DepthTrax 2B Boat Mount In Dash Digital Depth Finder

I gave 5 stars for everything because this purchase turned out exactly as I wanted with no frustration, no problems getting it to work, no problems with installation. I was worried about installation because I'm not comfortable putting a hole through my hull or even screwing on a support bracket....what do I know about the watertight integrity of a boat and how stupid would I feel if I caused a leak??? So I followed the glue-in instructions, which included multiple step-by-step methods to test it first. No problems! Maybe the other installations would be more accurate with the sensor in the water instead of in the boat (not that I have evidence of that; on the contrary, it has been accurate in tests I've done), but I was very happy to have the much lower stress of not drilling or cutting the hull. The other part of the installation (besides the sensor) was the electronics. There is a separate guide for that, which I think is equally well done, so that it turned out pretty easy. Note: the documentation is online instead of being printed and included in the box, so that means it's up-to-date, has links to other sources and can be reviewed ahead of buying the product. As far as use, it's pretty straightforward: it displays the depth and has just four features you can set: feet vs. meters, offset so you can account for how deep the sensor is installed below the water line, sepatate alarms for shallow and deep water (where you set the distances that define when those alarms sound). When you enable the alarms, they are loud and persistent, but that's good/that's what you want an alarm to be! Of course I can only hope it will continue to operate well for a long time, but soundness of documentation/packaging/operation so far make me think it is a quality product and should be trusted for the long term.

The original Datamarine depth finder on my 1987 Catalina 27 sailboat finally crapped out. Although the company still exists and supposedly repairs old units, the price is prohibitive and would likely only prolong its life by a few more years. Its thru-hull transducer operates at 210 kHz which is non-standard for today's depth finders. I ordered this DT2B DepthTrax and for kicks, first tried connecting it to the existing thru-hull transducer but it was reading completely erroneous values about 10x too high. I was hoping to avoid a boat haul-out and kept reading about transducers that can shoot through the hull from the inside of the boat.I tried the in-hull/transom mount transducer that came with the unit. I used the plastic bag test to try to get a reading through the bottom of the boat but couldn't get any reading. I very briefly got a reading when testing an area under the V-berth but couldn't get it back despite another hour of attempts. Sailing forums showed many people having success with the Airmar P79 transducer. I ordered a used P79 from Ebay and spliced it onto the connector and it works like a champ. What's interesting is that the DepthTrax supplied transducer operates at 200 kHz yet the P79 I ordered happens to run at 235 kHz. Nevertheless, with a little blob of plumbers putty to hold it in place just to the left of the keel under the port bench seat, it gives a perfectly accurate depth reading. The DepthTrax installed easily with a 2" hole saw and some marine sealant under the lip of the bezel. The display is very easy to read. Since it doesn't have a on/off switch, I stole the power wire to the lighted compass and now I can turn it on/off using the Instruments breaker on the main panel.

I previously had a Uniden depth finder on our Catalina 25 sailboat that after many years of service "died". I didn't know if the display unit or the transducer or both had died.Searching the web, I found the Hawkeye D10D as the best replacement - the head/display would fit exactly without the need for any alterations to the boat -- and Amazon had the best price.With my previous Uniden I had its transducer epoxied to the hull, i.e., shooting through the hull. To remove the old transducer and epoxy in the new Norcross Hawkeye was going to be a lot of work -- and the Hawkeye is of a different, smaller, size and shape than my old one.The very best first thing that I did when I got the new Hawkeye was to call Norcross and was immediately connected to Patrick Sullivan who is their customer support manager. He simply could have not been more helpful. I told him what I was doing and gave him the info about my old unit. He sent me, without charge, a patch cable that allowed me to connect to the leads of the old transducer and plug directly into the new Hawkeye head/display. I was fortunate that my old transducer was indeed working just fine -- no need to replace it -- and it worked perfectly with my new Norcross Hawkeye D10D!!! You can't believe how much work this saved me.I am extremely pleased with my new depth finder and have the highest praise and thanks to Norcross and Mr. Sullivan for helping me to make this such a clean, fast, and easy installation. If, like me, all that you need is a basic and inexpensive depth finder -- with great customer support -- you found it with the Hawkeye D10D -- and by buying it through Amazon.