Re: ? for BTDT
2017/04/23 21:47:13
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Transducers can be a pain to mount. My Sylvan Backtroller is 29 years old, (and I've ripped out everything and rebuilt it from the bottom of the hull up), and when I bought it new I installed a transducer mounting bracket that was sold by Gander Mountain. This bracket is about a foot long and 4 and 1/2" high with rounded ends, and it has 3 square mount extrusions full length across the back. Square stainless steel nuts slide through the extrusions; your stainless, (or plastic) transducer brackets mount on the outside, and they can be slid sideways, or mounted slightly higher by using the middle and highest extrusion on the back. I originally had an Eagle flasher and the Eagle Mach I paper graph recorder transducers mounted flush with the bottom of the hull at the transom, and I filled in and smoothed the gap between the transducer and the hull to eliminate the rooster tail. The flasher worked well at speed, but not the graph. I now have my 'Bird 581 transducer mounted in the same spot, but no silicone is necessary to fill in the gap. No rooster tail and it works well from 0 to 30 mph and never loses the bottom. Since the boat is a backtroller, all the weight is in the very back, with two 6 gallon tanks, the 45HP Merc, the big size 27 deep cycle battery, and my 325 lb. fat ****, I have the transducer canted slightly to look straight down when I'm in the seat. As I contemplate getting the Helix 7 soon, I'd like to remount the bracket, (and I'd like to have a new one as the plastic is deteriorating), on the port side of the boat, 'cause I don't want the side imaging interfered with by shooting the signal sideways past the motor, but I've never seen that bracket advertised by any manufacturer since. So the plan will be to use marine plywood and extend it down on the outside of the transom so I can remount several times if necessary to locate the best position before I do a permanent mount.
Never try to argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.