Transducer repair

[blackhorse83]

I just bought a new to me boat, and it has a nearly new hummingbird 120 on it but the transducer cord is cut is there any way to fix it or do you just have to buy an new one? The problem with buying a new one is that you can buy a new depth finder for just a few dollars more.

[Doctor]

blackhorse83,

They can be repaired as long as it hasn't been in the water, if the cable gets water down in it then they are tough to repair do to the moisture being trapped inside the wire, there is a single wire that goes to the crystal and then there is a shielded wire, like coaxial cable, if the main wire has not been breached then you should be ok, if the main wire has been breached what I have done is cut the transducer cable, pull back the shielding and solder the main wire in the center back together, then I'll put electrical tape around the soldered joint, then twist your shielding together, the shielding can't touch that center wire, before you do anything cut a 8 inch piece of shrink tubing and where you cut the wires slide that up on there, after your done splicing then slip that tubing down over your joint, should have at minimum 4 inches on each side of the splice and shrink it down, when the unit is turned on should hear a clicking noise coming from the transducer if not then your going to have to purchase a new Transducer, now if it's a dual transducer then your going to have a main wire going to each crystal which is really going to get tough as I have never had much success at the dual transducers vs single transducer...........Doc

[blackhorse83]

hey thanks for the info, I'm do a lot of soldering at work I do accessable vans so I have heat srink and other water proofing stuff that should work just fine thanks again

[peewee williams]

You need=Heat-Shrink tubing of correct SIZE or SIZES.Each size must be larger and be able to fit over the smaller.=Liquid Electrical Tape.Do you have room to splice it?If you do.#1-get both sides ready to splice.#2-Wash both good with lighter fluid and let dry.#3-Wash good with alcohol and let dry.#4-Slip all Heat-Shrink tubing over wire.#5-splice #6-Follow directions and coat splice with Liquid Electric Tape,as many times as needed.#7-Allow splice to cure.#8-Shrink your Heat-Shrink tubing,centered over your splice.By shrinking different sizes over each other,you make the splice stronger.The longer the heat shrink tubing,the stronger.It will be stiff but strong.I did this on a cheap off brand flasher,years ago.I can not remember what the wire looked like or what type of splice I used.Seemed like crimp type connecters.The first splice with Liquid tape alone,came apart when snaged and pulled.I added the the Heat-Shrink the second time,and it held.This makes good strong splices that are waterproof and cannot ground out to metal in or on a boat.The drawbacks are the splice is stiff,and larger than the wire.Hope this may help.Someone may have a better way.peewee-williams

[peewee williams]

Sounds like the Doctor has a better way.Great!peewee-williams

[duxsrus]

Specialty electronics shops have heat-shrink tubing that releases a glue when heated. That stuff is nearly indestructable when it has cooled down and is certainly waterproof.

[blackhorse83]

thanks for the info guys I fixed it today and it works fine

[peewee williams]

Glad you got it.Please tell us how you done it.What works is allways good to know.peewee-williams

[blackhorse83]

Peewee, I striped about 8'' of the wire to the core, then soldered the center wire, and put heat shrink over it. then I also soldered the out side wire and heat shrunk it again. At work we use some mastic tape that seals to its self and I streched this stuff and covered the whole thing to make a complete waterproof seal around it all.works great

[peewee williams]

I still cain;t remember a shielded cable.I may be mixing it up with something else.Thanks again.peewee-williams

[Creek6]

I bought a kit at Radio Shack. It contained some fittings and rubberized tape to reconnect the broken ends.

[bigfish]

well i had the same problem. soldered all 5 wires and shrink tubed them induvidualy and then shrinked them all together. it appears to be fine. now it is only a cheap $100 eagle though. better than no finder.