I am going to buy a sounder for use in my aquaculture operation. I
need it to be as accurate as possible in determining if my mussel
socks are touching the bottom or are 1' off the bottom. The water is
only 20 feet deep and it is a mud bottom. Some people are using SiTex
106-L which has 300 watts of power and 50 or 200KHz and some are using
Furuno FCV 620 which has 600 watts of power and I saw one with a
Hondex. For my application is there any advantage of one over the
other? Also My boat is aluminum and some dealers are telling me to use
a bronze transducer but make sure it is isolated with plastic bushing
and other are saying use a special ordered aluminum transducer. And
finally would it be most accurate if it pointed straight down or would
having it 10 degrees off to one side (flat against the hull) make a
big difference, if so could I fabricate a level flat spot on the hull
to mount it to but would this create to much turbulence for it to read
properly? I want it as far forward as possible not on the stern. Thanks

mark wrote:
I am going to buy a sounder for use in my aquaculture operation. I
need it to be as accurate as possible in determining if my mussel
socks are touching the bottom or are 1' off the bottom. The water is
only 20 feet deep and it is a mud bottom. Some people are using SiTex
106-L which has 300 watts of power and 50 or 200KHz and some are using
Furuno FCV 620 which has 600 watts of power and I saw one with a
Hondex. For my application is there any advantage of one over the
other? Also My boat is aluminum and some dealers are telling me to use
a bronze transducer but make sure it is isolated with plastic bushing
and other are saying use a special ordered aluminum transducer. And
finally would it be most accurate if it pointed straight down or would
having it 10 degrees off to one side (flat against the hull) make a
big difference, if so could I fabricate a level flat spot on the hull
to mount it to but would this create to much turbulence for it to read
properly? I want it as far forward as possible not on the stern. Thanks



Do you know Molly Malone?

On Feb 23, 7:55�am, "mark" wrote:
I am going to buy a sounder for use in my aquaculture operation. I
need it to be as accurate as possible in determining if my mussel
socks are touching the bottom or are 1' off the bottom. The water is
only 20 feet deep and it is a mud bottom. *Some people are using SiTex
106-L which has 300 watts of power and 50 or 200KHz and some are using
Furuno FCV 620 which has 600 watts of power and I saw one with a
Hondex. For my application is there any advantage of one over the
other? Also My boat is aluminum and some dealers are telling me to use
a bronze transducer but make sure it is isolated with plastic bushing
and other are saying use a special ordered aluminum transducer. And
finally would it be most accurate if it pointed straight down or would
having it 10 degrees off to one side (flat against the hull) make a
big difference, if so could I fabricate a level flat spot on the hull
to mount it to but would this create to much turbulence for it to read
properly? I want it as far forward as possible not on the stern. Thanks

You can probably get by with 300 watts if you only want to take
soundings in 20-feet and less. Since an accurate reading is pretty
critical to you in your quest to locate a spot exactly 1-foot off the
bottom, try to put the transducer in as vertically as possible. Most
boats don't have a truly flat spot that is parallel to the bottom, so
a "fairing block" can be used to square up and support the transducer.
Many boaters use a transom mounted transducer that will solve a lot of
the alignment concerns. Either the bronze transducer with the plastic
bushing or the aluminum tranducer should work- but I would lean toward
the aluminum transducer. The plastic bushing will keep a bronze
transducer from contacting the aluminum and aggressively corroding it,
but there will still be electrolysis concerns when the bronze and the
aluminum and both submerged. One of the drawbacks of metal hulls is
the need to be super vigilant for electrolysis.

mark wrote:
I am going to buy a sounder for use in my aquaculture operation. I
need it to be as accurate as possible in determining if my mussel
socks are touching the bottom or are 1' off the bottom. The water is
only 20 feet deep and it is a mud bottom. Some people are using SiTex
106-L which has 300 watts of power and 50 or 200KHz and some are using
Furuno FCV 620 which has 600 watts of power and I saw one with a
Hondex. For my application is there any advantage of one over the
other? Also My boat is aluminum and some dealers are telling me to use
a bronze transducer but make sure it is isolated with plastic bushing
and other are saying use a special ordered aluminum transducer. And
finally would it be most accurate if it pointed straight down or would
having it 10 degrees off to one side (flat against the hull) make a
big difference, if so could I fabricate a level flat spot on the hull
to mount it to but would this create to much turbulence for it to read
properly? I want it as far forward as possible not on the stern. Thanks

What I know about shell fishing you could write on the head of a hat pin
but I'm wondering why you need to use a depth finder to find the bottom?

If you need that kind of accuracy, why not use a sounding lead and line?

To answer your angle question, shooting straight down is the best way to
find the bottom. At that wattage, 300 would be more than sufficient,
but you need to use a 50 Khz transducer as 200 Khz would shoot right
through the bottom.

I'm also curious about something else. As I've seen in other mussel
operations, you usually have a frame from which the strings hang. I
understand this to be standard practice because of the depth control and
the ability to harvest quickly.

What is the nature of your operation that requires a boat with a depth
sounder?

A picture speaks 1000 words so here is a link to our industry with
pictures.

http://www.confederationcove.com/ima...bum.cfm?aid=13

As the mussel "socks" grow they become heavier and eventually will
touch bottom were predators such as starfish begin to eat the mussels.
We like to keep the socks approx. 1' off bottom, this means either
picking up the socks and looking for starfish, diving or using an
accurate sounder. The sounders I mention are able to run either 50 or
200khz, does this mean a dual frequency transducer should be available
or do I have to choose 50 or 200?

On Feb 23, 12:46 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
mark wrote:
I am going to buy a sounder for use in my aquaculture operation. I
need it to be as accurate as possible in determining if my mussel
socks are touching the bottom or are 1' off the bottom. The water is
only 20 feet deep and it is a mud bottom. Some people are using SiTex
106-L which has 300 watts of power and 50 or 200KHz and some are using
Furuno FCV 620 which has 600 watts of power and I saw one with a
Hondex. For my application is there any advantage of one over the
other? Also My boat is aluminum and some dealers are telling me to use
a bronze transducer but make sure it is isolated with plastic bushing
and other are saying use a special ordered aluminum transducer. And
finally would it be most accurate if it pointed straight down or would
having it 10 degrees off to one side (flat against the hull) make a
big difference, if so could I fabricate a level flat spot on the hull
to mount it to but would this create to much turbulence for it to read
properly? I want it as far forward as possible not on the stern. Thanks

What I know about shell fishing you could write on the head of a hat pin
but I'm wondering why you need to use a depth finder to find the bottom?

If you need that kind of accuracy, why not use a sounding lead and line?

To answer your angle question, shooting straight down is the best way to
find the bottom. At that wattage, 300 would be more than sufficient,
but you need to use a 50 Khz transducer as 200 Khz would shoot right
through the bottom.

I'm also curious about something else. As I've seen in other mussel
operations, you usually have a frame from which the strings hang. I
understand this to be standard practice because of the depth control and
the ability to harvest quickly.

What is the nature of your operation that requires a boat with a depth
sounder?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

A picture speaks 1000 words so here is a link to our industry with
pictures.

http://www.confederationcove.com/ima...bum.cfm?aid=13

As the mussel "socks" grow they become heavier and eventually will
touch bottom were predators such as starfish begin to eat the mussels.
We like to keep the socks approx. 1' off bottom, this means either
picking up the socks and looking for starfish, diving or using an
accurate sounder. The sounders I mention are able to run either 50 or
200khz, does this mean a dual frequency transducer should be available
or do I have to choose 50 or 200?

On Feb 23, 12:46 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
mark wrote:
I am going to buy a sounder for use in my aquaculture operation. I
need it to be as accurate as possible in determining if my mussel
socks are touching the bottom or are 1' off the bottom. The water is
only 20 feet deep and it is a mud bottom. Some people are using SiTex
106-L which has 300 watts of power and 50 or 200KHz and some are using
Furuno FCV 620 which has 600 watts of power and I saw one with a
Hondex. For my application is there any advantage of one over the
other? Also My boat is aluminum and some dealers are telling me to use
a bronze transducer but make sure it is isolated with plastic bushing
and other are saying use a special ordered aluminum transducer. And
finally would it be most accurate if it pointed straight down or would
having it 10 degrees off to one side (flat against the hull) make a
big difference, if so could I fabricate a level flat spot on the hull
to mount it to but would this create to much turbulence for it to read
properly? I want it as far forward as possible not on the stern. Thanks

What I know about shell fishing you could write on the head of a hat pin
but I'm wondering why you need to use a depth finder to find the bottom?

If you need that kind of accuracy, why not use a sounding lead and line?

To answer your angle question, shooting straight down is the best way to
find the bottom. At that wattage, 300 would be more than sufficient,
but you need to use a 50 Khz transducer as 200 Khz would shoot right
through the bottom.

I'm also curious about something else. As I've seen in other mussel
operations, you usually have a frame from which the strings hang. I
understand this to be standard practice because of the depth control and
the ability to harvest quickly.

What is the nature of your operation that requires a boat with a depth
sounder?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

mark wrote:
A picture speaks 1000 words so here is a link to our industry with
pictures.

http://www.confederationcove.com/ima...bum.cfm?aid=13

As the mussel "socks" grow they become heavier and eventually will
touch bottom were predators such as starfish begin to eat the mussels.
We like to keep the socks approx. 1' off bottom, this means either
picking up the socks and looking for starfish, diving or using an
accurate sounder. The sounders I mention are able to run either 50 or
200khz, does this mean a dual frequency transducer should be available
or do I have to choose 50 or 200?

Got the idea now - interesting.

The Sitex is selectable, so select 50 KHz.

Is this muddy, rocky or sandy bottom we're talking about.

On Feb 23, 7:44 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
mark wrote:
A picture speaks 1000 words so here is a link to our industry with
pictures.

http://www.confederationcove.com/ima...bum.cfm?aid=13

As the mussel "socks" grow they become heavier and eventually will
touch bottom were predators such as starfish begin to eat the mussels.
We like to keep the socks approx. 1' off bottom, this means either
picking up the socks and looking for starfish, diving or using an
accurate sounder. The sounders I mention are able to run either 50 or
200khz, does this mean a dual frequency transducer should be available
or do I have to choose 50 or 200?

Got the idea now - interesting.

The Sitex is selectable, so select 50 KHz.

Is this muddy, rocky or sandy bottom we're talking about.

Mud

mark wrote:
On Feb 23, 7:44 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
mark wrote:
A picture speaks 1000 words so here is a link to our industry with
pictures.
http://www.confederationcove.com/ima...bum.cfm?aid=13
As the mussel "socks" grow they become heavier and eventually will
touch bottom were predators such as starfish begin to eat the mussels.
We like to keep the socks approx. 1' off bottom, this means either
picking up the socks and looking for starfish, diving or using an
accurate sounder. The sounders I mention are able to run either 50 or
200khz, does this mean a dual frequency transducer should be available
or do I have to choose 50 or 200?
Got the idea now - interesting.

The Sitex is selectable, so select 50 KHz.

Is this muddy, rocky or sandy bottom we're talking about.

Mud

Then you definitely want 300 watts at 50 KHz.

You might want to check accuracy with a lead line for a few times just
to make sure - muddy bottoms can be tricky with a sounder depending on
it's density and what not.

That way you gage it's accuracy and get a feel for what is and isn't
bottom on the finder.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
mark wrote:
On Feb 23, 7:44 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
mark wrote:
A picture speaks 1000 words so here is a link to our industry with
pictures.
http://www.confederationcove.com/ima...bum.cfm?aid=13
As the mussel "socks" grow they become heavier and eventually will
touch bottom were predators such as starfish begin to eat the mussels.
We like to keep the socks approx. 1' off bottom, this means either
picking up the socks and looking for starfish, diving or using an
accurate sounder. The sounders I mention are able to run either 50 or
200khz, does this mean a dual frequency transducer should be available
or do I have to choose 50 or 200?
Got the idea now - interesting.

The Sitex is selectable, so select 50 KHz.

Is this muddy, rocky or sandy bottom we're talking about.

Mud

Then you definitely want 300 watts at 50 KHz.

You might want to check accuracy with a lead line for a few times just to
make sure - muddy bottoms can be tricky with a sounder depending on it's
density and what not.

That way you gage it's accuracy and get a feel for what is and isn't
bottom on the finder.

Why a 50 khz? We use the 50 for deep water and the 200 khz for shallower
water. He may be better off with a sounder from a bass fishing boat setup.
They are used a lot in shallower water. For a mount, I would weld a plate
on the side of the boat towards the front that you could attach the all
plastic transom mount xducer to.