Transducer help

[Gradywhite3535]

Installing my fish finder in the next few days and have a few questions. Should the bottom of the transducer be parallel with the bottom of the boat or be 1/8" below the bottom of boat? And also if you were me where would you install the transducer on the boat? Pics are below. Thanks guys for the help

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Transducer help

Generally the lower HALF of the Transducer needs to be below the hull. The deeper the better.
It needs to be in clean water when you are on plane at full speed if you expect it to work on plane.
It should be parallel the horizon and looking straight down, not parallel to the hull and looking at an angle to the side.

Is something missing from that boat?
I do not see an inner transom around the splash well.
It looks like it is about 4 inches from being swamped!

 

[gm280]

Re: Transducer help

I know how transducers actually work, but I also see that your transduced is in some serious need to be cleaned up and all the interesting science experiment removed from it. And as UncleWillie stated, the transducer has to be in clean water (that is on air bubbles or such) to ping and receive it back correctly while under way. You can't out drive the ping frequency, but if that transducers is not in bubble free water while planning, it will not give proper readings...

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Transducer help

Grady,, where was that boat sitting? LOTS of build up there,, needs a good scrubbing.... install it next to that corroded lump on the left..make sure transducer is horizontal- ie- beem pointing straight down when boat in water with normal load..

 

[Gradywhite3535]

Re: Transducer help

Thanks guys.i cleaned up the transom and that transducer is from the previous owner. It's been removed but the screws broke halfway, so I think I may just 5200 it. I also have a 6hp trolling motor going on the jack plate on the right hand side. Should I put my new ducer on the left? By putting the ducer to halfway, at running full speed does this compensate for the bracket to move slightly up and down? Thanks

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Transducer help

You can mount it on either side as long as it is not directly in front of either propeller.
The props also need clean water flow to avoid ventilation.
You may need to get screws back in there.
There is considerable water force pushing against the transducer.

The brackets will generally have a little bit of slop in them because of the release feature.
If the transducer hits something hard, the bracket will unsnap at the bottom and the transducer will flip up rather than break off. My transducer will sometimes flip up if I hit some small chop at speeds above 50mph.
Everything feels like you hit a log when doing 50!