advice on transducer placement for trailcraft (pics)
hey all,
after some help on placing my transducer better. currently it reads sweet from still up to 6 knots, over that and it has significantly less performance, rarely showing fish and hard to distinguish ground type.
few pics of its current spot
above picture on a slight angle, right side of tansducer is actually in line with the left side of the strake to its right
transducer is currently 360mm from the motor. My assumption is it is recieving turbulance from the strake to the right of it and possibly some from the live bait tank pump.
The two options i see are to:
1. move transducer 40mm to the left (making it 320mm from the motor) aligning it in the center of the two stakes it is currently in between
2. attatch a piece of flat aluminium sticking out to the right of mount already on the hull to allow the transducer to line up in the center of the strakes to its right (without me having to drill into the hull) making it 540mm from the motor, is this too far?
option 2 would require me to remove the bait tank pump but option 1 doesnt, will there be less turbulance if i remove it? (if it needs to be removed i will just sit it on the transom and throw it in the water when required, so no biggie if it stays or not.
also the cable for the transducer is run to the front of the boat with all the rest of the wires, steering and throttle controls. will i get less interferance/clutter if i run it seperately (how far away from the other cables will it need to be?) or has anyone tried putting corry conduit over the cable for any success?
all feedback will be much appreciated
cheers rob
the tranny has been moved to the center of the 2 strakes and the middle line of the transducer is now in line with the hull and the transducer sits level horizontaly.
there were also a few deep scratches on the hull where the transucer now sits which have been cleaned, patched and sanded smooth
jng
Posts: 488
Date Joined: 03/08/07
Looks like the tranny is to
Looks like the tranny is to low. But hard to tell by just looking at photos.
trymyluck
Posts: 908
Date Joined: 06/05/12
yes as above, I thought the
yes as above, I thought the same about 20mm too low
squidder
Posts: 457
Date Joined: 03/09/10
Maybe
put a spacer thick enough to have the pickup on the pump far enough back so the disturbance it may create not interfere with the tranny, but try it without the pump first.
I would also try the tranny a bit lower and to the left as you mentioned, maybe in the middle of the strakes, as I have mine lower than yours and it sounds spot on at 38kts
holth
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 09/10/06
way to low. have the same
way to low. have the same boat and get good reading above 25k knots will the tranny 5mm below hull.also move the pick up ,up higher or better still the other side od boat. my pick up is at most 15mm down.
spanishmackeral
Posts: 940
Date Joined: 05/01/11
thanks for the feedback.as
thanks for the feedback.
as for correct hight, is it that the middle of the transducer should be in line with the bottom of the hull?
and what is the rule for the angle to set it at?
cheers rob
Rob H
Posts: 5796
Date Joined: 18/01/12
as above, definitely too low,
as above, definitely too low, I believe the face should be on smooth water only.
Try downloading any of the Lowrance manuals and it will have a bit of info about depth.
While my olf Trailcraft didn't have a Lowrance, the sounder (furuno) certainly worked quite well at the factory position.
My Cruisecraft has a lowrance though only used a s a backup it works at speed quite well.
1/ Lift transducer up
2/ maybe level it off fore and aft abit-from memory they should only have a slight rake down at the rear.
3/ Remove pump (just to fault find but I doubt its a problem
4/ If none works, unbolt trans and tape to a broom stick, get your mate to drive and play with it like that, you can learn a fair bit that way-calm weather though as its too hard if any chop
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
fishfish
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 01/09/09
Tranny setup
I would leave the height , if the middle of the transducer is in line with the bottom of the hull that would only be about 10mm down which is fine also slightly down at the rear too is preferred .
But I would defiantly move the transducer to the left and get it away from that chine !!
The pump pickup shouldn't be a problem but you can always unbolt it/ un clip it and try..
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
transducer
I had the same problem with the same transducer when I recently changed boats. You transducer is too low, the middle of the tranny should be in line with the bottom of the hull. I found I was getting alot more interferance at the lower height so I pulled mine up to where the lowarance manual states although I am still not getting as good a signal compared to my old quintrex. I also have an external pump and mine is quite close to the motor and more cluttered than your setup so it will still require some fiddling, I am thinking of taking mine up slightly higher again.
the angle should be flat like the hull but if anything slightly forward and if you can try and get it centre between the strakes
chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
I'd be trying the easiest
I'd be trying the easiest options first .. adjust the height up , looks as if you have 10mm of play there and angling down the rear a notch or two ..
“Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”
Happy Hooker
Posts: 305
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Its too low
Had same issue , same boat. loosen up the bolts, slide it up a bit until its just under bottom (get a long straight edge and follow bottom of hull and you will get your height). Then its a matter of just adjusting it once you have taken it out, could take a few times.
I also bought some ali tubing from steel place, ran cable in it, put it in alongside rest of cables from back of boat where batteries sit thru to front just before steering.Not sure whether it makes diff, for the $20 I paid for tubing didnt fuss me to do it.
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
I have the same transducer
I have the same transducer and have sorted these problems before for more than one boat.
My first thoughts - too close to right strake and too low
Tackle it in the order.
1st Get someone else to drive you boat at a speed you get interference (say 10Kn+) stick you head over the back and see if the tranny is in clean water (no turb/bubbles) this is the best way to see what is happening before you do anything and if the pump is adding to what turbulence is probably coming off the strake to the right. (You'll possibly find as its a bit low you'll be getting a roster tail spraying up from the tranny)
2nd I would put it directly between the two strakes. It should be as far away from strakes as possible not in line.
3rd when you move it align the centre line of the transducer (on the left side of the tranny for that side of the motor/boat) with the bottom of the hull (i.e. lift it) It does not want to be lower than that. If still a problem try lifting it another 5mm.
4th. can do this first as well given its easy. Shut off everything but the sounder and run the motor in idle. rev the motor in neutral - do you get any interference. No -then switch on other electrics etc. one at a time - does switching on anything add to interference if so the position of the trans cable is the or adding to the problem (thought it appears turbulence related to speed is the issue you have)
Transducer cable should ideally be routed down the passenger side and away from all other electrics - that being said nowadays the transducer cables are quite well shielded and this is likely not your problem given you have the 6kn+ thing (on a mates boat we had the same thing and looked at changing it to the passenger side however left it as the problem was turbulence and a change in the transducer position solved everything). If electrical interference was the issue here you would not only have a problem at 6kn+ unless it was motor revs related.
Good luck
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Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
One other thing I note you
One other thing I note you tranny is also in line with where the rollers sit on the hull when on the trailer check the bottom of the hull for any imperfections where the rollers sit as any imperfections on the hull can cause turbulence as well. something as small as a small bubble/chip in the paint/gel coat can cause a surprising amount of turbulence adding to the problem.
Won't need to go further to the right the distance from the motor is not the problem.
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scubafish
Posts: 962
Date Joined: 15/08/12
Transducer
http://www.fishwrecked-reeltime.com/Gallery1/thumbnails.php?album=22
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys
spanishmackeral
Posts: 940
Date Joined: 05/01/11
thanks a tonne for all the
thanks a tonne for all the help, pics have now been added after the tranny has been moved and (hopefully) lined up properly
feedback is welcome on the new position
cheers rob
Rob H
Posts: 5796
Date Joined: 18/01/12
that does look a lot better,
that does look a lot better, though I wouldn't have bothered moving it in, if you look over the back while planning youll see that the wake from the strake actually splays outward if anything.
Rake on the trans looks spot on, but could even go a little higher maybe, only the face needs to contact solid water.
But give it a run, might be spot on as is!
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Height and distance is about
Height and distance is about right now.
I thought the pic from the side holding the spirit level (not level in the pic) the most interesting as there is a gap/pocket between the bottom of the boat and the mounting bracket itself in the other pics you can't see this gap (the bracket should idealy be flush to the bottom of the boat).
This may be the cause of turbulence suggest having a look off the back at low speed (sub 6knots) when good reading and then again at a higher speed with a worse reading and seeing the difference in the water the transducer is running through. The transducer should be running through clean non-areated water at all times.
Also consider your transducer may be horizontal on land but how does the hull/transducer sit on the water including when underway as opposed to on the trailer - rear may need tilting down if anything.
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
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