2000 SAN Depth Finder

[Emil]

So I've been digging into a boat I purchased a year or two ago because I had to pull the v-drive, and I found a depth finder transducer that I didn't realize was right beneath the v-drive. I could trace the sending wire back to the dash too, but I don't have a gauge. So first question, what are the odds that transducer still works? I think my odds are good, but if it was put in back in the early 2000s as I suspect, then it should probably only read to 200 feet right? And if that's the case, am I correct in assuming that if I buy a 600 foot gauge that my reading will always be 1/3 of the actual depth? Also I should clarify, I definitely don't want to replace the transducer, I've put them in before, and that was when I didn't have to deal with getting an old one out. Needless to say it wasn't fun and I'd rather not, especially since it's located directly beneath the v-drive. While on this topic, I think I'll have to splice wires to get the new gauge to work if I go that route, so the wires should just be power in and signal out right?

[MN Ryan]

Per the manual (chapter 1.1), a depth finder was optional. It seems more likely that it came from the factory with the transducer installed than that someone installed it later.

2000 SAN manual: https://www.planetnautique.com/Corre.../2000SSSAN.pdf

[Emil]

Oh awesome, thanks! I didn’t see anything in there about the depth finder max depth though, I will keep looking for teleflex’s depth finder specs at the time.

[MN Ryan]

Where are you boating that's that deep? Those depths are completely foreign to me in Minnesota!

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[Emil]

Haha well I’m actually on the Colorado river usually, so about 2-20ft deep, only ever see past 200 feet when I make it up to powell. Anyway I’m not worried about reading super deep, I just thought I should match a 200ft gauge to a 200ft transducer so that when it reads the signal, they’re on the same scale and the reading will be correct.

[NautiqueJeff]

I would not go to the expense of buying a gauge and expecting that 22-year-old transducer to work. Those transducers are known to not be that reliable. New ones are only about $80 though.

[Emil]

In case anyone was wondering, I did get another transducer, the only real difficult part was popping the old one off. Swinging a 3lb hammer in the bilge beneath the v-drive and prop shaft and between the transmission and thru-hull intakes definitely was not easy, but I found the the sanding and prep was not bad after taking the old one out. It left a pretty smooth surface on the fiberglass. The only thing I will say I goofed on is the new epoxy, I put beads on the hill and transducer then smushed them together. I think that’s a good way to end up with air bubbles, so we’ll see what happens when I drop it in the water this week. Thanks for the recommendation though Jeff!