Depth and /or Knotmeter?

[geary126]

I have an old Signet depth meter....[new boat, to me]. The digits are showing...partly. Not sure if I should repair,or replace.

also have a signet knotmeter...not even showing power. Again, could use direction...good money after bad?

I can't swing $1500 for a new Raymarine st60. Just interested in depth and, possibly, speed.

thanks.

[sailingdog]

You might be able to get away with just getting new displays. Many of the transducers are compatible with multiple manufacturers displays. Might be worth checking on who was actually the OEM for the knotmeter and depth transducer.

[ebs001]

You can get a Raymarine tri-data system - speed, depth, distance - complete with transducers from http://www.brokenlegdave.com for $604. and you know it will work.

[foxglove]

Geary;

Try this just in case.

My old (23 years) instruments were impossible to read this year. The readouts all seemed to read 1111. Then, I put on a pair of quality polarized sunglasses. Suddenly, I could read the depths, speed, wind measurements easily.

Before you spend big bucks on new stuff, try a pair of polarized sunglasses.

[geary126]

hey, EBS,

which Raymarine set? There are about 100 Raymarine products at that guy's site...and I need something this year...!

[geary126]

How about ST40 Bidata thru hull...for $261.80? includes valox plastic thru-hull transducers....I'm assuming that I can't install this without a haul-out.

I have current transducers for speed and depth...that don't seem to work. Can I re-use the space? Does this require new installation of thru-hulls?

The ST 60 looks nice...but the digits are small. The only other thing I'm thinking about is two displays...st 40 depth and speed. perhaps easier to see / use? Just a thought. Opinions.

thanks.

[geary126]

Or, here's another thought: gps like Garmin 276 that accepts depth input. Not sure if Garmin 276 accepts depth input, but that's the only model I've been looking at.

[sailingdog]

I'd go with a larger model Garmin, rather than the 276, which has a rather small screen. I would suggest the 298, 398, or 498 units instead.
The main difference is what set of charts, if any, is pre-loaded onto the unit. The 398 should be all the US freshwater info, the 498, should be coastal saltwater. The 298 IIRC uses Bluechart software, rather than being pre-loaded.

[jr438234606]

I installed the Raymarine ST40 yesterday as a replacement for my aging Datamarine unit. I set it up to shoot THROUGH the hull since I won't be hauling the boat until this winter. It seems to work fine this way. I paid $186 for the control unit and the transducer at http://www.consumersmarine.com/

[sailingdog]

Many depthsounder transducers will work through the hull, but it has to be an uncored hull. You will generally lose some range, and in the case of a fish finder, some definition, but you will not have to put a hole in the hull.