Transducer help!

[michael_reiber]

Hey guys just wondering if anyone is fairly knowledgable with transducers and mounting ( Ive attached a few photos). The Transducer where it is currently mounted works well only when your trolling or moving slow. It also won't track bottom after about 400 feet. I hear of a lot of guys that the sonar works while they're on plane and just curious if something is wrong with our mounting. Its been mounted there for 2 years now so it really doesn't bother us but thought I'd see if maybe we don't have enough transducer in the water or what we might be doing wrong. Its a Airmar P-66 tied into a Lawrence HDS 9 Gen 3

Cheers,
Michael

 

[wolf]

To me it looks a little low ? does it shoot a rooster tail out back of boat? you just want it to skim the water too deep and it wont pick up to high not enough water you have to fiddle with it

 

[michael_reiber]

Thanks wolf I'll have a closer look to see how it rides in the water next time out.

 

[wildthing]

it could be your stand off mounting bracket giving you an air pocket or causing air bubbles when running
i would say tilt 1-2 degree more up ....
as you could butt heavy in the boat if its also got a kicker .

or put a blanking spacer in...

my p 66 will show down to 500' and hold to 30 mph

check you sounder settings in installation make sure its set for p66 5K

 

[jim morrow]

I think it is too high, would try lowering half inch at a time.
Ya, get someone else to drive and hang over transom a bit to view how deep it is. Needs a steady stream of water with no bubbles.
However, I never had any sounder work tracking 400' at speed. Others do!

 

[wolf]

However, I never had any sounder work tracking 400' at speed. Others do!

I have a thru hull one I can cruse and still see bottom , trust me i was scared as hell to cut a hole in bottom of boat . they do make a SS steel thru hull one now for alum boats. to me its the only way to go..

 

[michael_reiber]

Thanks everyone! I will have a closer look at how it rides hopefully next weekend! Will report back.

 

[wildthing]

I have a thru hull one I can cruse and still see bottom , trust me i was scared as hell to cut a hole in bottom of boat . they do make a SS steel thru hull one now for alum boats. to me its the only way to go..

make sure you have the isolation spacer fitted makes it sit a little further proud of the hull if going through an alloy hull....

and yes taking a nearly 4" hole saw to fit the pr 175's and SS264's...... have 4 to go in coming up on the Berty soon

 

[tubber]

How big does a boat need to be before the person hanging over the stern to look at the transducer doesn't sink it down by a cm or two?

 

[Buckethead905]

How big does a boat need to be before the person hanging over the stern to look at the transducer doesn't sink it down by a cm or two?

I guess you’ll know it was too high if it starts picking up bottom..

 

[wolf]

How big does a boat need to be before the person hanging over the stern to look at the transducer doesn't sink it down by a cm or two?

shouldn't matter as your under power (cruising) and there will be no water above the bottom of boat you just want to check to make sure
A .your not shooting a rooster tail or
B. its above the water getting air ....
sometimes you have to adjust these things in a perfect boat the chine sometimes is basically flat(on a fiberglass) and thats the perfect spot for them this is just image i got off internet btw

 

[michael_reiber]

Here is what it looks like at plane. Doesn't look like its getting much clean water..

 

[Pineapple Express]

Looks like the transducer might need to be lowered down...and your main motor looks like it could come up a hole or two so that the ventilation plate is visible when running

 

[wildthing]

yep your running in the air stream.....lol get it lower would fold a new angle L plate to follow the bottom of you hull which mount to you stand off transducer bracket ... which sits flush with the bottom of the hull then mount the P66 to that . getting it that 1" or so lower

 

[ziggy]

I have a thru hull one I can cruse and still see bottom , trust me i was scared as hell to cut a hole in bottom of boat . they do make a SS steel thru hull one now for alum boats. to me its the only way to go..

What do you think of the shoot through hull as an option?

 

[michael_reiber]

Looks like the transducer might need to be lowered down...and your main motor looks like it could come up a hole or two so that the ventilation plate is visible when running

Okay, I’ll try lowering it. And yes the motor is abit low but are maxed out on height adjustment so it will have to do!

 

[michael_reiber]

What do you think of the shoot through hull as an option?

At the time when we built the boat I may have considered it then, but this transducer does work well and am happy with it.

 

[Sharphooks]

It’s amazing what going up for a down a few centimeters will do to target returns at speed with a transom mount. I have two in-hulls, one thru-hull, and two transom mounts. Up until a few days ago, I had learned to live with my P66 transom mount losing bottom at anything over 2,000 RPM. A week ago I noticed that the guys who redid my aluminum main outboard bracket 4 years ago had removed the P66 for the aluminum welding, then when they reinstalled it, they mounted the retaining bracket upside down. (!!)

I fixed the error, went fishing the other day, and held crystal clear bottom and saw crystal clear targets at 4,500 RPM. I was impressed—-up until I made that minor adjustment, I’d only seen target returns like that with my thru-hull and in-hulls.