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Topic: How do you GOOP a transducer inside an OK Trident hull?  (Read 3213 times)

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Tinker

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I keep forgetting to bring water for the transducer puck and not knowing how good beer is for my transducer, I want to GOOP the thing in and be done with the water silliness.

The interior of a Trident hull isn't flat.  It'll take a sizeable pool of GOOP.  I don't know about others' experience, but the GOOP I use will flow and spread out and make it a PITA to try to stick evenly to the transducer.

Do I make a dam to contain the goop?

Is there a better method to semi-permanently glue in the transducer?

Am I assuming there'll a problem when there won't be?
« Last Edit: September 05, 2017, 02:47:34 PM by Tinker »


NowhereMan

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I use a pool noodle as a dam---shape it to fit the contour of the bottom of your kayak, cut out the center to match the shape of your transducer, then goop it in place. Once that dries a bit, fill 'er up with goop, insert the transducer, and never worry about it again.
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Tote

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I've Gooped. I've 3M'd. I've pool noodled.
The best by far, IMO, is duct putty.
Once you have it the way you want it, put Saran Wrap over the putty. It will still be pliable but will not stick to your hands or your TD.
<=>


Tinker

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I use a pool noodle as a dam---shape it to fit the contour of the bottom of your kayak, cut out the center to match the shape of your transducer, then goop it in place. Once that dries a bit, fill 'er up with goop, insert the transducer, and never worry about it again.

Thank you.  I have a hunk of closed-cell foam in there now (a slice of a yoga roller instead of pool noodle) so Step #1 is done.  I would certainly have made it much harder...

I've Gooped. I've 3M'd. I've pool noodled.
The best by far, IMO, is duct putty.
Once you have it the way you want it, put Saran Wrap over the putty. It will still be pliable but will not stick to your hands or your TD.


Thank you.  I understand that duct putty is great, but is there any truth at all to the rumor that the oils (?) in duct putty can damage the transducer?  Don't remember where I read that but it's always held me back from using it.


Fuzzy Tom

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Having Gooped twice, and scraped it off the hull and transducer twice, I'm never doing that again.  Goop the donut only (It's flexible and seems to stick fine, unlike the hard transducer.), then keep adding water bottles to the car until the family complains.  If you Goop, do so where you can easily get a hair dryer or heat gun and a putty knife in - and you'll need at least a couple of beers to finish the job of scraping it off.


NowhereMan

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You should also put some weight on top of the transducer while the goop is drying. That should prevent any air bubbles from forming.
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Tote

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Thank you.  I understand that duct putty is great, but is there any truth at all to the rumor that the oils (?) in duct putty can damage the transducer?  Don't remember where I read that but it's always held me back from using it.



Once you have it the way you want it, put Saran Wrap over the putty. It will still be pliable but will not stick to your hands or your TD.

YEARS of doing it this way and my TD is just fine.
Rumors, that's all they are. Rumors. Just ask Fleetwood Mac.
<=>


masonstorm

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I just recently installed a FF and after some unsuccessful experiences with goop (hull wasnt exactly flat so the pool noodle wouldn't stick to the bottom, tried gooping directly and the goop spread everywhere) I went to home depot and did the duct seal route. It was super easy, I just ripped the block in half, gently widened it into the rough shape/size of a hamburger patty, stuck it to the hull, and then just firmly pushed the fish finder down into the duct seal patty. The transducer data readout looks great on the FF screen and I even was able to use some duct seal around where the plugs go into the FF screen to help waterproof that. I'd highly recommend the duct seal route.

Also, after I decided to switch to duct seal I found that denatured alcohol on a paper towel helped dissolve the goop mess inside the hull and let me easily remove it in large pieces. I'm not sure whether it would work the same on goop that had fully cured but it might.


Tinker

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Thank you.  I understand that duct putty is great, but is there any truth at all to the rumor that the oils (?) in duct putty can damage the transducer?  Don't remember where I read that but it's always held me back from using it.

YEARS of doing it this way and my TD is just fine.
Rumors, that's all they are. Rumors. Just ask Fleetwood Mac.

Pff-ft!  That was too easy...   


AlexB

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I've tried the duct seal putty (it melted off when my kayak sat upside down on my car in the sun after a session). I've tried the GOOP exactly as Nowhereman described (I still got lots of air bubbles as the GOOP cured despite being very meticulous and putting a heavy weight on top while it cured).

The only method I have found (in my own experience) to be foolproof and long-lasting is to create a water bath. I used a cut up kneeling pad from the gardening section at Home Depot.

You might get lucky and have no problems with the GOOP. Or you could end up with a giant PITA job of scraping bubbly GOOP off your kayak hull and transducer.

Don't you bring drinking water with you when you go kayaking? If so, just use some to fill your water bath!

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« Last Edit: September 04, 2017, 04:26:06 PM by AlexB »


Tote

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I've tried the duct seal putty (it melted off when my kayak sat upside down on my car in the sun after a session).

How exactly did it melt?
Was there a pile of dripping goo or did it just fall off?
My garage gets hotter than hell, yes literally  :smt002, and I store my kayak on it's side. No problems at all.
I've also had my kayak in the sun in scortching heat. Again, no problem at all.
Make sure you thoroughly clean the surface before you stick it on.
I made a donut ring and put it on the inside of the kayak. Made another and put it on that and so on.
Kneaded it all together so it acts like the pool noodle bath method.
I even keep an extra blob on the side in case I need to patch a leak, but that hasn't happened yet.
What I found is with the other methods sand would eventually work it's way under the adhesive and create a leak. A few times I'd have to put the TD in a baggie, fill THAT with water, then put it in dry the pool noodle bath.
If knead be (pun intended) I can alter the configuration of the putty OTW or block any leaks, but I haven't had to at all.
You'll figure it out whatever way you decide to go.
<=>


Tinker

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Don't you bring drinking water with you when you go kayaking? If so, just use some to fill your water bath!

Sometimes I drinks water, sometimes I drinks Gatorade, and sometimes I drinks some beers ( not really ).  It was scorching hot the other day and I brought lots of Gatorade but not water.  Had to wade way out in the waves to get to seawater without sand in it.

Okay, so I only did it once, but I didn't like it.  Sucks cleaning sand out of a puck and off the GOOP that squeezed out when I set the puck.  I could be more careful, but I thought I might want to take my memory out of the equation.   :drunken_smilie1:
   


Tinker

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You'll figure it out whatever way you decide to go.

Not without the help of wiser minds than mine, Tote!  Don't leave me treading water!  Especially not after reading about putting the transducer in a baggie.  They'd be making strawberry milk shakes in Hell before I'd have thought of that.


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Why drinking water? Most Tranducers are IN the water, not in the hull - fresh, brack or salt. If you need water for it, drop a little of what you're floating in. Yes, get outside the mud, reeds or sand first.
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Tinker

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My transducer only works when bathed in artesian water from the eastern slopes of mountains, gathered in Waterford crystal decanters by vestal virgins...

It's the "add water after you find clean water" part that doesn't make me comfortable.  Scooting up and opening the main hatch in bumpy water never gets to be fun.  Do-able of course.  But not fun.