Transducer Mounting Bracket

[NAW]

I was intrigued by a picture Irishfeild posted of a transducer mounting bracket in a past post. It got me thinking about how much nicer it would be to have a bracket, rather then the stock suction cup. I’m not a big fan of the suction cups, as they fall off all the time.

 

The only thing I’m worried about is my own error. I’m always pulling my boat up on shore. I have forgotten to pull the transducer off several times. No worries, the suction cup just falls off and no damage is done to my transducer. This also happens when I drift into shallow water, and bang rocks with the bottom of my boat.

 

With a ridged mounting bracket, the transducer would get damaged if I drag the boat onto shore, or hit something while moving.

 

It took Irishfeilds design, and modified it a bit. This way it guards the transducer from damage (from the frony anyways).

 

However, I have questions:

 

1. Will this design cause the transducer to not work at high speeds, as the guard will cause turbulence?

2. Will the metal guard affect the function of the transducer? (Cause interference)

 

Have a look at my attachments, and let me know what you think.

 

I think I’ll try this, and if it doesn’t work, I can get out the grinder and make some mods.

[Uncle Buck]

the "safety arms" will cause cavitation and fill affect your reading...

 

you can buy a transducer mount like that for around $50 at BPS

 

it'll be adjustable and look prettier also

[cranks bait]

That's pretty much what some after market mounts look like. We use them all the time up at the cottage on the small tinnies. As for loosing bottom, most likely with turbulance and shift of boat. I have never had luck with keeping bottom at speed. My boat always adjusts to a different angle and throughs it off. I figure the transducer and the prop are in the same spot, you;ll know without the graph if you are too shallow

[Fisherman]

I figure the transducer and the prop are in the same spot, you;ll know without the graph if you are too shallow

 

I suppose that's akin to cumulo granite clouds..you don't have to worry if it's a soft landing.

[Fisherman]

 

 

 

 

With a ridged mounting bracket, the transducer would get damaged if I drag the boat onto shore, or hit something while moving.

 

It took Irishfeilds design, and modified it a bit. This way it guards the transducer from damage (from the frony anyways).

 

However, I have questions:

 

1. Will this design cause the transducer to not work at high speeds, as the guard will cause turbulence?

2. Will the metal guard affect the function of the transducer? (Cause interference)

 

Have a look at my attachments, and let me know what you think.

 

I think I’ll try this, and if it doesn’t work, I can get out the grinder and make some mods.

 

Keep the lowest end of the bracket higher than the bottom of the hull, then it won't impact anything. Use the installation bracket provided for the transducer, if the transducer bumps anything, it's designed to pop up, at least with Lowrance/Eagle products. If you have that stick bracket below hull, you'll have a rooster tail a mile high and look like a doofus.

[Billy Bob]

Keep the lowest end of the bracket higher than the bottom of the hull, then it won't impact anything. Use the installation bracket provided for the transducer, if the transducer bumps anything, it's designed to pop up, at least with Lowrance/Eagle products. If you have that stick bracket below hull, you'll have a rooster tail a mile high and look like a doofus.

 

Fisherman has hit it head on with his advice here...the only thing I would like to add (listen up for those with problems at high speed)is to tip the transducer a bit forward so the beam is actually shooting towards the bow of the boat...with this slight angle forward this insures that water will flow over the face of the transducer and guarantee reading to 70+ mph...

[NAW]

Keep the lowest end of the bracket higher than the bottom of the hull, then it won't impact anything. Use the installation bracket provided for the transducer, if the transducer bumps anything, it's designed to pop up, at least with Lowrance/Eagle products. If you have that stick bracket below hull, you'll have a rooster tail a mile high and look like a doofus.

 

 

A little more info.. This is a humminbird being run on a 14' tinner with a 25Hp..

 

Thanks for the comments so far. Keep em comin!

[Uncle Buck]

humminbird will pop up also...

[NAW]

When you guys say "pop up", do you just mean the suction cup sliding up the back of the transom? I guess I should have mentioned, my unit is a portable, it never came with any mounting bracket for the back of my boat.

[Blue Lk]

I fish different remote lakes,some boat cache,some I haul in my own so I am allways mounting my transducer in different boats.I screwed into a 1x4 & use vise grips to hold it on the transom.Works for me.

[Fisherman]

When you guys say "pop up", do you just mean the suction cup sliding up the back of the transom? I guess I should have mentioned, my unit is a portable, it never came with any mounting bracket for the back of my boat.

 

No, sorry, bad description, apply 3 smacks with frozen carp to forehead Lets try this again. Remove your transducer from the suction cup. Lowrance/Eagle/Humminbuzzard and most of the rest have a metal bracket with serrated inserts that can be mounted directly to the back of your boat or to your "home made clamp" if you wish. The bolt that goes through the metal bracket and transducer is tightened sufficiently to hold the transducer at the "right" angle for viewing, but not so tight that if you hit something with the transducer, it will "pop" up or rotate upwards in the bracket to prevent any damage to it.

 

See here: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_68076_250003003_250000000_250003000_250-3-3

Edited April 8, 2010 by Fisherman

[GBW]

I fish different remote lakes,some boat cache,some I haul in my own so I am allways mounting my transducer in different boats.I screwed into a 1x4 & use vise grips to hold it on the transom.Works for me.

same here, but I use a "C" clamp to keep it on the transom. works either way...

[NAW]

No, sorry, bad description, apply 3 smacks with frozen carp to forehead Lets try this again. Remove your transducer from the suction cup. Lowrance/Eagle/Humminbuzzard and most of the rest have a metal bracket with serrated inserts that can be mounted directly to the back of your boat or to your "home made clamp" if you wish. The bolt that goes through the metal bracket and transducer is tightened sufficiently to hold the transducer at the "right" angle for viewing, but not so tight that if you hit something with the transducer, it will "pop" up or rotate upwards in the bracket to prevent any damage to it.

 

See here: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_68076_250003003_250000000_250003000_250-3-3

 

 

It's all coming together now.. Thanks for the link Fisherman.

[Cast-Away]

I mounted a teflon block on the bottom of the transom and then mounted the transducer to the plastic block.

 

Here is what it looks like (not my boat):