# Transducer location help!!!!



## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

Looks like I'm facing almost the same situation as you are. 
I bought the Hewes Tailfisher in the classifieds and want to install my side scanning xducer.
With my hull being a tunnel, the xducer will see only out one side and see only the lower unit on the other. 
I know a thru-hull will have the same issue. 
Any help for either of us?


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

The transducer can be glued right to the hull in the bilge area.

https://support.norcrossmarine.com/hc/en-us/articles/203052318-How-do-I-glue-the-transducer-in-hull-


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## Seabass (Aug 23, 2016)

I ended up buying a stern mate mounting kit with the big plate and installing it. Still in process of putting it all together but it looks like it may be the ticket. I know all their testimonies and videos all day good things about it. Also the product seems to be well built. About 3 days from order to arrival. 

http://stores.sternmate.com/


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## Seabass (Aug 23, 2016)

DuckNut said:


> The transducer can be glued right to the hull in the bilge area.
> 
> https://support.norcrossmarine.com/hc/en-us/articles/203052318-How-do-I-glue-the-transducer-in-hull-


Thanks ducknut!!! That's how my current transducer was mounted.


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

My solution after poking around was to mount it to the opposite side of the drain plug and scupper.
The hull has a small area just outboard of the tunnel, but before the sponsons begin. It's about 3" wide and has just enough room to mount the x-ducer. 
Got it mounted on Friday and water tested on Saturday. Must have guessed correctly, because it works.


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

Mike C said:


> My solution after poking around was to mount it to the opposite side of the drain plug and scupper.
> The hull has a small area just outboard of the tunnel, but before the sponsons begin. It's about 3" wide and has just enough room to mount the x-ducer.
> Got it mounted on Friday and water tested on Saturday. Must have guessed correctly, because it works.


I'd love to see a pic. I'm not sure if its the same as the way a 17 pathfinder is set up


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

blackmagic1 said:


> I'd love to see a pic. I'm not sure if its the same as the way a 17 pathfinder is set up


I won't be able to get you a pic right away. I have to go out of town for a few days and the boat is in the storage lot. 
I'll try to remember when I get back. 
If you don't hear from me by next Thursday, pm me again


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## Seabass (Aug 23, 2016)

Sternmate installed and transducer installed had it on the water 3 times since. Will hold bottom reading at 30mph in slightly choppy water. Have had very much clean smooth water to see what speed it starts loosing bottom. Overall a happy sternmate customer. Very nice and very neat product.


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## TailingLoop (Mar 15, 2017)

Seabass,

Can you post a pic of your Sternmate install? I recently got a Ranger Banshee and am grinding my teeth on this same issue. I believe they have similar stern geometry.


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## Seabass (Aug 23, 2016)

I will get some pics when I get home. I am extremely pleased with mine. Although if I put the trim tabs very far down it cause the ducer to loose bottom reading but other than that it holds bottom at higher cruising speeds far better than I have seen on other transom mounts.


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## TailingLoop (Mar 15, 2017)

Gotcha. I'm just very concerned with durability. I don't want it hanging somewhere it can get broken off easily. I've ordered a Dragonfly Pro 5 Plotter/FF. It's got some fancy sonar features I wouldn't use in the salt, but I kind of want to do a little light bass and crappie fishing out of the boat as well. I just need to find a decent place to mount it, otherwise I'm going to get something cheap and smush it in the bilge with epoxy.


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## Seabass (Aug 23, 2016)

TailingLoop said:


> Gotcha. I'm just very concerned with durability. I don't want it hanging somewhere it can get broken off easily. I've ordered a Dragonfly Pro 5 Plotter/FF. It's got some fancy sonar features I wouldn't use in the salt, but I kind of want to do a little light bass and crappie fishing out of the boat as well. I just need to find a decent place to mount it, otherwise I'm going to get something cheap and smush it in the bilge with epoxy.


Mine is actually right behind my power pole so I wasn't real worried about somebody( mainly myself) bumping into it and breaking anything. As far as durability of the sternmate it is amazingly strong and the adhesive supplied is very very good quality. Once you let it sit a couple of days and it fully cures I don't foresee any problems with it coming off in the future


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Has anyone tried one of these?


http://www.johnnyraysports.com/brackets.htm


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## TailingLoop (Mar 15, 2017)

So, here's what the back of the boat looks like. I'm holding the transducer where I think I want to mount it on the back. Would that water be clean enough?


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## Jfack (Nov 2, 2014)

TailingLoop said:


> So, here's what the back of the boat looks like. I'm holding the transducer where I think I want to mount it on the back. Would that water be clean enough?



Here's my banshee and how my ducer is


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## TailingLoop (Mar 15, 2017)

That's certainly the best spot from an imaging standpoint, but in Texas that would get ripped off on oyster day 1.


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## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

Install it where you have it placed... I have mine sticking down maybe a 1/4" lower than the bottom of my boat.

Just play with adjusting the angle of the transducer so that while you are running WOT it will still pick up the bottom/depth finder/etc.

Just tilt it further down a notch at a time until you get a good reading. Just don't mount too low or you could get it taken off. Honestly I have slid over an oyster bar or two and the actual mount is fine, the transducer itself will just get tilted upright upon running aground etc and you can just adjust it when you get off the water.....


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## Jfack (Nov 2, 2014)

TailingLoop said:


> That's certainly the best spot from an imaging standpoint, but in Texas that would get ripped off on oyster day 1.


I've hit bottom quite a few times and it's fine. It'll pop up if it hits. It looks lower than it is cause the angles, it's about 1/2 the base under. Any less than that you might as well not have a ducer cause it won't work when underway. If you go with your first choice idk how it's going to read from the top of the pocket while running. My buddy has a banshee and has his ducer mounted like mine too.


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## Jfack (Nov 2, 2014)

TailingLoop said:


> That's certainly the best spot from an imaging standpoint, but in Texas that would get ripped off on oyster day 1.


And wait, look at under your boat compared to under mine lol. The ducer won't rip off don't worry about that. Just do 1/4 to 1/2 under the bottom of the boat and you'll be happy, it'll bend up before ripping off. I've seen people mount a puck of starboard then the ducer on that so you can adjust it or if you get a different ducer you can Drill it into the puck instead of putting more holes in the boat. That's a good idea to consider


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## Forcefed (Aug 5, 2016)

Why not just install it shoot thru, aka stick it in the bilge pump and let the transducer shoot thru the hull. Then you mitigate the risk of the transducer being hit outside the hull. It's simple enough to test. Pour a bit of water in the bilge, and stick something ontop of the transducer to make sure it doesn't move around and see if you can read bottom. (The water in the bilge is to fill the gap between hull and transducer as they don't shoot thru air.


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## TailingLoop (Mar 15, 2017)

Forcefed said:


> it shoot thru, aka stick it in the bilge pump and let the transducer shoot thru the hull. Then you mitigate the risk of the transducer being hit outside the hull. It's simple enough to test. Pour a bit of water in the bilge, and stick something ontop of the transducer to make sure it doesn't move around and see if you can read bottom. (The water in the bilge is to fill the gap between hull and transducer as they don't shoot thru air.


I've used silicone to smash a transducer in the bilge before with good results, but I plan to do some bass/crappie fishing out of this boat as well as salt. The in-hull method works great if you only care how deep it is, but if you want to actually image the bottom or take full advantage of your fancy sonar(SI/DI/CHIRP etc) it's better to have it in the water.


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## Forcefed (Aug 5, 2016)

Guess we've had different results. I have great bottom imagery with regular 50/200 as well as chirp.


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