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What you need to know about Boat Transducers used (Sonar Transducer)

 Boat Transducers transmit and receive sound waves that fishfinders use to determine the depth of water, “see” fish and show bottom characteristics. 

Commonly in boats, transducer is an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver in one. The sound pulse “reflects” and travels back to the boat and is then translated into usable data such as depth, structure, etc..

Sonar transducers used in Boat, are offered in three mounting styles: In hull, thru-hull and transom-mount. Transducers that attach to a trolling motor are also available. The outer shell or casing of transducers is generally plastic or bronze. Over the years, as fishfinders have become more sophisticated, so have transducers. While fixed sonar frequencies of 50kHz, 80kHz and 200kHz are still available, choices now include transducers used for high frequency scanning sonar, directional sonar and CHIRP; which stands for Compressed High Intensity Radiated Pulse sonar—a technology that can show you fish and bottom structure that traditional sonar can’t. 

"Sonar transducers" can be used to detect fish, bottom structures and the sea/riverbed topography. They can record the depth and temperature of the water, the speed of the boat and can generally aid in navigation by rendering images of what's below the boat. 

The full form of SONAR is Sound Navigation and Ranging. A system for the detection of objects under water by emitting sound pulses and detecting or measuring their return after being reflected. Sonar Transducer plays a crucial role in a boat.

For sonar transducers, electrical energy is converted to mechanical energy and vice versa through the use of various natural and man-made materials that exhibit piezoelectric or magnetostrictive properties. 

Several boats, especially the new fabricated ones, are equipped with several type of transducers in order to monitor different functions of the boat, temperature and pressure. Sonar transducers is only a small portion among other transducers that are installed on a boat. However, it is very crucial.

There are a number of different types of Sonar transducers, and an array of suitable materials, depending on the material of the Hull. For the sake of this article, we will be talking about the three major Sonar Transducer types. 

- Thru-Hull,Transom Mount and In-Hull Transducers

1) Thru-Hull Transducers (Through all Transducer):  

This is considered the most important transducer on a boat. This type of transducer utilizes a transmitter in order to generate electrical signals, transform them into acoustic waves and sent them outside.

 As a result of their performance and accuracy, they are usually referred to as the best. The transducer face is in contact with the water. Another great benefit is that they can be used on all types of vessels, with a variety of different material hulls. When used in combination with high-performance fairings, they give very precise high-speed results and can work with hull deadrise angles up to 25 degrees.

Fairing blocks can be used to compensate for any deadrise angles over 5 degrees, and they are cut to match the deadrise of the hull at the mounting location. The blocks help to reduce the drag of the transducer by improving the smooth flow over the face.


If you're fishing and have the desire to see water depths, structure, or movement under your boat, a transducer is a must-have feature.

Hull-mounted sonar (HMS) solutions provide a versatile underwater sensor capability that can be used in a wide range of operational missions. 


2)Transom Mount Transducer

Transom mount transducers are recommended for planing hulls of less than 27 feet (8 meters), such as personal watercraft and powerboats with outboard, inboard-outboard and jet drives. They are not recommended for large or twin-screw inboard boats because aerated water from the propeller reduces performance. They are also not recommended for critical operation at very high speeds.  While well-adjusted transom mount transducers have been proven to work at speeds in excess of 30 knots, a through-hull or in-hull may be a better option for sustained high-speed running. 

Transom mounts adjust to transom angles from 3° – 16°. For angles greater than 16°, a tapered plastic, wood or metal shim will be needed. However, the transducer should be adjusted so it is angled slightly forward when the boat is in the water. 

Transom mount transducers are installed on the boat's transom, hanging into the water and typically protruding just below the level of the bottom of the hull. Transom mounts are composed of plastic and tend to be less expensive than other transducers, though high-performance transom mount solutions are available for some fishing applications. 

3) In-Hull Transducers

The main advantage of this type of installation is there is nothing hanging externally on the boat, which not only improves drag but there is also no concern about hitting the transducer on anything by accident. Alongside this, should it ever need any maintenance, it is easy to remove without having to take the boat out of the water. In-Hull transducers are a nifty design, where they are mounted internally on the boat inside the hull. 

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However, there are some disadvantages to In-Hull’s;

They are usually larger than something like a Thru-Hull due to the expected signal loss through the hull, and they also have to sit within a Tank that should be filled with Non-toxic Marine / RV Anti-Freeze.

Another disadvantage is that these only work with certain Hull types, typically on boats with a fibreglass bottom. They will not work with metal or wooden hulls.

Waterproof audio transducer 

A correctly mounted transducer should have a vertical beam that points straight down towards the bottom, ensuring that the echo returns are both strong and accurate. By having your vertical beam off of the centre / not straight down, you will get inaccurate readings, and the image on your fish-finder will be of lower quality.

Hence, irrespective of the type of transducer you use, there is one key principle that is constant. Which is a vertical beam.

One important point to clarify is that there are ‘Transducers’ and ‘Tri-Ducers’. Tri-Ducer is short for Triple Transducer, meaning there are 3 contained within one device. These are capable of measuring Speed, Depth, and Temperature. Some Tri-Ducers are marketed as Transducers, and sometimes the names can be crossed over or the lines are a little blurred. If you only want Depth then a single Depth Transducer is suitable, however, if you need all 3 measurements, a Tri-Ducer is required.


Credit - Actisense


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