transducer and what you have left it a little transducer shaped empty swimming pool.

Mix some epoxy up. I use the stuff that is in the twin side by side syringes from Walmart or any hardware store. I mix it slowly on a paper plate and then slowly fill the swimming pool up about 1/4 inch or so and then slowly press the transducer into the epoxy, so as not to cause air bubbles.

The next day after it’s cured, just take a screwdriver and scrape or pull the clay off from around the edges of the transducer.

That’s it that’s all.

Best part of this method is when you get another boat (I’ve upgraded 4 times) you just take a screwdriver and a hammer and tap it between the transducer and the hull and it always just pops right off. Take a knife or sandpaper and clean off any remaining epoxy on the hull and transducer and you’re ready for your next boats installation.

I’ve used the same transducer 4 times already. Reason is the epoxy never really bonds all the well to the hull or the plastic transducer, but it bonds well enough to hold it in place until you tap it off when you want to move the transducer to another location or boat.

My new boats coming next week but I’m really ticked off, I ordered a new Lund on March 23rd and they finally called me that it’s due on Monday. The dealer quoted me 4-6 weeks and i’m in week 10 now and still no boat. I probably just bought my last “ordered” boat. Next one will be used or off the floor. Sold my other boat in 3 days during the last week in March and missed out the entire month of a gorgeous May for fishing around here.

In any case, it only took me 5 minutes to pop off the transducer and prepare it for my new boat’s thru the hull installation.”

I just mounted a transducer in a kayak using a small amount of epoxy that came with it… (lowrance shot through style) and it worked great. Took Randy’s suggestion, put a weight on it for a day and it is there and I read over and over a solid bond is better than soft one.

I have used silicone I think three times now, haven’t had a problem yet. I used epoxy one time and had to chisel it out, that was no fun at all.