Association Forum - Hawkeye D10D depth sounder

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Hawkeye D10D depth sounder

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

keeldad
1st Mate

Member Avatar

84 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/23/2012 : 04:23:45

Does anybody have/use on of these? My original equipment Standard Horizon finally called it quits last month. Being cheap, I saw that Defender had this Hawkeye unit for $85.00. The problem is, I've been trying the toilet wax mounting method and for the life of me, I can't get a signal wherever I put it. I've tried all the recommended locations, behind the swing keel "volcano", fwd under the V berth cabinet, near the old Standard Horizion thru hull transducer... nothing. It works fine if I hang it over the side. I can't find a power rating on the unit but I suspect it doesn't have enough "oomph" to get the signal through the hull.

John & Emery Keeler
S/V "Emery C"
'84 SR/SK #4260
Ocean City NJ

Edited by - on

Seaquel
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
4 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2012 : 06:27:10

We had the same problem with the wax ring - Two years ago, picked up a fishfinder at a garage sale for $25, used the wax ring mount and it worked great for the whole season. The next year reinstalled with the wax ring in the same location - nothing. Over the side - worked fine. Never did get it to work. So this year we bought a new Hummingbird DR 650 depth finder. Installed with wax, same problem - then read in the instructions that it may not give a reading in very shallow water (we were doing this in our slip - the water is very shallow this year, barely 3 feet with a mucky bottom). So remounted again with the wax and headed out - about half way out the channel we started getting readings.

Edited by - on

keeldad
1st Mate

Members Avatar

84 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2012 : 09:02:18

Thanks for the info Seaquel. Interesting, In hull depth finder transducers don't seem to work well in...shallow water. Wow, what a concept. The only time I really care about the depth is when it gets to be around 3 foot under the keel.

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2012 : 09:07:02

Our fish finder (Garmin Echo 200C) seems to work well in shallow water and the transducer is mounted using the toilet wax method. I thought about getting that Hawkeye, but the Garmin wasn't much more expensive and gives me the ability to add a speed sensor later.

Edited by - on

Tim M
1st Mate

Members Avatar

60 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2012 : 19:51:22

I have had the Hawkeye depth sounder for 2 years and it works just great. I think the transducer definitely needs to be epoxied in place with 'slow cure' epoxy as per the instructions. For a good spot to put it, pull out the bottom drawer under the sink and as far back as you can reach and to the right is a fairly flat spot and far enough away from the keel. Make a dam on the 'down-sloping' sides with some duct tape or epoxy putty (after prepping the spot with some sanding and a wipe with acetone) and set the transducer as level as you can on a gob of epoxy and let it harden. You won't get a reading when the bottom is mucky or seaweed but it does work well in shallow water.

Edited by - on

Seaquel
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
4 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2012 : 04:56:03

We did get readings in the less than 3 feet range once we got away from the mucky bottom in the slip. We still need to calibrate to adjust for the difference between the water line and the location of the transducer.

Edited by - on

keeldad
1st Mate

Members Avatar

84 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2012 : 04:58:48

Thanks Tim. I will try that location. I'm assuming you are talking about the galley sink so the transducer will be aft on the port side? I didn't sand or clean any of the temporary places I tried so maybe that will make a difference as well. At least someone else has installed on of these and has had success. I'll let everybody know how I make out.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3521 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2012 : 08:55:13

My humminbird fishfinder transducer I installed under the VBerth area near where the original deothfinder thru-hull transducer is located. My in-hull was installed with a blob of wax ring matl and the fishfinder has worked fine, never removed, in over 7 years. The Potomac has a muddy and weed laden bottom and the fisdhfinder has read fine for all depths it has been in which has been down to 3' and even 2'. The reason it is reading at 2' is because the transducer, at bottom of Vberth area is below the waterline and the draft on the wing keel from the waterline is 2'11". So, if the reading ever hits 2' which is extremely rare, it will read that as soon as depth is below 3' (ie. 2' 11', 2'10") but I may not hit bottom since from the wqaterline that would probably be closer to 3' 6" or so which is above the waterline draft.

The only time I had the fishfinder reading erratically was the only time my boat was on land for a season and that was this past winter when I had the bottom waterproofed. I suspect micro-bubbles that were present on the hull during the first day the boat was lowered back into the water caused the erratic readings. By the next day, the fishfinder was reading fine again.

from the Humminbird tech info, I thought the only negative effect of installing in the hull vs thru-hull was the signal strength since Humminbird indicates the depth reading capability using an in-hull transducer would be 400' vs what the fishfinder is rated at which is 1000'. I was not aware that shallow readings would be effected but maybe in some cases, it is based on your experiences.

Edited by - on

Tim M
1st Mate

Members Avatar

60 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2012 : 12:47:01

John, I used the port side because I use the corresponding place on the starboard side for long term storage of extra lifejackets and behind the galley drawers is out-of-the-way. It's also the easiest and closest place to the mount for the depth sounder for me. The bond to the hull is of extreme importance for these units to work well since they stress the importance of even using 'slow cure' as opposed to '5-minute' epoxy to glue it down - more time for the air bubbles to come out of the epoxy for a more solid bond to transfer sound waves. Surface prep I'm sure is just as important.
Larry, I also have a Hummingbird (Piranha Max15) and it was getting more sporadic than the Hawkeye. I suspected it too had age related issues and removed it. When I pried off the transducer I discovered it was stuck down on a blob of silicone. I'm sure this dampened the sounding efforts and contributed to the sporadic readings. When I bought the boat I removed the original thru-hull transducer under the v-berth and replaced it with a real thru-hull (Marlon) for the vanity sink and removed and glassed over where the piece of brass pipe with garden hose shut-off and volcano of epoxy putty had been.
The issue of not reading off a mucky bottom is very rare and is mostly in the furthest inland slips in the marina where tide waters don't run fast enough to move silt. What we call a 'muddy bottom' most places out in the islands here is a mix of silt , fine sand and shells that actually packs fairly solid and is excellant holding ground with almost any kind of anchor. I've found the problem of not sounding in seaweed mostly a problem in broad-leaved seaweed patches or very thick eel-grass. It will usually always give you sporadic readings in these areas but it does make it a little exciting sometimes when it cuts out for 5 seconds while you're swinging a circle to check for safety and scope of an anchorage - and the last readings were 10, 9, and 8!

Edited by - on

keeldad
1st Mate

Members Avatar

84 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2012 : 04:55:08

I tried the area that Tim described behind and to the right under the drawer under the sink. Sanded and cleaned with Acetone. I still can't get a reading. I don't want to expoy the transducer down until I know it will work. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Hopefully I can get some sailing in this evening. The boat has been in the water since the end of June but work, houseguests (if you live in a resort town, they will come all summer long) and something I had never heard of before in my 55 years, a "Derecho", have conspired to keep her tied to the slip. I work for the local electric utility and the one week last month that the tides and moon and personal obligations all lined up for long quiet evening sails, this Derecho comes through and I'm on 16hr days for the next week and a half. The tides and conditions are again perfect (except we have guests) for evening sails so I'll try to get her out tonight, working depthfinder or not.

Edited by - on

Tim M
1st Mate

Members Avatar

60 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2012 : 12:44:48

John, the transducer is very easy to remove even after it has been epoxied down if that exact spot doesn't work. Just place a soft-wood block against it and tap it with a hammer to break the bond and it will pop off the epoxy. The smooth plastic surface of the transducer is one of those things that does/doesn't stick to epoxy. It will as long as it doesn't get jarred. The 'slow cure' epoxy is still the best and maybe only way to make one of these units work as it should (per the instructions). Mine worked well the first time I stuck it down properly. If your first attempt still doesn't work, repeat the process moving a couple inches toward centerline each time until you find the right spot. Good luck!

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5500 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2012 : 16:45:30

OK! All this talk about fish-finders has got me wondering. I have one for my canoe (that I use for freshwater fishing). When you set up and install your fish finder, does it actually find any fish for you?
Now that the striped bass, blackfish, bluefish and flatfish are out in droves, are you dropping a line over the side with a few sandworms or eels?
My unit shows different sized fish and bottom structure like rises and ledges. It gives you way more info than a simple depth gauge including contour, fish and water temps. Unless you're an angler, I guess it doesn't matter. But if you are it provides you with very useful intel about your environment.

Edited by - on

keeldad
1st Mate

Members Avatar

84 Posts

Response Posted - 07/31/2012 : 05:30:31

Somewhere in one of the previous "depthfinder/fishfinder" threads somebody pointed out that because a fish finder shows the bottom and structure it is better than a simple depth finder. I tend to agree with that, because if I can watch the bottom, I can see sandbars and dropoffs where with a depth finder I simply have a number that I have to translate into something. That being said, since I've spent my hard-earned $90.00 on the Hawkeye unit, I'm going to do what Tim suggested and slow-cure epoxy transducer down. I finally got a chance to go sailing last evening and I would have liked a functioning depth gauge to help me through the narrow channel that leads to my slip. As far as fishing is concerned, that's where the craziness of owning 2 boats, a sailboat and a power boat comes in. If I want to fish, I take my 22' Mako out. I actually prefer sailing more than fishing these days. The tuna steaks I had on the grill last night were cheaper at the fishmarket than what it would cost to go out and get my own.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 07/31/2012 : 08:51:19

Bruce,
I can see fish quite well on my Humminbird fish finder. Only caveat is when the engine is running it tends to create false images while underway. These are usually distinguishable from actual fish because they seem to be at the same depth or multiples of a depth (15, 30, 45, 60, etc.) You can adjust the sensitivity to minimize this but that also tends to minimize the ability of the finder to identify fish. It is especially helpful for locating schooling fish. I have the Humminbird GPS as well and using a split-screen view can watch what's in the water and monitor my heading and distance at the same time.

Edited by - on

keeldad
1st Mate

Members Avatar

84 Posts

Response Posted - 06/26/2013 : 18:41:45

An update on this issue and a thank you to Norcross/Hawkeye Marine. I still had the Hawkeye depth finder that I couldn't get a reading on with the transom mount transducer and toilet wax method. This spring, figuring "nothing ventured, nothing gained", I contacted Norcross Marine and explained my problem. For $25.00 plus shipping they sent me a thru-hull transducer and head end which also incorporated water and air temperature. I told them I had stuck the original trandsducer in toilet wax and they told me to clean it off as best I could, send it back and they would send me this upgrade. The thru hull fit in the original 2" hole in the hull from my Standard/Horizon depth finder and the unit works fine. No leaks, accurate readings and all for about $35.00 (including shipping) more than the original $99.00 unit with the transom mount transducer and no water/air temperature readings. The unit also has a keel offset feature so I can set the depth finder to give me the actual depth below my swing keel when it is up (I figure about 20"). All in all, I am very happy with Norcross Marine and their solution to my problem. The "Emery C" was splashed this weekend and seems no worse for wear after her Hurricane Sandy experience. If you are looking for an affordable pure depth finder (I don't care about fish finding),the Norcross/Hawkeye unit might be something to explore.

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 06/26/2013 : 19:00:09

John, this is my exact story except that Norcross wasn't nearly as "friendly" to me as you experienced... but I DID buy the whole new unit from them for $10 more than I spent for the original unit. The new through-hull mounted one works well though, and I like it, and yes the temperature sensor works well.

I suppose their in-hull just isn't as powerful as some others... but otherwise I like the unit.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2402 Posts

Response Posted - 06/26/2013 : 19:17:28

One issue to consider on transducer placement when shooting through the hull is the slip you are in. For me the fairway shallowed very quickly so I placed mine aft of the keel, I wanted to watch the trend when backing up out of fear of running aground with my rudder.

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 06/26/2013 : 20:02:19

My slip is 12-14 feet deep... hard bottom. Several other boats aren't having problems with in-hull transducers in our marina... but none are using the model I was.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.