Hull Transducer Removal/Replacement

[avd155]

Hi Everyone,

There is one last piece to my boat I've yet to remove, the old transducer. I have attached 3 images of what the state of the current transducer. Each image has a caption giving a basic description of what you're looking at.

Here are the questions I have:

1) How can I remove the transducer? It seems silly I've been able to take everything else out, but this seems to be firmly in place. The outside doesn't give me any hints as to where I might be able to remove fasteners or something. Any ideas?

2) What are my options for replacing the in-hull transducer. I've heard that an ordinary fish finder type of transducer would work just fine, but those probably use more energy than this liquid filled transducer. I'm open to whatever is proven to work in the long run and work well.

[Quetzalsailor]

I had a long-abandoned transducer that looked a bit like that. I tried drilling out the center of it, but found that the actual 'speaker' was a disc of ceramic, harder than tile. The shell was bronze, like yours. I dug around the disc and prised it out with the universal tool, a screwdriver. Then drilled the remaining sealant out. Then used one of my un-patented throughhull pullers:

http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/kk90 ... G_0296.jpg

[Figment]

Removal: A blowtorch and a pipe wrench.

Replacement will be the product of a whole-system selection you'll make much much farther down the road.

[Rachel]

Nice blank slate!

I agree with Figment: I would just proceed (after removal of the old transducer and repair of the hole) without planning any new system until the project is nearing completion. Because of the "always wait until the very end to do electronics" philosophy.

Rachel