transducer placement

[mattdd]

i'm trying to get the transducer for my hummingbird pirhana max10 transom mount to give a reading at speed. i had it located so that the bottom of the transducer was .25" below flush with the bottom of the boat. i got a reading up to about 8mph. i thought that it should give a reading at higher speeds, so i moved it up to about 2.5" above the bottom of the boat, and now once i start moving the reading cuts right out. whats the best location for mounting this? and what speed should i expect to keep reading it?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: transducer placement

If you have the transducer above the bottom of the boat, the minute the boat goes on plane it loses contact with the water and obviously can't work. If you mount it in the original position, but not in line with any strakes or lines of the rivets on the bottom of the boat it should work. Obstructions on the bottom of the hull create turbulence that creates air bubbles and the unit goes whacky.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: transducer placement

It sounds like you first location was correct. Slightly below the hull is good. I have found that on the Humminbirds, that the attitude of transducer must be correct for proper operation. Try raising the tail end of the transducer a tad higher than the leading edge. This will compensate for the attitude of the boat (rear lower) and should perform better. Also make sure the transducer is in as close to vertical plane as possible to the water. If the boat rides off-level at all, so will the transducer and readings may be affected, so adjust it accordingly..

 

[Boatist]

Re: transducer placement

The deeper in the water the better for reading on plane. On V hulls the transducer should point straight down so one side of the transducer will be farther below the hull than the other. The rule of thum I use is One half of the transducer should be below the hull. This mean the transducer on the higher side of the V Hull may be fully below the hull.

Also do not put out near the chines as at speed the chines may not be in contact with the water. If your boat has a pitot tube for the speedometer mount the transducer next to it but on the inside nearer the engine. Make sure that location does not have a stake or row of rivets and anything that would cause turbulance and bubbles in the water.

 

[mattdd]

Re: transducer placement

what are chaims?

 

[azlakes]

Re: transducer placement

... i believe its chines, if so: CHINE - The intersection of the bottom and sides of a flat or v-bottomed boat

resource- http://www.tcmall.com/nauticalknowhow/GLOSSARY.htm#C

Here is where my mount is.

 

[Boatist]

Re: transducer placement

Yes you are correct. Sorry for my poor spelling. Where the bottom of the boat meets the sides.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: transducer placement

Glad we got that cleared up as I was curious also. Thought I was fixin to learn a new nautical term.

Mark

 

[Chris1956]

Re: transducer placement

Matt, I mounted my Humminbird tranducer in the bilge of my I/O bowrider. It worked at all speeds, without an issue. I screwed the transom bracket to the bulkhead behind the fuel tank, and placed the transducer flat on the solid fiberglass hull. The transducer needed to be damp in order to work. A cup of water dunped over the transducer, in the beginning of the season, fixed that.