Transducer mounting ideas

[Low-1]

Hey everyone

Just picked up a new fishfinder for the boat, mainly because the old one had a broken transducer (also an upgrade). My boat has a fairly flat bottom, an older Delta 16' aluminum. The old transducer had broken off from having to beach the boat often. The beach at the cabin has a fairly shallow slope to it, and if the water is low, I can't use the dock. I was wondering if anyone had seen or made a mount of some type that was retractable, ie when coming to shore it could be quickly pulled up or tilted out of the way.

Thanks.

[ongreen]

what ive done in the past was just mounted the transducer to a 2x2 and then put it in the water and clamped it to the boat when i was using it. worked pretty good. i didnt want to drill any holes in the fiber glass so this was my only option.

[Low-1]

I looked at some of those temporary mounts as well, thing is that I need it to stay attached and functional at a decent speed. The lake the boat stays on most of the time is murky and has lots of hidden rocks. There are rocks and sandbars in the middle of nowhere, and while a gouge in the bottom of the boat is bad enough, if I saw the depth start coming up in a hurry, I would try to save the bottom end if I could.

How would something that clamped onto the transom hold up at say 25 mph or better?

[eastwind]

I made mine into a portable transducer by mounting the transducer to a aluminum plate about 4x6square and then mounting 2 circular 3in suction cups to stick it onto the boat. Before I put it in the water the first time, I set it where I wanted it to sit( for the best reading possible) and used a pencil and traced the outline of the suction cups onto the back of the boat. This way it's always set in the same place. there was some trial and error involved in this. Also tie a stout cord to the plate and tie it up to the boat, in case it falls off. It takes the strain off the transducer cord if it does fall off. Anyways, you get the idea. I never tried it at a high speed, so might not hold on.

[yamarider]

You can try having it mounted inside on the bottom of the boat (especially since it flat). I've taken my portable and used it in different canoes/boats (all aluminum) and it worked just as well as if on the outside. Sometimes it needed some water in between the boat/transducer, but all in all, worked really well.

Some will work this way, although not all.

[Palssonater]

Check Bad Company's out sometime. Best setup I've seen yet.

[camoman]

You can try having it mounted inside on the bottom of the boat (especially since it flat). I've taken my portable and used it in different canoes/boats (all aluminum) and it worked just as well as if on the outside. Sometimes it needed some water in between the boat/transducer, but all in all, worked really well.

Some will work this way, although not all.

I know you can mount them in fiberglass boats with no issue, but have heard mixed reviews on the aluminum... I would think that any sort of metal product would reflect or severley demision the acuracy of it no?

[yamarider]

If it's close enough, it just goes right through.
Also you can use it as an excuse if you don't catch any fish.:action-smiley-075:

[Low-1]

Check Bad Company's out sometime. Best setup I've seen yet.


We're just talking about it right now actually. Tite-lok transducer mount, for those interested.

[Wolf]

A couple ideas from Bass Pro Shops -

[boakley]

I know you can mount them in fiberglass boats with no issue, but have heard mixed reviews on the aluminum... I would think that any sort of metal product would reflect or severley demision the acuracy of it no?

through alum work well IF you can minimize "air bubbles". The issue is not shooting through the hull but rather if the water underneath must be "clean".

That is not disturbed by air bubbles caused by rivits. If smooth hull alum great. If with rivits avoid the disturbed water casued by rivits.

[Low-1]

Yeah, I think that will likely be what I try first, through the hull. If it works, that would definitely be best for my application. This is going to be more a rock finder than a fish finder for me. Everything I had read advised against using it through an aluminum hull. Won't take much to try it out to see if it works. Thanks for all the replies guys.