Hook Up Old Transducer to New Depth Reader

[rpeebles]

Is there any way I can hook my old transducer cable to a new depth reading unit? I have a sailboat with transducer in hull just forward of keel. It may still be good, the reader unit is shot. So if I can attach a new depth reader to it, I will save much time and effort. Has anyone ever tried this? Do you need to just match the transducer frequency?

Thanks in advance! Roger

[colemj]

Yes, you just need to match the frequency and connector type. The connector is by far the most difficult part. If you are getting a new sounder display, many of them come with transducers. And if your old transducer doesn't work, then you will be buying a new one anyway.

Mark

[steamgoat]

New Depth Sounder With An Old Transducer Photo Gallery by Compass Marine at pbase.com
This may be helpful, as are most of his articles. Bruce.

[sdowney717]

all the connectors differ regarding which wire does what.
You need to know so perhaps the Airmar site will give you some pinout diagrams.

AIRMAR Cross-Reference Interface

[AnchorageGuy]

Airmar is the manufacturer for just about every transducer regardless of the manufacturer. But they are not all compatible. Give them a call and tell them what the old unit was and what the new display is and they will tell you if they will work together. You can usually modify the connections to make it work if they are compatible. Chuck

[Nadejda]

I did this in a pinch, I needed a depth sounder to get out the Napa River in California. I had to figure out how to hook up the old transducer to the cheap read out and do some soldering to get it all done. Thankfully it worked; later I told someone else about this and they were surprised the two units were compatible. I still use this setup as my back up for my chart plotter. Not sure this helps but that was my experience with doing it.

Peter
http://www.steelketch.blogspot.com

[rpeebles]

Thanks all. Here is a pic of the transducer, a Lowrance TFM-1192-20. What if I were to cut cable and put new transducer on top of it? By the way, what is inside it. Or I could cut it off and put new transducer on top. Or I could put new transducer on top of the depression at the right, fill with mineral oil and be on my way? My hull is airex cored. Maybe the depression was built into hull for some other purpose (a thru hull?) and is "solid"? Cheers, Roger

[David M]

Did you check on the compatibility?

[donradcliffe]

Its not real hard to check compatibility. First, cut the old cable in a DRY place, NOT near the transducer. You will see its a coax cable with a center pin and a sheath. Strip back enough insulation and twist the sheath into a wire. Do the same with the wire coming from your new display. Connect (solder or twist) the center and sheath wires together and check to see if the new display works.

If it does, go to Radio Shack and get a couple of male RCA phono jacks and a female-female RCA extender. Solder the male jacks on the end of each wire. plug into the extender, and tape well.

If you don't want to cut your new cable, take it to the Shack and get a plug which matches the one on the end plus some RG58 coax cable.

[Cheechako]

Dont different transducers differ in Hz on many units?

[colemj]

Don't you need a new display and not transducer? If so, cut the cable off at the fitting on the other end and get a fitting for the new display to put on it.

If you need to replace the whole shebang, then that transducer isn't going to come out without a haulout and replacement. If the depression next to it is solid glass, and the head of the new transducer fits inside it right down to the bottom of the depression, you could clean out and fill the depression 1/2 way with silicon - be sure to get all the air bubbles out of it - and carefully sit the new transducer in the filled depression and let it set up. This will work fine, and definitely last until you decide to haul out and replace - it will probably last for good. Epoxy will work similarly, only be permanent.

There is nothing "inside" the old transducer except some solid state components potted in epoxy. You cannot cut off the old transducer and mount a new one on top of the stump.

Mark

[rpeebles]

Originally Posted by sdowney717

all the connectors differ regarding which wire does what.
You need to know so perhaps the Airmar site will give you some pinout diagrams.

AIRMAR Cross-Reference Interface

Checked compatibility at this site, but the Lowrance unit is not listed.

[rpeebles]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Its not real hard to check compatibility. First, cut the old cable in a DRY place, NOT near the transducer. You will see its a coax cable with a center pin and a sheath. Strip back enough insulation and twist the sheath into a wire. Do the same with the wire coming from your new display. Connect (solder or twist) the center and sheath wires together and check to see if the new display works.

If it does, go to Radio Shack and get a couple of male RCA phono jacks and a female-female RCA extender. Solder the male jacks on the end of each wire. plug into the extender, and tape well.

If you don't want to cut your new cable, take it to the Shack and get a plug which matches the one on the end plus some RG58 coax cable.

The transducer cable has two separate wires in the black sheath. They are separate, not coaxial. I don't want to beat this issue to death, or maybe I already have! Thanks, Roger