Bedore Posted September 10, 2014 Posted September 10, 2014 Greetings, I recently purchased a new 2014 Tracker Pro 170. It came with a Lowrance X-4 Pro fish finder (not impressed with the unit). The manual says it should work at wide open throttle (I really just want depth reading, not a complete picture/graph) but it doesn't. After doing some research I believe it's how and where the transducer is mounted. I found a photo online (not my boat) of the transom of this particular model. My transducer is mounted in just about the same spot. Can anyone tell me if this location is correct, and if not what the correct location is? Quote
Super User Hi Salenity Posted September 10, 2014 Super User Posted September 10, 2014 That looks good to me. Let's see a pic of your boat and then we can help more. At what speed does it stop working? Any idea? Quote
Super User WIGuide Posted September 10, 2014 Super User Posted September 10, 2014 Make sure it's mounted at the correct depth. About half the transducer needs to be below the boat hull so it skims the water while on plane. If it's too high you'll lose reading because it won't be in the water anymore and if it's too low it can just plow and can make turbulence again not allowing it it read right. The angle also has to be correct. If it's tipped back too far it will be shooting behind your current location which makes it easier to over-run the sonar return. You'll also want to check your hull and make sure there's nothing in front of your transducer that will create turbulence. Lastly, make sure your sensitivity is turned up as that can play a part as well. 1 Quote
Bedore Posted September 10, 2014 Author Posted September 10, 2014 Thanks for the input. It pretty much stops working above trolling speed. I have tried adjusting it on the bracket some (moved up and down) and played with the angle but the result is the same. I have checked it at wide open and it looks like I am getting a pretty good rooster tail off of it. I will take a photo of my actual boat and post it here later on. Quote
fishguy613 Posted September 10, 2014 Posted September 10, 2014 pretty sure it's just the x4 unit that came with your boat, I had the exact unit on my boat when it was purchased and it was crap. didn't read depth at even half throttle from what I remember, and my Transducer was / is in that same spot. I've upgraded to an elite 7 CHIRP and it reads depths at full throttle and sonar still reads around half speed +/- Quote
Bedore Posted September 10, 2014 Author Posted September 10, 2014 fishguy613, on 10 Sept 2014 - 11:09, said:pretty sure it's just the x4 unit that came with your boat, I had the exact unit on my boat when it was purchased and it was crap. didn't read depth at even half throttle from what I remember, and my Transducer was / is in that same spot. I've upgraded to an elite 7 CHIRP and it reads depths at full throttle and sonar still reads around half speed +/- Too funny, I have been thinking this exact thing but I thought I would explore the placement of the transducer first before I condemn the unit. I know it's a cheap, below entry level unit in my opinion but I gotta say I am quite disappointed in the unit. I wanted to make sure transducer location was correct before I considered upgrading. Will this transducer work with other units? I really do not know a whole lot about them. Quote
Super User WIGuide Posted September 10, 2014 Super User Posted September 10, 2014 If you're getting a rooster tail off the transducer, it's too deep in the water. I'm not sure you can change the ping speed in the settings on that unit, but if you can turn it all the way up and that should help as well. The transducer will work with some of the smaller units like those that you have. Once you move up the ladder as far as fish finders go, you will have a different transducer. If adjusted correctly you should be able to read with some speed. I'm not sure you'll get it to work at full throttle, but you should be able to get something at cruising speed. Quote
Super User Fishes in trees Posted September 10, 2014 Super User Posted September 10, 2014 On an aluminum boat, nearly any transducer will stop tracking as you get up to speed and on plane. This is a function of mounting the transducer outside of the hull. You will read lots of stuff about mounting the transducer where there is a "smooth flow" and stuff like that. No matter what, it might or might not read for a while, then you catch a wake and you might or might not lose signal. It is a hard thing to stay on top of. If it is reading on the console while you are idling, that is about the best you can hope for. That is the speed you are going at when you are looking for offshore stuff anyway. Have a couple of marker buoys ready to toss if you see anything interesting. The thing that you should be more concerned about with your external transducer mounting is that if you fish around timber and stumps for any amount of time, sooner or later you are going to smash up your transducer. Most of the time, you only tear up the bracket, every so often you tear up the transducer or rip it free from the wires. I've go an aluminum boat, and after I had torn up half a dozen brackets and a couple of transducers, I found out about a product from Vexilar called the alumaducer. I've had mine for 5 years now. I get about the same results running at speed that I did from external mounted transducers, i.e. sometimes it works and often it doesn't. Putting around, looking for structure at no-wake speeds it works well, just like an external transducer will. Where it works best is that while I'm fishing around trees & stumps, which I do most of the time, I haven't torn up a bracket or a transducer. That makes it well worth the money to me. You can get adaptor cables for nearly any brand of depth finder. Check it out and see if it is the solution for you. Quote
Bedore Posted September 10, 2014 Author Posted September 10, 2014 Thanks for the help/suggestions. I am unsure of what I am going to do. It's a crap unit for sure but not sure I want to upgrade right now. Anyhow I have attached 2 photos of my boat if you guys could take a look and tell me what you think I will go from there. Quote
Super User Fishes in trees Posted September 10, 2014 Super User Posted September 10, 2014 Right now, IMO thats as good as you are going to get, considering the unit and whatnot. When you upgrade is a function of when you've got the disposable income to commit to the project. When you do, I'd sternly recommend the alumaducer as part of the upgrade package. If you fish in waters where smashing up transducers isn't much of an issue, then disregard this post. Quote
Super User Wayne P. Posted September 11, 2014 Super User Posted September 11, 2014 Bedore, if your transom has the step, that is NOT where you want the transducer. The new models should have the transducer at the bottom of the hull, not on the transom. Additionally it should be between the hull strakes, not in line with one of them. A properly installed transducer will work at the top speed your boat is capable of. Quote
Bedore Posted September 11, 2014 Author Posted September 11, 2014 Hey Wayne, No step on the bottom of my boat so all good there. The transducer is just to the right of the hull strake and not in-line. I have ordered a new fishfinder/transducer and will install it and see if it makes a difference or not. Quote
Super User Wayne P. Posted September 11, 2014 Super User Posted September 11, 2014 Hey Wayne, No step on the bottom of my boat so all good there. The transducer is just to the right of the hull strake and not in-line. I have ordered a new fishfinder/transducer and will install it and see if it makes a difference or not. The best performing transom transducer is the Lowrance "torpedo" since it is the most hydrodynamic. If you cannot get that installed correctly to give you high speed depth readings, you have no hope with any other style. Quote
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