Depth sounders and old, old transducers

Kolbads

Member
Well, I have slowly and intermittently been working on my "new" 1983 Commander 26. My plan is still to get it seaworthy enough to launch and see how it feels, then decide how much time/money to put into it. I want to have a depth sounder before I launch. I know approximately nothing about depth sounders transducers or displays. Can someone help?

There are three old in-hull transducers installed. (I assume that's what they are. See pics.) One of them (pictured) still has coax cable running forward to the helm, but no display. On the outside of the hull there is a hockey puck shape and size, seamlessly mounted to the hull. Strangely, this transducer is mounted only 3 inches inboard of the chine and nearly vertical side of the hull. A poor location from what I understand.

There is an identical looking transducer mounted on the bottom centreline about two feet forward of the transom. Its cable has been cut off one inch from the top of the brass(?) rod. On the outside of the hull there is a home-plate shaped "puck" about one inch deep.

There is a third transducer, installed differently, with the cable cut off (pictured). It is also located just inboard of the chine about two feet aft of the first, with no protrusion on the outside of the hull.

There is also a cable with a four-pin connector on the inboard end; it is terminated at the transom at the other end, so presumably was for a transom mount which has been removed.

At this stage, I'm trying to buy used equipment online to get the boat launched cheaply but safely. Can anyone identify the transducers and say whether a compatible display head might still be found?

Or recommend a better but still inexpensive way to have a depth sounder for the initial launch? (More convenient than a lead and line, that is 😆!) Thank you in advance!

PS: At this point, there are no electronics of any kind installed onboard.

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If you are near Nanaimo I have a 7” Garmin Striker i will sell for $150 bucks come with transducer
 
If the coax cable is cut off, then assume the transducer has failed.
the location two feet forward of the transom, middle of boat, is a great location to get good readings.
Transducer may be 50kHz or 200kHz.
 
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