Depth Sounder questions

[FalconEddie]

I have been looking at new depth sounders and have found a few options available and wonder about them.

First, I have a massively thick bow/keel area at the front (say 2.5 inches, solid glass) and I am looking to put the depth transducer there. I would also like to include a speed/log wheel as well as temp. Some guys swear by temp as being an important Gulfstream crossing aid. Anyway, I can afford to cut 1" into the glass to set the transducer in, protecting it a little, but no way can I fit 2 transducers.

So far I''m looking at Raymarine intergrated instruments. The ST60 Tridata system does everything with a single head and a single bronze thru-hull transducer, but the $680 for the head and $370 for the transducer is making my butt pucker.

Is this really the best way to go? Should I dial back to the ST40 system and give up temp and speed/log? I just don''t have the money to spend foolishly, but sometimes, as I''ve found out before, scrimping on important stuff is fools savings.

[PaulBl]

Best location is low and near the mid point of the boat. Maybe slightly forward but not too far or the readings won''t be true. Too far out board or fore or aft and the movement of the boat will scew your depth readings a lot as the boat pitches and heels.

Going back to the ST40? Heck I wouldn''t go back to the ST50<g>. I have a broken ST50 speed log. I would go for two transducers. One speed and one depth.

[sailnaway]

Garmin makes a three in one Speed ,Depth ,Temp. You can plug it into several of the insterment displays they have including diffrent models of the Garmin GPS. The transducer comes with a long thru hull it looks like it may be four inches. That would let you use a fairing block to bed the transducer in a straight up and down manner for best results. The faring blocks can be bought in fiberglass or I have made my own in a plastic throw away bucket using layers of matt and cloth resin lay up at an angle let kick off and pop it out of the bucket. epoxie that to the inside and the material becomes part of the hull strong as heck.

[flicker]

FWIW, Hal Roth recommends an individual unit for each function. The advantage is that if one unit goes down, due to any problem such as an electrical wiring problem, lightening, flooding or salt incursion, it doesn''t shut down all other units. In a single, integrated unit with many functions, all functions will be lost with a single failure.

Chas.

[asailor]

Another thing to consider; Fish Finder type depth sounders are very similiar in price to normal depth sounders and they give you eyes in front of you...

[mikehoyt]

I have ST40 bidata. Has 2 trnsducers. Works well.

ST50 is the older version of ST60 I believe. ST40 is not older just cheaper. Good value if you like value.

Mike