Transducer...How can you tell

[Stillraining]

How can you tell if one brand of transducer will work with any other brand sounder?

Is there a test that can be preformed? ( other then hooking it up) Like an Ohmes test of somthing of that nature...

I have old Data Marine instruments that really need tossed and replaced but not in the budget this season...( Yet any way ) I would like to be able to use the transducer which is a thur hull type for a different depth sounder...Either interface it into my Garmin GPS screen.. ( dont have Sounder modual ) or a spare Humming Bird I have lying around. I dont want to remove the existing Transducer if i can at all help it...The transducer is on the left ..knot meter/trip log on the right ...I dont care so much about the knot meter.

Data marine is not readily available for comment...

[sailingdog]

A large number of the transducers are made by one company, Airmar. Many of them are compatible with other brand instruments. I used the Raymarine ST60 transducers on my TackTick instruments. Generally, for them to be compatible, they'll have the same number of wires, often in the same colors as the other brand.

[TradewindSailing]

For depth you need to know the frequency the datamarine transducer is working with.

Data marine used 120 kHz and 200 kHz. 200khz is common and could work with newer instruments. 120khz seems less common.

These guys should be able to help:
DMI Marine, Inc.

[hellosailor]

Folks have generally said they will work interchangeably--as long as they are the same frequency (high or low) and that's usually a published spec for each model. I'd presume some won't work quite as well with the "wrong" transducer, but apparently they still work well enough for most users.

[sailingdog]

HS-

The frequency needs to be similar, but the output of the transducer itself also has to be compatible. Some transducers don't output raw signals. This is pretty obvious, since Airmar offers the same physical size unit with raw output or NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 output in some of their models. The number of wires will generally be a dead giveaway.

[Stillraining]

I believe you are correct SD...Unless Im all wet and talking out my rear...the frequency has more to do with the depth capability and the associated clarity of the readings at thoes depths.... and ether is usually availibal for most sounders depending on your application...

Originally Posted by sailingdog

HS-

The frequency needs to be similar, but the output of the transducer itself also has to be compatible. Some transducers don't output raw signals. This is pretty obvious, since Airmar offers the same physical size unit with raw output or NMEA 0183 or NMEA 2000 output in some of their models. The number of wires will generally be a dead giveaway.

[wchevron]

you could try giving garmin a call. i'm sure their tech. support would know.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by wchevron

you could try giving garmin a call. i'm sure their tech. support would know.

Thanks...
Ya I did that...weekend and all i was just fishing here to see if someone knew already...

Otherwise...Can I hurt the sounder If I just hook it up and try it?

[hellosailor]

Dunno, SD, and I'm sure there's an exceptipon that proves the rules and vice versa.

I'm only saying that over the past 5-10 years I've heard this question a number of times in a number of forums, and heard answers that pretty much all say "if it is the same frequency, the rest is close enough so it will work". Followed up by comments that it has worked, or no comments at all.

Which could mean the ones that didn't work simply blew up and never got online again.[vbg]

But from what I gather, the transducers are all very similar, essentially piezo units that will "ring" when excited by a specific signal, and the main difference is whether they are made to ring "high" or "low" at the two main frequencies, each requiring some differences in how they are made.

So personally, I'd be willing to take a shot trying it. Might blow out the head end, might just work fine. Each has to roll those dice for themselves.

Calling Garmin [g] can be an interesting experience. Sometimes they are not only proprietary and scared of lawsuits (like most companies today, they will not recommend ANYTHING "custom" because they're afraid someone will boow something up and then sue them) but they are sometimes outright paranoid. I had called them years ago to ask which type of algorithm they used to calculate position, which had some relevance to a discussion about GPS and position in another forum at that time, and their rebuff was "Our algorithms are proprietary information, we can't tell you any of that! Who are you! What are you trying to steal!" When really, the question was just asking which of two systems they were using--without asking ANY of the specifics beyond that. You know, "Gas or diesel?" and nothing more.

And if you think that's scared, I even met a USCG Station where they refused to tell me when the next slack in an inlet was going to be. Because someone apparently had asked them that, and then sued them over the result! Kinda like being sued because someone asked you "Is today Monday?" but there ya go.

[Stillraining]

Hellosailer...LOL

That could have been written by Robert Gainer...

I will count the wires as suggested and if they are the same number I will hook up my Humming bird and see what happens....( POOF!! Maybe...but worth the risk.. )... I think I will wait on interfacing the Garmin...

Thanks Everyone