26M in-hull transducer install

[DaveB]

I tried for 3 hrs to get 14 gage wire thru the large area in the head, I have a 5 inch dia access plate there.
Problem is the headliner has a U shape return and tried to follow that aft to rear of head liner and down a indentation to bilge with no luck useing a Electrican snake with a 100 lb test mono fish line attached.
Whats your secret? Whats the best way to route wires ? I also plan on installing Sterio speakers on each side of the vertical flat are next to forward hatch and looking for best route to take.
Thanks,Dave

4. With a fishtape, it is simple to install the display wires forward. A 6 inch access hole in the head can be covered with a round lexan disk. The wiring is easy. My large compass is mounted there also, with the red-lamp wiring accessible from the head.[/quote]

[Catigale]

Dave I confess brought mine down aft of the head and covered the wires with white 3M tape.

Port side, I brought them forward to the chainplate and then down there.

[Don T]

Hello,
I used welding wire/rod to fish wires through my boat.

[tangentair]

I used aluminum artists molding wire and also a flat copper band - like an electricians fish - but both times I had to reach way back in and needed my son to pull the liner away from the side, I was adding a light and the storage location for may VHF backup power source. Both time I forgot to leave a pull line so I will have to do it again when I rewire for 120 service

[opie]

I have used a electrical fishtape to get almost everywhere in the boat. Sometimes the hull and the liner are almost touching but the fishtape opens things up and the wire or cable can be drug and squeezed through with success. I just ran a new coax cable from the new location of my VHF in the space provided by Roger in the port headliner on the aft cabin wall-ceiling corner (above battery and adjacent to hatchway) to the mast base area where it connects to a weatherproof fitting to the mast and then to the top of the mast.
Specifically, to address your question:
For the location that Roger provided on the opposite starboard side, where my depthfinder and compass are located, I did the following for the depthfinder cable.
(I have a X model, the M will be different, of course.)
1. Located depthfinder on back transom and led cable into boat along with the existing steering cables.
2. Ran cable in bilge (same place where some owners put the depthfinder into wax on the inside hull) and then I pushed the cable under the head to the location under the sink.
3. Opened under-sink door and grabbed cable and ran it up with my hand to the "U" lip on the upper headliner.
4. Grabbed the upper headliner in the middle and stretched it out enough to get a wedge under it. At this point there is a gap between the upper and lower liner.
5. With fingers, grabbed the cable in the gap and pulled it into the head, about 5 feet of cable.
6. Reached into the 5 or 6 inch hole cut in Roger's cubby hole area at ceiling. The hole was there when I bought the boat since it was necessary for someone (factory, dealer or P.O.) to install the compass.) I dropped a washer on a fishing line down the wall at the furthest I could stretch my arm. (yes, I got scratched up a little, no blood though.)
7. Back to the gap, I found the washer and pulled it into the head and tied a stout line to it and pulled it back to the headliner cubby hole. Then I tied the depthfinder cable to the line and pulled that up as well. Walllaaa! It was done.
8. Perhaps a fishtape could have worked here as well, but I came up with this idea and it worked for me.

[Rick Westlake]

I tried the wax-ring trick with a Hawkeye transducer on Friday. It didn't work for me.

After putting the transducer over the side with the wax on its base, and seeing that it STILL didn't send a depth-signal to the display, I scraped off the wax and dipped it again. Bingo!

When I put the clean transducer into a plastic bag full of water and placed THAT where I want to mount the transducer, I got a good depth reading.

So now I'm going to follow the Hawkeye owner's manual, and use slow epoxy to bond it to the hull where I want it.

[Frank C]

I had some wiring channel for running speaker wires in the living room.
A 4 ft length of that same channel stands in the X-head, just aft of the door hinges, hides all wiring down to the bilge.

[rjs11116]

05 m,Hummingbird 15 transommount transducer,
Just forward of the battery there are small depressions in the fiberglass,place the transducer pour in water until it reads,a small weight helps hold it add water when needed usually a few weeks .Worked well for three years so far . No holes No mess.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Steve...I mounted my transducer mid-boat, flat on the floor under my Galley (Mac-X). I used silicone, making sure of no bubbles under and around the unit. It works real well, and is a very easy installation method. My depth & fish readings perform well.
I got the idea from a dealer installation in my pevious boat, a Mac-S, and it worked well also.

Happy Sailing in your New M

[paj637]

My wax ring install has been working for almost 18 months. I just forced out all the air bubbles and molded it on the hull aft of the starbord dinnette aft seat. You have to make sure there is no air space or bubble entrapped in the wax to the hull and make sure your not shooting through any stringer or the ballast tank. Mine worked first time powered up and it has indicated 1 foot when I carefully floated over a sand bar with all boards up. I had plans to epoxy it in but no reason to as of yet.

[DocJ]

Thanks for your posts and questions regarding the transducer. I am new to the site and I just got my 26 M last week. I think I'm going to try the PVC pipe solution. I was concerned about the location of the ballast tank and making sure I was not going to shoot through that area. The person who posted the pictures pieced together from the Mac site seems to be showing that the tank runs down the center line, so working a little port or straboard of the center line seems to be the answer. I wondered if it were also possilbe to go very far forward on the centerline and miss the tank? That is because I've considered placing two sounders--one forward that is the Humminbird/Hawkeye style, and one aft, off the transom, that is fish finder style. A lot can happen between the 26 feet from bow to stern. Plus, I like one of the other posted suggestions, one sounder readout is on the pedestal for helmsman, another can be located more forward so the crew has some input. Thanks again.

DEJ

[Sleepy]

Another fishing method is with a magnet(outside) and steel plug(inside) with a light monofilament line attached to pull a stronger snake line through.
Hope it helps.

[baldbaby2000]

Mine is on a bracket on the transom but with an M I'd recommend as far forward as possible. This has happened to me more than once. My depth alarm is set for say 7 feet, I'm cruising along and the daggerboard hits something...CRUNCH. A few seconds later...beep beep beep...the alarm goes off and "@%@#$@" comes out of my mouth. I'm thinking of putting one forward shooting down through the ballast tank with a switch to select the rear one when my ballast is out.

[Mar de CaL]

I use a Uniden Sounder QT - 206 which fires through the hull, known as a adjustable in hull transducer. The unit comes with a bath that holds the sounder. The sounder is the model made for this type of installation only! This LCD digital unit can read depths up to 200feet . This safe way , no through hulls , will not freeze with right fliud in the bath and put display by hatch in cockpit for easy reading . Unit is low consumption ( less that .175 amp @ 12V)and has shallow depth warning indicator . Similar to the HawkEye DF1000D but Uniden comes with proper transducer to fit in bath and will read what the unit is rated for 200 feet ! Be Safe!

[Mar de CaL]

Check out Uniden QT-206 comes with In hull Transducer that can adjust to hull . mine works at high speed 17 knots and when sailing and heeled! Works to 200 feet and wet bath will not freeze with the proper fliud! LCD digital read larger than HawkEye and only uses .175 amp @ 12V .Has shallow water alarm and read tenths of feet under 15`. Be Safe!