Help With Mounting Transducer

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Looking at the Lowrance Elite 5 DSI.  The transducer says to mount at the bottom at the boat by drilling into the lower hull.  I have an aluminum John Boat and if I do that, I will have to hassle with marine epoxy to plug up any water leakage around the screws for the bracket.  They make a trolling motor kit for $80 to attach it to my trolling motor.  Can I just get some reliable clamps from a hardware store and mount it with the existing transducer to my trolling motor and save the money?

- Joe

[Ken Browning]

you can mount it to your trolling motor. You'll need to buy the mounting gear (I just bought an Elete 4 and it didn't come with the trolling motor mounting). Pretty easy to do. Get some wire ties also......you'll see where you'll need them when you follow the mounting instructions.

The only question I have now is "How do two transducers perform mounted next to each other?"

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

That kit is like eighty bucks. Trying to save money and just do it without the kit. Can I just mount it to the trolling motor with clamps? I don't see why I couldn't. I could run the wires carefully just like it was bolted on.

[NBR]

Until I bought a TM with a built in transducer I mounted the transducer to the TM with a large hose clamp that fit around the TM lower unit. Works great!

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

NBR,

That's exact what I want to do. I'm glad to hear it worked for you. :-)

[ClackerBuzz]

i've heard of guys getting interference from the TM so I'm just building a bracket out of 2x4' and mounting to the transom. tons of good youtube vids

[DINK WHISPERER]

I have the Elite 5 DSI and tried it up front on the TM. There was interference for sure. Not sure if it was from the prop spinning or because its a wireless TM. I ended up putting it at the console & transom and it works good now. Also, take a look at the beam the DSI units actually use. It is not very good for a TM unit imo. It is very narrow not cone like a 2D sonar. So every time you move directions with the motor you are potentially looking at different things under or away from the boat. 

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

How reliable would the recommended transom mount be with marine epoxy? I used marine epoxy for a hole as big as a pea and it is dry as a bone. If I drilled into the bottom of the boat, I would need to put the epoxy all around the two screw holes. Once it dries overnight I should be good right?

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Again, my John boat is all aluminum and I would have to drill in the bottom of the floor or drill into the rear outside bottom corner. Both locations would have the two screws clean through the boat.

[Wayne P.]

The Down Scan unit will not "interfere" with a traditional 2D sonar unit. The frequencies are very different.

2D is usually 83 or 200 kHz. Imaging is 455 or 800 kHz.

 

RFI is mostly caused by the electronic speed control circuit of a variable speed motor.

You won't know if RFI will be an issue until you actually install the transducer on the trolling motor and use it.

RFI is random in occurrace, the frequency it may affect, and the intensity it will have.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

If I just have a regular trolling motor and no other electronics, where would my interference come from then? The water flow from the propeller?

I'm torn if I should mount it on the TM or just drill and epoxy. The trolling motor is the easiest option, but the drilling is the most reliable but it takes a bit more work.

Joe

[Wayne P.]

Water flow from the prop cannot affect a transducer unless you have a motor that is reversable. 

A bent prop shaft, or any out-of-balance of the prop operation can produce RFI.

Typically a motor with selectable speeds  such as a 5 speed will not produce noticeable RFI.

[jhoffman]

Any epoxy will work. When I mounted mine on my aluminum boat I mixed up epoxy I have from tying flies. I put it behind the screw head, screwed it in and its completely dry. You can effect the cure time based on how much hardener you use. I had mine set in 20 mins in 38 degree weather. It sat for a week before it went in the water and by then was hard as rock.

 

Make sure you get it as far from your prop as you can on the transom. My first time mounting it after 10mph I lost the bottom.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Mine has 5 speeds forward and reverse. Should I just drill?

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Thanks jhoffman!

[NBR]

There is a possibilty of TM interference when the sounder is powered off the TM battery(ies). I've never seen interference from the TM direct but I suppose it could happen. When you get a display from your sounder at just fishing speed it is several feet behind the transducer (I've read 6 to 7 feet) so if your transducer is on the stern you are passed the structure by 7 feet plus the boat length. Don Iovino(sp) has a pretty good book including the subject.

 

This is demonstrated at planing speed, my sounder will show depths at 50mph up to about 100 feet of depth. If I want to see bottom at 100 feet I'll need to slow down. Not necessary for bass fishing but on occasion I jig for lake trout. The transducer is just past the signal before it gets back to the boat.

[ClackerBuzz]

zip ties and a hose clamp will probably run ya $5 and 10min to install. why not try that first? save the drilling and epoxy for 2nd

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Good point clacker. ;-)

[jig]

i had a very small jon boat and all i did was cut a piece of strapping long enough to go to top of transom and to bottom of hull.mount the transducer to one end of it and use a vice to secure to top of transom.never had a problem with that set up.its actually how i have my sidescan set up on the bow of my jon boat now.just have to take on and off every time u use it but it only takes a second to do 

[Dogface]

How reliable would the recommended transom mount be with marine epoxy?

 

I have mounted 4 or 5 transducers on aluminum boats. I squeeze silicon into the hole and then coat the screw and tighten it up. I have never had one leak. If I changed transducer mounts and cannot use the original holes I put the screws back into the original holes with the silicon and never had one of them leak.

 

I like silicon a lot better that epoxy because you can remove it.

[ClackerBuzz]

brilliant

[bigfishtim]

i went with this one, take my trolling motor off when not being used and would be a hastle to unhook transducer every time.. you can buy just the transducer mount, works great. http://www.fishfindermounts.com/

you could probably make something like it. good magnet and mount transducer to 1/4 inch steel plate??

[Team_Dougherty]

I used some 3M VHB double sided tape to mount my transducer to my aluminum boat. No issues. You have to get the correct stuff. I mounted the transducer to a piece of plastic then used the tape between the plastic and the hull.

 

I got the idea from humminbird. http://store.humminbird.com/products/313992/XSO_9_20_T