# Need help with mounting a transducer



## parrothead (Oct 1, 2007)

Title says it all. Would love to get some pictures . Don't know if i should mount the ducer through hull or on the back of my outback. Thanks in advance

Scott


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

What kind of transducer?


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## speckhunter944 (Jun 13, 2008)

I have a native mariner12.5 and just installed a lowrance elite 4 dSI. The lowrance web site said the unit would work better with the transducer in the water. I made a mounting board out of a cutting board I picked up at Walmart for 7.99 and then added some gear trac. I used ramball mounts for the unit and used the ramball transducer arm got the ram mounts at PK&S. I can lift the arm out of the water if I'm not using it or remove altogether.The pics are not that good but it may give you a idea.


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## speckhunter944 (Jun 13, 2008)

Shot from the front.


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## parrothead (Oct 1, 2007)

JD7.62 said:


> What kind of transducer?


Skimmer. Dont know if i should mount it outside or inside.

Scott


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Mount it in the hull. Much less of a hassle after its installed. Just make sure you dont get any airbubbles in the silicone. Keep the nozzle in contact with the hull as you squeeze it out and let the silicon build up around the nozzle. This will prevent airbubbles. Then when you put your transducer in put one end down first and "roll" the transducer from back to front or front to back as you sit it in the silcone. 

Its really pretty fool proof and easy and its out of your way once installed!


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## BigRed38 (May 5, 2009)

JD7.62 said:


> Mount it in the hull. Much less of a hassle after its installed. Just make sure you dont get any airbubbles in the silicone. Keep the nozzle in contact with the hull as you squeeze it out and let the silicon build up around the nozzle. This will prevent airbubbles. Then when you put your transducer in put one end down first and "roll" the transducer from back to front or front to back as you sit it in the silcone.
> 
> Its really pretty fool proof and easy and its out of your way once installed!


Great advice from JD. Another way to do it is to use the electricians putty (cant remember what everyone calls is). Comes in a 1-2lb block and is grey in color (can get it from Home Depot). Make a small reservoir (big enough for your transducer) and place the transducer in the reservoir. Once the transducer is in the reservoir pinch the sides over onto the transducer (like a pie crust). As long as you are not SLAMMING the yak around it will hold fine. I have traveled with mine upside down from Milton to the beach and it held fine. This is also a great method if a steady hand is not your strong point, one bubble can completely mess up your readings. 

This is not my yak, just the only pic I could find


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## GAjohn (May 23, 2012)

BigRed38 said:


> Great advice from JD. Another way to do it is to use the electricians putty (cant remember what everyone calls is). Comes in a 1-2lb block and is grey in color (can get it from Home Depot). Make a small reservoir (big enough for your transducer) and place the transducer in the reservoir. Once the transducer is in the reservoir pinch the sides over onto the transducer (like a pie crust). As long as you are not SLAMMING the yak around it will hold fine. I have traveled with mine upside down from Milton to the beach and it held fine. This is also a great method if a steady hand is not your strong point, one bubble can completely mess up your readings.
> 
> This is not my yak, just the only pic I could find


That stuff is called duct seal. Home depot has it. Works great holding my transducer down.


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## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

Does this method work also for a fiberglass boat bay boat? I just picked up a new Elite 7 HDS with the bottom imaging and would rather mount the t-ducer in the bilge than on the stern if possible. Sorry for the hijack Scott.


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## Chumbucket (Apr 23, 2009)

I cut the bottom off a piece of Tupper Ware and mounted my transducer in it, then gooped the Tupper Ware to the yak. I just put a little water in before I launch. Seems to work well and never have any bubbles.


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## servo765 (May 25, 2013)

I used a Ram mount transducer arm and didn't like it for a handful of reasons.

It is noisy going through the water above 2.5 mph. Probably double the noise with that thing hanging down. Unlike a mount that stays completely underwater, the shaft that breaks the surface creates kind of suction and an air bubble behind it that gurgles and is annoying. This leads me to believe it is extra drag, but who knows how much. It also puts a fair amount of strain on the RAM ball and if you don't crank down on the wingnut it will rotate back.

The real issue is in what to do with the cord. I bought a 4" track with two RAM balls, the front mounted the Tx arm, and the aft ball mounted the head unit. The problem with removing your Tx each time you transport the yak is in what to do with the cable. A 4-series DSI comes with a 20 foot cable which you must coil up and zip tie and jam in a cup holder or something. I could never work up the balls to shorten the cable, even though I couldn't find any electrical basis for not shortening it.

Speaking of which: One lightly used RAM Transducer Arm for sale.

The pros are in simplicity of install, configurability, and "removability/temporary-ness"

I went with the Hobie scupper mount which I like a lot. I was concerned it would put the transducer in harms way, but it tucks in between the hull protrusions and is pretty well protected. I considered epoxying a fin to the hull, parallel to the transducer to protect it, but it really isn't necessary. The cable runs up through a scupper hole in the cargo area, and then I used a plastic grommet with a screw down cap from West Marine and some silicone to run the cable through the hull, and the entire mess of wiring stays inside the yak, with just a foot of cable running out near where my head unit mounts. To take the FF on and off, you just hook up the 6 pin connector, and tighten one wing nut on the FF ram ball. This was a clean and easy install, and the Transducer sits directly in the water. The benefits to this are a more accurate water temp reading, for what thats worth, and no worries about DSI image problems. The cons, startup cost and I suppose the right hazard, three inches below the waterline could eventually hit your transducer and cost you another Hobie scupper mount.


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## servo765 (May 25, 2013)

one other thing to look into, and were I not so lazy, may have done:

i have seen pictures of people mounting them to their rudders. This would again, put them right into the water and an easy mount with the included brackets. Also, if you ever banged them into something, they would just fold up on the rudder hinge. Food for thought anyway


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## FLSalomon (Oct 3, 2007)

I glued it in with Marine Goop. Took a small piece of foam, cut out the transducer outline (you can buy the foam pre-cut from (PK&S) and glued it down. Let it cure - 24 hrs. Then warmed up the Goop in a coffee cup of hot water so the Goop flows really smooth. Jam the nozzle in the foam cut out and fill it with Goop. You can't use too much. Then what JD says - press the transducer in the Goop and let it cure. You may need to put a weight or something to hold the transducer down. Good signal and it has not moved in at least 5 years. Did the same in my OK P13 and it has held for 8 years.


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## parrothead (Oct 1, 2007)

Wow. Thanks for all the responses. Plenty of food for thought.

Scott


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## BigRed38 (May 5, 2009)

This place is like a buffet of useful information!


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## Pokey Pogie (Jan 23, 2012)

:thumbup: duct seal :thumbup:


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

WOW! You guys are ingenious.

Jim


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## stocke2 (Aug 14, 2013)

anyone here tried a wet mount for the transducer in the hull?


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## woodinfliezz (Jan 27, 2014)

I second the duct seal... to help with the bubbles use it to make a resivoir and put some water in it with a cup i always fill mine up before launching it works like a dream


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## trophytroutman (Mar 13, 2014)

This is what I used to mount mine. Lowrance scupper mount


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