Can I really be this dumb? Questions about mounts.

I have a Hobie Revo 13 sitting on a workstand just waiting for me to make up my mind about how to mount a fish finder.

It's a Lowrance Elite-4.

I would like to mount it on the right side and close to me, somewhere between the first molded foot well and the mesh pocket.  I don't want it on the gunwale if I can at all avoid it, and I don't want to install tracks.  (I have tracks on my Tarpon, and like them on that hull because they're recessed into the gunwales).

I thought I'd try the RAM ball with the diamond-shaped plate, attached vertically, but now that I'm staring at the ball, I'm not so sure about using it.

Has anyone worked with the Scotty 244 to attach to a RAM mount for a Lowarnce Elite?

Does anyone else mount a fish finder the way I'm describing?

Got photos?  Honestly, a drawing in crayon would probably be better for me.

Before you get worked into too high a glee... I've never rigged a Hobie before and, Lord help me, Port Orford doesn't have a shop I can run into to look at all these marvels and see how I might pull this off.

I have a Hobie Revo 13 sitting on a workstand just waiting for me to make up my mind about how to mount a fish finder.

It's a Lowrance Elite-4.

I would like to mount it on the right side and close to me, somewhere between the first molded foot well and the mesh pocket.  I don't want it on the gunwale if I can at all avoid it, and I don't want to install tracks.  (I have tracks on my Tarpon, and like them on that hull because they're recessed into the gunwales).

I thought I'd try the RAM ball with the diamond-shaped plate, attached vertically, but now that I'm staring at the ball, I'm not so sure about using it.

Has anyone worked with the Scotty 244 to attach to a RAM mount for a Lowarnce Elite?

Does anyone else mount a fish finder the way I'm describing?

Got photos?  Honestly, a drawing in crayon would probably be better for me.

Before you get worked into too high a glee... I've never rigged a Hobie before and, Lord help me, Port Orford doesn't have a shop I can run into to look at all these marvels and see how I might pull this off.

When I first got my trident 13 years ago i mounted my humminbird 176I under the sonar shield by just putting Velcro on the factory base and the kayak and it was plenty stiff. The diamond base on the ball doesn't give you much to stick to but if it was a round or the long rectangular base might give more support. Just a idea.

Tinker,

If you lived closer to me, I would be more than happy to do all of your rigging for you to get you all set up. 

I wish I had a picture of  my Hobie AI with this setup done, but this is how I plan to install my new FF/GPS once I receive it and get to do the install.  Zee (the previous owner) had installed a white Scotty 244 base about the same location you described on this AI previously, and my plan is to drop a RAM 1" Ram wedge mount into this Scotty 244 base to connect the rest of the RAM mount for the FF/GPS head unit.

Note: The RAM wedge mount is actually a bit longer than the throat of the 244 base, so there are a few things you can do. 

1. Live with it.
2. Cut the bottom of the 244 off, and glue on an extension made from PVC and a cap to extend the 244's throat depth.

Attach your Lowrance Elite 4 base to a Scotty 368 universal sounder mount ( http://www.scotty.com/fishing-gear-equipment/fishing-supplies/fishfinder-mount.htm ).  Stick the sounder mount into a Scotty flush mount on the gunwale of your kayak.  You'll be in business.

Or better yet, screw YakAttack GT175 geartracks to the gunwales of your Revolution in front of the pockets, put a gearhead base into the track, and stick the 368 universal sounder mount into the gearhead base.  You'll be in business, and a major advantage of installing geartracks on the gunwales of your Revolution is that it will give you great flexibility about how you set up your kayak, both from one day to another, and during a single day, and it will allow you to change your setup as you do different kinds of fishing, and as you learn more about good ways to set up your kayak.



An advantage of mounting your fish finder on a Scotty Gearhead base is that you can install a 4" long section of track inside the front hatch of your Revolution, and move the gearhead and universal sounder mount into the front hatch when you're transporting your kayak, or when you are using your kayak but not fishing (although I cannot understand why you would not be fishing).

When I first got my trident 13 years ago i mounted my humminbird 176I under the sonar shield by just putting Velcro on the factory base and the kayak and it was plenty stiff. The diamond base on the ball doesn't give you much to stick to but if it was a round or the long rectangular base might give more support. Just a idea.

Yeah, the small size of the diamond-shaped base it what got me to questioning my original idea of using it.  I could make a larger backing plate, I guess, but it just seemed to me that a more clever mind probably figured-out how to do this ages ago.

Thanks.  Velcro wouldn't be my first choice, but right now, everything is in the running.

If you lived closer to me, I would be more than happy to do all of your rigging for you to get you all set up. 

I wish I had a picture of  my Hobie AI with this setup done, but this is how I plan to install my new FF/GPS once I receive it and get to do the install.  Zee (the previous owner) had installed a white Scotty 244 base about the same location you described on this AI previously, and my plan is to drop a RAM 1" Ram wedge mount into this Scotty 244 base to connect the rest of the RAM mount for the FF/GPS head unit.

If I lived closer to you, I'd be hanging around and pestering you so often you'd have to charge me rent.

If I can jam the wedge mount into the Scotty 244 mount, the problem is solved.  Or it will be solved when the booty arrives and I can get started.  I don't do well in theoretical mode...

Thank you.  Very much.

- Kevin

Thank you, pete.  You're a wizard at getting more things in and attached to a Revo than I think anyone else could conceive of attaching to a kayak.

I'm trying to avoid gear tracks unless I have no other workable solution, but the suggestion of mounting a track to the underside of the hatch lid is brilliant and definitely has some possibilities - not to hold the arm and assorted paraphernalia when I'm not fishing, because yeah, why wouldn't I be fishing?

However I end up mounting the head unit, that gear track under the hatch suggestion is golden.  Thanks ever so much.

I'm trying to avoid gear tracks unless I have no other workable solution, but the suggestion of mounting a track to the underside of the hatch lid is brilliant and definitely has some possibilities - not to hold the arm and assorted paraphernalia when I'm not fishing, because yeah, why wouldn't I be fishing? However I end up mounting the head unit, that gear track under the hatch suggestion is golden.  Thanks ever so much.

I didn't mount the section of track on the underside of the lid of the hatch.  I mounted it on the rear wall of the hatch area.  I installed the through-the-hull fitting for the fish finder cables towards the front of the cockpit, about half way between the rear end of the gear track, where I mount my fish finder, and the section of gear track inside the front hatch, where I store my fish finder base.

I bought an inexpensive plastic dry box at Walmart, and when I take my fish finder off its base, I store it in the dry box, padded with a couple of wash cloths.

Don't fool with a perfectly good - if unworkable - idea!  Yeah, as soon as I glommed onto the idea, I realized I'd have to drill through the hatch lid...   I admitted I'm not good in theoretical mode.  There's the proof.

I've been looking at the underside of the bow hatch lid and thinking that the shape leaves a great, small, space for storing items to keep them out of the way.  I'm gong to do something up there no matter how many false starts it takes.

I'm mounting the battery box - a Plano 3500 - to the bottom of one of the shallow gear buckets as soon as I'm confident the weight won't pull the bucket down through the hatch.  I don't see that being remotely possible with a lithium battery, but better to find out first.

I should mention that the reason I move the base of my fish finder into the front hatch of my Revolution when transporting the kayak is because I have a Humminbird fish finder on that kayak, and the cables are relatively permanently attached to the fish finder's base.  In other words, I can easily take the Humminbird fish finder off its base, but I can't easily take the base off the cables. If I had a Lowrance Elite fish finder on that kayak, I could disconnect the cables from the back of the fish finder, put the fish finder and its base in my vehicle, and stuff the ends of the cables into the mesh pocket on the gunwales of the Revolution.  I'd probably rubber band a plastic bag over the cable plugs to protect them from dirt and corrosion while I was transporting my kayak.

Yeah, as soon as I glommed onto the idea, I realized I'd have to drill through the hatch lid...   I

I've been looking at the underside of the bow hatch lid and thinking that the shape leaves a great, small, space for storing items to keep them out of the way.  I'm gong to do something up there no matter how many false starts it takes.

Look into these. It's a Ram ball meant to be glued to an inflatable. It works perfectly on the underside of the hatch.

Look into these. It's a Ram ball meant to be glued to an inflatable. It works perfectly on the underside of the hatch.

Wow!  Thanks!

I saw this Revo all tricked out at the NextAdventure booth at the PDX boat show. I like how he used the rear hatch as a mount for his flag/light. Picture 1
Also, I bought the RAM mount for the Lowrance Elite 4 and opted to mount it in the recessed well on the left. I had to trim the sides off the circular base to get it to fit.  Picture 2

I saw this Revo all tricked out at the NextAdventure booth at the PDX boat show. I like how he used the rear hatch as a mount for his flag/light. Picture 1
Also, I bought the RAM mount for the Lowrance Elite 4 and opted to mount it in the recessed well on the left. I had to trim the sides off the circular base to get it to fit.  Picture 2

I put my fish finder in the same place but I put in a 4 piece of geartrack and a screwball to mount it on. 
BTW... I like the square hatch.  I have been thinking of doing that to mine but have the opening facing me instead of to the side.

That yellow hull is an Outback, isn't it?  That's a nice install, but the Revo doesn't have the same gunwale.  I have found myself wishing I'd gone with an Outback and had more spots for mounting things, but alas, a slender beam catches my eye every time.

And, hey, pete!  I had a chance to see the Scotty368 universal FF mount (on a powerboat) and it is a nice system.

I'm still sitting around waiting for the bits-and-pieces I ordered to arrive.  Down here in lovely Port Orford, rigging a kayak is as bad as fishing with a fly rod: you're going to do a lot of online shopping and waiting around.

It's not too late to get me to change my mind if you have a tricked out hull to tell me about.

I saw this Revo all tricked out at the NextAdventure booth at the PDX boat show. I like how he used the rear hatch as a mount for his flag/light. Picture 1
Also, I bought the RAM mount for the Lowrance Elite 4 and opted to mount it in the recessed well on the left. I had to trim the sides off the circular base to get it to fit.  Picture 2

I put my fish finder in the same place but I put in a 4 piece of geartrack and a screwball to mount it on. 
BTW... I like the square hatch.  I have been thinking of doing that to mine but have the opening facing me instead of to the side.

If you do the hatch get 1" long screws. Also, I added the orange paracord as my lift strap; there's a clip like that for the seat on the inside of the hatch cover that you can attach it to.