Transducer mounting

Mine's been in and out of the surf, hot, cold the whole deal; still hanging in there after about three years. I used Lexel and a piece of acrylic tubing to mount it:

http://www.watermanatwork.com/KayakFishing/KayakRigging/Fishfinder/Fishfinder.html

Mine's been in and out of the surf, hot, cold the whole deal; still hanging in there after about three years. I used Lexel and a piece of acrylic tubing to mount it:

Do you fill that tube with water?  Or is there goop on the bottom inside of the tube?

I just popped a 'ducer out of a yak this last weekend.  Even with my careful placing of Goop, bubbles still formed.  I knew they were there as I had a "shadow" for the top 10 feet of water.  Still thinking how to insert it back into the the other kayak ... there is always room for improvement.

-Allen

Somewhere I ran into recommendations to use petroleum jelly or propylene glycol rather than water.   Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the website(s).

Somewhere I ran into recommendations to use petroleum jelly or propylene glycol rather than water.   Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the website(s).

Plain ol' water hasn't let me down.

Z

It would be great if OK or any of the other manufacturers would put a molded in "cup" for universal in-hull transducer mounting.  OK got it half right with the scupper hole idea...

Mine's been stuck with goop for 10+ seasons (why yes, I am the original OG) and it works great. and yes, I need to fish more. All that said, my new new school is no goop at all. I cut a transducer shaped divot in the end of a short length of pool noodle. Jambed it under the seat and the pressure from the foam holds it in place. Initially I tried it just to test it out before gooping it, but it worked so well that I left it. Its also completely removable. 

I tried this without any success using the Eagle Cuda 250.  Maybe it's because I have a SIK.  So from reading this post I assumed the transducer could be dry, as long as it was level and pointing down making contact with the hull. I got a reading of 0 feet, paddled around a little, switched modes from split screen to full and finally got a reading of 7ft, messed around went to different depths and went back down to 6ft and got stuck there again.

Is my hull too thick perhaps?  Do I need to adjust the sensitivity settings?  Really liked the idea of not using goop or anything, just the noodle carved out. 

 

I tried this without any success using the Eagle Cuda 250.  Maybe it's because I have a SIK.  So from reading this post I assumed the transducer could be dry, as long as it was level and pointing down making contact with the hull. I got a reading of 0 feet, paddled around a little, switched modes from split screen to full and finally got a reading of 7ft, messed around went to different depths and went back down to 6ft and got stuck there again.

Is my hull too thick perhaps?  Do I need to adjust the sensitivity settings?  Really liked the idea of not using goop or anything, just the noodle carved out. 

FFTW is an OG and he's come up w/ some brilliant techniques but for some reason it's not working for you. Any ideas FFTW?

I think the hull is fine but most likely there's air gaps which the FF can't transmit through. You may want to try the puck method. Goop down the noodle then fill the cavity w/ water and push the trans inside that until water starts to gurgle out. You'll get more consistent results since it's transmitting through water.

Z

You may want to try the puck method. Goop down the noodle then fill the cavity w/ water and push the trans inside that until water starts to gurgle out. You'll get more consistent results since it's transmitting through water.

Z

     Yep, that's what works in my Big Game.

I tried this without any success using the Eagle Cuda 250.  Maybe it's because I have a SIK.  ,,,,

Is my hull too thick perhaps?  Do I need to adjust the sensitivity settings?  Really liked the idea of not using goop or anything, just the noodle carved out. 

 

Hmmmmmmm,

What kinda boat do you have?

 If its royalex or one of the other poly boats with the inner foam layer, that would keep if from reading. If that's the case, the fix is slightly advanced but doable.

 It involves removing the foam layer in the area where the transducer mounts. I have not done it, but that is what was done on my Malibu Extreme by the previous owner and that would have to be done for any of the shoot-through-hull mounting methods to work.

  Also check the transducer itself, just turn it on and you should be able to feel and hear the transducer clicking (actually it "pinging", like a submarine ). No pinging, no transducer. If you hear (feel) the steady "Tick, Tick, Tick" its going. Next try it in the water. If your in the boat, hang it overboard to get a reading. If that works then try it held against floor of the boat and you should get a reading as well.

Adding water or some other medium (like vasaline) may improve the couple between the transducer and the hull, but if your getting nothing or inconsistent readings by just holding it down dry then something else is going on.

 Finally if your boat is fiberglass, ignore all of the above and you need to epoxy it down as per the ff manufactures instructions.

Try all that, then bring me the broom of the wicked witch of the west , and come back on Tuesday.
THE GREAT AND POWERFUL WAAZ HAS SPOKEN!

Wali
   ( Old Guy who's subject to occasional flashes of brilliance every other Thursday between 2:16 pm and 2:21 pm)

Thanks for the responses.  My boat is a Necky Zoar Angler, (same as ArmyJim).  Looked up the manufactures website it's listed as being Polylite.  http://www.neckykayaks.com/kayaks/day_touring/zoar_sport_angler.shtml   My transducer makes a sound, I have to hold it up to my ear to hear it.  I'll try hanging it overboard from my 'yak and seeing what happens.  If everything looks good I'll try using some vaseline to make a seal of sorts around the base of the noodle.  Not 100% sure on where the best placement is going to be for me, if i have to goop it down (or use plumbers putty i've been reading) then i will.

Does the hull have to be clean? haha the outside of my boat is fairly clean but my hull is pretty dirty from dried mud.  Could this be part of my issue?

My boat is a Necky Zoar Angler, (same as ArmyJim).  Looked up the manufactures website it's listed as being Polylite. 

That sounds foamy, but I could not find anything on the Necky site that would confirm it.

My transducer makes a sound, I have to hold it up to my ear to hear it.

I hope that does not cause you any problems 
(it shouldn't)

I'll try hanging it overboard from my 'yak and seeing what happens.  If everything looks good I'll try using some vaseline to make a seal of sorts around the base of the noodle.

If your in the boat in the water just hold it against the inside of the hull shooting down and you should get a reading that matches the one by dangling it in the water. The vasaline would go on the face of the transducer and joins it "acoustically" to the hull and that to the water (and back again).

Does the hull have to be clean? haha the outside of my boat is fairly clean but my hull is pretty dirty from dried mud.  Could this be part of my issue?

Actually it could if the mud was between the face of the transducer and the hull. That spot at least has to be clean. Think of it like putting your ear on a glass on the wall. You can hear stuff pretty well on the other side of the wall. But if the glass loses contact with the wall, you can't. Same idea.

If none of that works, then come move down here. We use a paddle for a depth finder and you don't want to know what we use as a fishfinder.

Wali

Ya, i couldn't find anything that mentions any foam layers on the Polylite™ either. 

I'll be sure and clean out the inside and try the transducer dangling over the side as well as holding it to the cleaned hull.

I really hope it is just the mud and debris down there lol..

Thanks again, and haha must be nice in the land of the warm water and those fish finders haha...

I had a chance to plop the transducer out over the side, seemed to function normally.  Unfortunately no luck on holding the transducer against the hull.  I'll try the foam filled with water method next, but I'm sort of doubting i'll get a signal now.  I can't see myself sanding down any layers, don't want any weak spots on the boat, if the foam with water doesn't work I might have to do some sort of arm over the side...

Just got off the phone with them and confirmed that the Necky Zoar Sport and Polylite™ do not have any layers of foam in the hull.  The rep, said I should be able to do a shoot thru hull transducer setup without any modification to the hull.

So I guess I need to use a closed cell block and carve it out, fill with water and cross my fingers!

BUMMER!

I'm clueless at this point. If there is no foam in the hull, thinning it would not help and is a reeeally bad idea. It really should shoot through by holding firmly against the hull (which is essentially what the goop/lexel/epoxy,,,,stickum) does. I completes the couple so the signal can get out and back.

But you got nothing at all? I dunno PSR, I tried to send help, but I'm falling short. I'll be back in PDX next Friday and I'd be happy to take a look, But I don't really know what to do that you have not already tried.