transducer mounting position - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

tehburninator · 09-13-2012, 04:38 PM

hello!

so i just picked up a older hummingbird model... and this will be my first time tinkering with a fish finder...

questions is... where do you mount your transducer on the kayak?

near the front or the rear? i'll be mounting it inside the hull since it seems relatively easy to do, but im not sure on the exact position relative to the kayak...

i see on hummingbirds manual it says to mount it to the rear of the boat... but... i fish forward on the kayak so would the front be better? if the rear no problem because there's a hatch there but closer to the front i dont have a hatch =/ any advice is appreciated. thanks

GregAndrew · 09-13-2012, 05:55 PM

Front to back does not matter much. Just make sure it is a spot that it will point pretty much straight down. Also you want it low enough on the water line that swell or chop are not causing a loss of direct contact with the water.

mtnbykr2 · 09-13-2012, 07:49 PM

If I had my drothers after, doing this several times before I got it right, I would utilize the putty method, until you find the best spot, then after deciding that is where you want it, install a wet mount in that position...just my two cents

RockyRaab · 09-14-2012, 07:46 AM

THE trouble-free, perfect signal, Humminbird 'ducer mount:

Inside view

And the outside of my PA14

It's their plastic through-hull model. Free trade-in for your unused one, or inexpensive if you don't have a NIB exchanger.

tehburninator · 09-14-2012, 07:56 AM

Oh neat.. I didn't know they had one like that also I got a piranha max10 don't know if that one will hook up but I'll look into it after I see how well the current location works, I used the putty mount in the foam block like I saw on the innovations thread. I will know this Sunday, brought extra putty along just in case I have to refit on the water.
This site rocks

RockyRaab · 09-14-2012, 09:07 AM

On the Humminbird website, they list which finders are compatible with each transducer.

While a great 'ducer, this one doesn't have a temp sensor. That's about its only drawback.

sharjak · 09-14-2012, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyRaab

THE trouble-free, perfect signal, Humminbird 'ducer mount:

Inside view

And the outside of my PA14

It's their plastic through-hull model. Free trade-in for your unused one, or inexpensive if you don't have a NIB exchanger.

Just don't expose it to UV(storing kayak upside down) as the epoxy holding the transducer will eventually break down. I found this out on my Revo

ful-rac · 09-14-2012, 11:14 AM

All this talk about transducers I thought I'd share mine too. Just like rockyraab I opted to go with a thru hull transducer. It worked perfectly on my stealth14 for several years and works and continues to work perfectly on my new PA14. My main concern about the thru hull was not it leaking but placement on the PA. I had concerns that if I had placed it behind the drive I would get some kind of interference from the water being disturbed by the mirage drive fins. So I looked at the placement of the transducer mounting area on the PA12, and what do you know....it's behind the fins...! So after I saw that, I had confidence in my placement behind the drive. I found that right in the middle of the PA is the flattest spot, so I chose this as my location.

Installed with plenty of 5200 making sure it squeezed out all around the transducer.

After letting it dry for 24 hrs, I just peeled off the excess.

Finished product!

Works perfect! doesn't leak a drop of water and Fish finder picture is as clear as can be, also depth & temp works on mine.

tehburninator · 09-14-2012, 01:06 PM

sweet, thanks for the diy pics as well. i unfortunatly am still on a budget and bought a used FF from a good friend. i will test it out and get a feel for the FF this weekend and report back hopefully with some feesh as well. will be tagging along with another friend who's been yaking for a long time and has more experience. still just exploring the bay. but all this info is awesome to have for when i upgrade.

i also found the the middle of my kayak would have the best contact with the water at all times, so i mounted it slightly in front of the center hatch. if this doesnt work, i will be moving it to the rear of the kayak on the flat "rudder" thats build it because it's flat and easy to mount there due to hatch access and i believe any water would generally flow back there due to momentum to keep my ducer wet.

RockyRaab · 09-14-2012, 04:10 PM

I put mine immediately ahead of the drive hole. To get the 'ducer out of water, I'd have to be going over Niagara. IIRC, it's only about $35 to buy one.

Oh, the epoxy in it CAN'T be exposed to UV since it's below deck.

09-13-2012, 04:38 PM	#1
tehburninator Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 96	transducer mounting position hello! so i just picked up a older hummingbird model... and this will be my first time tinkering with a fish finder... questions is... where do you mount your transducer on the kayak? near the front or the rear? i'll be mounting it inside the hull since it seems relatively easy to do, but im not sure on the exact position relative to the kayak... i see on hummingbirds manual it says to mount it to the rear of the boat... but... i fish forward on the kayak so would the front be better? if the rear no problem because there's a hatch there but closer to the front i dont have a hatch =/ any advice is appreciated. thanks

09-13-2012, 07:49 PM	#3
mtnbykr2 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: newbury park ca Posts: 2,323	If I had my drothers after, doing this several times before I got it right, I would utilize the putty method, until you find the best spot, then after deciding that is where you want it, install a wet mount in that position...just my two cents __________________

09-14-2012, 11:14 AM	#8
ful-rac Emperor Join Date: May 2009 Location: Buena Park Posts: 3,649	All this talk about transducers I thought I'd share mine too. Just like rockyraab I opted to go with a thru hull transducer. It worked perfectly on my stealth14 for several years and works and continues to work perfectly on my new PA14. My main concern about the thru hull was not it leaking but placement on the PA. I had concerns that if I had placed it behind the drive I would get some kind of interference from the water being disturbed by the mirage drive fins. So I looked at the placement of the transducer mounting area on the PA12, and what do you know....it's behind the fins...! So after I saw that, I had confidence in my placement behind the drive. I found that right in the middle of the PA is the flattest spot, so I chose this as my location. Installed with plenty of 5200 making sure it squeezed out all around the transducer. After letting it dry for 24 hrs, I just peeled off the excess. Finished product! Works perfect! doesn't leak a drop of water and Fish finder picture is as clear as can be, also depth & temp works on mine. __________________ There's nothing colder than yesterday's hotdog.

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09-13-2012, 05:55 PM	#2
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	Front to back does not matter much. Just make sure it is a spot that it will point pretty much straight down. Also you want it low enough on the water line that swell or chop are not causing a loss of direct contact with the water.

09-14-2012, 07:46 AM	#4
RockyRaab Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Utah Posts: 138	THE trouble-free, perfect signal, Humminbird 'ducer mount: Inside view And the outside of my PA14 It's their plastic through-hull model. Free trade-in for your unused one, or inexpensive if you don't have a NIB exchanger.

09-14-2012, 07:56 AM	#5
tehburninator Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 96	Oh neat.. I didn't know they had one like that also I got a piranha max10 don't know if that one will hook up but I'll look into it after I see how well the current location works, I used the putty mount in the foam block like I saw on the innovations thread. I will know this Sunday, brought extra putty along just in case I have to refit on the water. This site rocks

09-14-2012, 09:07 AM	#6
RockyRaab Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Utah Posts: 138	On the Humminbird website, they list which finders are compatible with each transducer. While a great 'ducer, this one doesn't have a temp sensor. That's about its only drawback.

09-14-2012, 01:06 PM	#9
tehburninator Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 96	sweet, thanks for the diy pics as well. i unfortunatly am still on a budget and bought a used FF from a good friend. i will test it out and get a feel for the FF this weekend and report back hopefully with some feesh as well. will be tagging along with another friend who's been yaking for a long time and has more experience. still just exploring the bay. but all this info is awesome to have for when i upgrade. i also found the the middle of my kayak would have the best contact with the water at all times, so i mounted it slightly in front of the center hatch. if this doesnt work, i will be moving it to the rear of the kayak on the flat "rudder" thats build it because it's flat and easy to mount there due to hatch access and i believe any water would generally flow back there due to momentum to keep my ducer wet.

09-14-2012, 04:10 PM	#10
RockyRaab Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Utah Posts: 138	I put mine immediately ahead of the drive hole. To get the 'ducer out of water, I'd have to be going over Niagara. IIRC, it's only about $35 to buy one. Oh, the epoxy in it CAN'T be exposed to UV since it's below deck.