New fish finder installation

[Yak Fish]

Thanks! I'll get by there today!

They sell them in the lighting section. I saw them hanging on one of the posts, if you know what I mean. I just bought another one last night just in case I damage it. It was cheap spare part insurance.

I run my power cable through the hull so I also have a spare power cable so that I really can take the FF to any other boat as well as play with it in the house, reviewing screen shots and videos from the day.

[DanMarino]

I like it.

I like the adjustable arm. I'll have to give that a try when I get a cheap fish finder for my kayaks.

13

[Floppy]

They sell them in the lighting section. I saw them hanging on one of the posts, if you know what I mean. I just bought another one last night just in case I damage it. It was cheap spare part insurance.

I run my power cable through the hull so I also have a spare power cable so that I really can take the FF to any other boat as well as play with it in the house, reviewing screen shots and videos from the day.

Hmm.. I struck out. Went to two HD and Lowes. Lowes had a spotlight adapter for $16+, but It would take two of them.

It was basically an extension for a security light. Is that what I'm looking for?

[Yak Fish]

Yeah, that's exactly what you're looking for. You're right, Lowes had them for much more expensive. There were at least 6 at HD in Golden Ring, just off 695 and 95. I'm not sure if that's close to you or not. I tried to find a link to the exact product but I couldn't find it, but it sounds like you've found the right thing.

Here's the address to the store:
The Home Depot - Rosedale
Petrie Way Rd, Rosedale, MD
Golden Ring Mall Shopping Center
(410) 238-7892 () · homedepot.com


Here's the Loc Line product on Amazon. There are also a bunch of adapters, etc that you may be able to utilize as well. Just another option..
http://www.amazon.com/Loc-Line-inch-...9244542&sr=8-3

[Floppy]

Thanks, but I'm way down in GA. After looking around online a little, 35 bucks ain't a bad price for 26" of the 3/4 hose. That stuff ain't cheap. I'll keep trying to find it on clearance. Thanks again!

[Southerly]

i'm using the JFFoley wet well method for 798 ci side image.

built a little dam inside of the hull just forward of the foot well using plexiglas stuck to the yak with putty. filled with water - seems ok. lose accurate temp reading of course. i had considered pivoting a di inside the hull; kind of a joystick arrangment in a wet well but chickened out and got the si.

[ronaultmtd]

The way I now mount transducers is simple- I find a good location that is accessible and near the centerline of the kayak and sit the transducer puck down on the inside of the clean hull as flat as is possible- I open a package of electrical duct seal and knead out a long string of seal. Pressing down on the puck I put the duct seal around the puck fairly tightly building a dam around the puck I take a little water and pour inside the dam. I take a break and let it all sit for a few minutes so the water can get under the puck- after a few minutes I refill the dam with additional water and then I seal the puck with duct seal so that the water and the transducer puck is completely covered with duct seal- The voids that the edges of the puck had from contact with the hull are sealed with water and there is a thin film of water between the face of the puck and the hull- there are no air bubbles and the unit thinks it is in the water. I have had excellent results using this method and it is fast, easy and idiot proof.

[nay_sayer]

I took about 1/3 of a brick of duct seal, kneaded it and stuck it in the bottom of the yak inside the bow hatch forming a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" spot about 1" thick. I pressed the transducer into the putty really hard and leveled it. I pushed the putty around the sides to hold the transducer in place. It has worked great on the water without loosening even when I flip the yak around not-so-gently like while loading and unloading from my van.

I have tested the accuracy in waters where I can measure the depth manually and it is very accurate. I have basic ff without a temp sensor so I don't need to worry about that part.

[Southerly]

to look to the sides, the xducer has to have a clear shot thru water (or putty maybe?) to the sides it's going to look at.

i had done some side scan'g with my old conventional garmin. for that, i mounted the xducer outside of the hull using a piece of underground feeder cable. this is very heavy gauge 3-wire cable for running electric underground. i got it from home depot and it was reasonably usable setup but not much to look at. i used a squeeze clamp to hold the wire to the side of the hull. to side scan, i would unclamp it and hold the feeder cable to use as a handle.

[ronaultmtd]

NaySayer- I have temps displayed on the screen- and they seem really accurate- using a hand thermometer to check- there is almost no difference whatsoever-so without putting any duct seal under the transducer puck-just a thin film of fresh water to displace any air and sealing everything up with duct seal- I have the temp sensor working like it is supposed to- and like your experience- the duct seal is a remarkable tough and durable install-the unit isn't affected by turning the Kayak over or transporting/Launching.

[new2yaks11]

So I DO NOT have to cut holes into the hull of my kayak? Now I'm really listening!!! That's been my fear. Not fond of idea of cutting hole into yak that's supposed to stay afloat with my big behind in it!! I am going to get a FF this coming week and try to read up as much as possible and give this a shot. Would love to be able to get depth readings and if possible temps as well and all the while, not having to drill a hole into bottom of hull.

[Yak Fish]

So I DO NOT have to cut holes into the hull of my kayak? Now I'm really listening!!! That's been my fear. Not fond of idea of cutting hole into yak that's supposed to stay afloat with my big behind in it!! I am going to get a FF this coming week and try to read up as much as possible and give this a shot. Would love to be able to get depth readings and if possible temps as well and all the while, not having to drill a hole into bottom of hull.

DO NOT CUT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR HULL! THAT WILL END POORLY.

I've done it similar to what is described above with a little well filled with water. It does work, but just in my personal experience it's not as sensitive. I also tended to knock it loose since I store some things inside the hull. At any rate, give it a test for yourself since it's easy, non permanent and others seem to have had good success. I tried mine with the hull wet well and then pulled it out and hung it over the side with my hand so I could do a direct comparison. But whatever you do, don't cut out the bottom of the hull unless you are really sure that you can seal it. Polyethelyne is difficult to bond unless flame treated.

[ronaultmtd]

Of course you don't need to cut a hole in the hull- the thin hulls of kayaks don't pose any problem for transducers to shoot their sonar signals right through- you just gotta make sure there is not any air in between the transducer puck and the hull- the insulating quality of air is very disruptive to sonar-and really messes it up-

[DOGFISH]

The same type of material for the arm is available from tropical fish stores. It is sold as a type of water return from wetdry type fish tank filters. It can be snapped together with a style of pliers made for that type product. There are also different types of fittings for the ends. Of course, it may not be as inexpensive as a close-out lamp. It is available in black from fish tank suppliers. The last time I bought some of the stuff, it was from Foster and Smith online.

I bought a version of the Madfrog gear liberator. I am going to use that along with a yakattack 4" geartrack as a temporary set up until I decide how to permanently mount the transducer. That way I can test the transducer on the stern handle in the turbulance of the electric motor. The Madfrog gear transducer arm appears to be made from milled starboard. That is a type of polyboard. It is quite a neat setup.

I am not going to experiment on my new PA. However, if I ever get a cheap used kayak, I am going to drill the bottom and put a through hull transducer through the bottom. It is done on boats all the time. A rubber gasket should work on the kayak, or some type of bedding compound. I drilled my first wet dry filters with a through hull fitting to connect two filters together for greater capacity. Humminbird makes some great low profile through hull transducers, which should work. I under stand the reluctance, but it is a common practice. I drilled my Big Game Prowler just at or below the waterline to mount the BassYak motor. There are ways to seal the through hull fitting.

[new2yaks11]

Where can I purchase the "duct seal" HD or Lowe's? I'm going to give this installation a try. I'm excited I might be able to get a FF installed rather easily. Can really give me a different view of the waters I'm fishing.