Posted by crarasim@… (crarasim@…)
Charlie,
I’m looking at installing a complete ST40 package, wind, depth/speed, compass, and ST1000 autopilot. All tied together with my handheld GPS (Garmin V).
I found the lowest prices for the ST40 units at http://www.dbmarine.com/Raymarine/Raymarine_Products.htm, if you have a cheaper source I’d like to know…maybe you already bought the unit?
To Answer your question, at 50 mA draw, you can run the depth all day with no problems.
The transducer should be as close the center of the boat and the front of keel as possible, so it’s pointing as straight down as possible and will stay covered with water. If you look at the installation instructions, on-line Owner’s Manual is available at the Raymarine home page, you’ll see that the transducer is gimbaled for a few degrees of adjustment in the thru hull. I think it does this automatically.
My old (dead) instruments have the transducer and speed-wheel thru hulls just in front of the keel set side by side, maybe 3" off the center line. That puts them in the bilge
in-between the mast step and the back side of the interior insert wall in front of the porti-poti. It’s a little tight but you can throw a wrench in the space, if the need arises.
The first time I put my boat in the water, both the “sending units leaked”, bad. It appears that water got into the epoxy potting and then froze (my boat came from the north end of Lake Michigan). I had a real fire drill to get them to stop leaking and bailed water that whole first weekend (didn’t have any plugs!!!). So I’ve sailing/racing with just the compass and my GPS, made a set of plugs and trashed the senders.
I have a small flexible solar panel installed on my deck just in front of the companionway hatch (held down with mondo 3M plastic stick-on velcro patches, no holes in the decking) , it puts out 300 mA at full power, so I think I can run the whole set of instruments without any problem. We have a lot of sun here in New Mexico, even in the winter.
I’m also going to make my own interior LED lighting system, to hold down the current draw.
Being such a small boat we don’t spend more than 2 or 3 days at a time on her.
I think, if I’m frugal with the power consumption, it will work out great. I may have to put in a larger Amp-Hour battery (probably will when replacement time comes, anyway).
Unfortunately our winter has been really cold and I have trouble with my hands in the cold (turning the big 50 in a couple of weeks), so I’ve got lots of work to do in the spring before we go back out to LA/Santa Catalina/San Diego next summer. Did I mention re-doing the water system…Oh Boy!!! I better start lining up parts and doing all I can indoors. Have you checked into holding tanks yet? I’d like to keep mine where the originals were, but have actual tanks that fit the curve of the hull.
I’ll be putting my old Navco autopilot up for sale when the instruments get here next month, if your interested, it is a basic “stand alone” unit but it works great.
Charlie A.
Posted by Charlie (cskidwain@…>)
Charlie,
The system that im a looking at is the ST40 from West Marine it draws
50mA. So on a 100Amp battery this depth finder should operate for over
8 hours without have the battery recharged correct. Also where would
be the best location to install the through hull transducer it comes
with a 30 foot cable.
Charlie
Posted by Don Young (donzenet@…>)
Charlie, if your hull is not cored, you can “shoot through” without putting a hole in the boat. It is critical that there be no air space between the outside water and the transducer. You can test your location by bedding the transducer in plumbers putty or putting the 'ducer in a plastic bag of water. Once you find a suitable location, the 'ducer can be bedded in silicone Take care to use a slow curing silicone so you can be assured that no air bubbles remain between the 'ducer and the inside hull. “Mushing” the 'ducer into the silicone should assure a good job.
----Original Message-----From: Charlie [mailto:cskidwain@…]Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 5:18 PMTo: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.comSubject: [freedomyachts2003] Depth System for a Freedom 21Charlie,The system that im a looking at is the ST40 from West Marine it draws50mA. So on a 100Amp battery this depth finder should operate for over8 hours without have the battery recharged correct. Also where wouldbe the best location to install the through hull transducer it comeswith a 30 foot cable.Charlie
Posted by Jerome Weinraub (zayde@…>)
Try 2000 hours
----- Original Message -----
From: “Charlie” <cskidwain@…>
To: <freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 8:17 PM
Subject: [freedomyachts2003] Depth System for a Freedom 21
\
Charlie,
The system that im a looking at is the ST40 from West Marine it draws
50mA. So on a 100Amp battery this depth finder should operate for over
8 hours without have the battery recharged correct. Also where would
be the best location to install the through hull transducer it comes
with a 30 foot cable.
Charlie
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Posted by jody kaplan (jk_cygnus@…>)
Hi , it seems the 28 is cored , dont know about the 21. Jody KDon Young <donzenet@…> wrote:
Charlie, if your hull is not cored, you can “shoot through” without putting a hole in the boat. It is critical that there be no air space between the outside water and the transducer. You can test your location by bedding the transducer in plumbers putty or putting the 'ducer in a plastic bag of water. Once you find a suitable location, the 'ducer can be bedded in silicone Take care to use a slow curing silicone so you can be assured that no air bubbles remain between the 'ducer and the inside hull. “Mushing” the 'ducer into the silicone should assure a good job.
----Original Message-----From: Charlie [mailto:cskidwain@…]Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 5:18 PMTo: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.comSubject: [freedomyachts2003] Depth System for a Freedom 21Charlie,The system that im a looking at is the ST40 from West Marine it draws50mA. So on a 100Amp battery this depth finder should operate for over8 hours without have the battery recharged correct. Also where wouldbe the best location to install the through hull transducer it comeswith a 30 foot cable.Charlie
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Posted by trekker149 (linseyjohnson6@…>)
The deck of the f21 is balsa cored, the hull is not, at least that’s
what it says in one of the freedom brochures
Posted by Charlie (cskidwain@…>)
Thanks to all for the information on the Depth finder. I took
Charlie’s advise and looked up Raymarine for the installation now I
HAVE A MUCH BETTER understanding of this system. Thank Again
Charlie