wet well

[dsiekman]

Martin commented that he likes the wet well method better than the simpler Goop method. I never understood what advantages come from using a wet well compared to mounting the transducer in Goop or duct seal. I hope that someone can explain for me and for others why you chose to use that technique. As for me, I mounted transducers on two kayaks using a puddle of Goop, and on two other kayaks using a bedding of duct seal. I have had excellent sonar readings in all cases. Here are two examples from a day I was jigging in the Severn River over a debris pile. I can actually see my jighead moving up and down on the sonar screen. What am I missing by using a dry mount method?

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Wow, John, that is pretty clear! Maybe I should have you tune mine!

[moc]

I do not store my kayak upside down, so I do not have the issues of water leaking out from the position of my kayak, but that would definitely happen if I did it upside down. My leaks come from my duct seal getting old. I have used Goop and duct seal and they all work very well as John said. I just found that when I put my same transducer in water that I picked up more fish or detail. Engineering wise, maybe it is the difference in the strength of the particular transducers power and signal strength that may be effect to some degree of sensitivity depending on which method that you use. Just like a radar signal going through diff material can get weaker. That is why some kayakers when putting their transducers outside of the kayak with an arm or the new way like when manufacturers include underneath mounts for the kayak's transducers to get in direct contact with the water produces some better sensitivity and temp readings. To be more precise, I have never compared color fish finders, since the ones that I have tested were lower cost black and white models. I just stuck with the wet well when I moved up to color and GPS. On another note, maybe I need John to tune my fish finder also...

[Runnin]

I made a wet well from Duct seal. I'm looking forward to a field test. My only concern without testing is that the water will splash out. I was going to make a real wet well with permanent water reservoir using a piece of 3 in pipe and a fernco cap, but it seemed like a lot of extra work. I'll install that if my duct seal well doesn't do the job.

[Goody]

I use the duct seal dry method and have no problems. I have the Lowrance elite 4. The only thing that I ever had to do is adjust the sensitivity. When jigging, I can actually see it going up and down on the screen just like John mentioned.

[john from md]

The issue with goop is that you have to ensure that you don't get bubbles in it. Bubbles equate to voids and sonar doesn't work well with air pockets. Other than that, it will work just as well as the water well installation and will actually be more secure.

I didn't use it on my OC Trident because of where I located the transducer. I put it in an area where I could not work with both hands and could not insure no bubbles were made as it was squeezed out of the tube. I did this to insure it wasn't disturbed by stuff I loaded in the front hatch. If I was to have mounted it directily below the front hatch cover, I would have used the goop method.

John

[coop1486]

Well so far my setup work well. I try the dum dum way any got tired of butting water in every time I launch.That's when i came up with this.Where it's located there is nothing that would knock it loose.The way it sit in the utility box with the styrofoam and the waterproof lid there no way the tranducer will come loose.Moc and i have been compare our setting with the way he has his and there really not any difference.I have try the goop method but wanted to do something entirely different.