1kw Airmar Transom Mount Installation- Your opinion on my installation?

[wetryin]

I have upgraded the 600w for a 1KW Transom Mount transducer from the US for the barcrusher and I have a week long fishing trip in 2 weeks. Due to the crappy weather I cant get out and test it. How does this look to owners that have put this transducer on their boat?
There are 3 spacers provided with installation (each 9degrees and I have used all 3) and when the boat is level the transducer seems to be lower at the rearmost point but I am not too sure how level the boat is in the water. Surely when underway the boat will pitch up when underway, making the transducer be more lower in its most rearmost part.
Pics attached of boat on trailer
WeTryin

[maimai]

Hi wetryin, very hard to tell in the pics, I have the same tranny and these would be the hardest to fine tune, you will get alot of spray from this, to the extent you will need a splash cover, IMHO the back of the tranny needs to be piched even lower, It took me ages to fine tune mine to the extent that i got rid of the bracket and had one made of alloy, and even then i had to use small plastic wedges to fine tune it, It now reads at 50kph then the bottom breaks up, I have seen this same tranny read bottom at 80kph but i need more time to tune it, looks like the front or the tranny is going to make broken water, can you get a pic like the 3rd but with a straight edge from the bottom of the boat and along side the tranny, 1st and 4th pic is throwing me out

[johncar]

I wish too upgrade to one of these if I can stop spending my hard earned on other things,, anyway I have also heard of all those same issues as maimai said. Some installs I see have them on a slide mount bracket to try and manage them, pull them up out of the way when travelling and sink them down when sounding. So it seems that at least on some boats they are a bit of a pain to get setup.

I have also heard that you need the rear edge angled down to some degree.

A photo side on either a string line or straight edge from the bottom sheet would give a better indication of the trannie angle for us also as maimai said.
Some pics of my p66 when I was messing with it:

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt187/johncar/fisher%20p66/DSC01223reduced.jpg

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt187/johncar/fisher%20p66/DSC01244reduced.jpg

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt187/johncar/fisher%20p66/DSC01229reduced.jpg

[wetryin]

Got a splash cover from Northside Marine from previous posts, but just want to make sure I got the installation right before I screw on the splash cover. How much lower (in mm) do you think the bottom has to be lower than the front? The wedges they give are 9degrees each so I used 3 however I might custom make one for it, and if so what degree should I make it (eg 3x9degree =27degree; maybe I should go35-45degrees in one hit at once. What makes it worse I think is that the bracket is not made for boats with a 90degree transom.
Took more photos these ones during daylight, instead of at night where there were too many shadows
in relation to your thoughts as to the front making broken water the instructions said that the hull projection could be 0-3mm in fact I think my install is more like 0 degrees from the extra photos I took but I value your input.
Really hard to photograph when I have a wife complaining that this is not what she expected to do when she married me! Maybe I will try a string line later
Do you hae a pic of your install with cover????

[wetryin]

its basically a given to know it has to be angled down but I am tring to really figure exactly how much from you guys and its a bit hard to water test in deep water when its too rough to get out. What happened to all the calm days over winter????
WeTryin

[wetryin]

Johncar,
I didnt see your pic at the bottom of your post. I have to work half a day now and when I get back I will mask up my transducer like yours and post better photos.
Many thanks

[johncar]

Yeah it looks like you will need some more angle down at the back of the trannie IMHO and as you said they probably didn't have a 90 degree transom in mind, so a mod to the wedges you have or make a new one might be needed. Once you get that angle looking better then it's a matter of getting the height to a point where it's hopefully reading from stand still to at least a minimal cruising speed running as shallow as possible. They are a fairly big trannie so you may also get some minor lift at speed on the starboard side, not sure but possible. They are supposed to do a good job so worth perservering with I think..

[MyWay]

I think you have to drop that one inch if more the better

if I still had my BC I would fit that inside of water ballast bit of challenge, but the best locating

[wetryin]

MyWay
Do you mean drop the whole transducer or just angle it down on more inch
Thanks

[Fed]

Both mate, JC is close to the money once you get your head around it being mounted on the Port side.
John's angle is good but it might help if the whole transducer was tweaked a few mm lower.

How does yours perform at speed John?

HaHa, I accidentally disliked my own post...

[johncar]

Both mate, JC is close to the money once you get your head around it being mounted on the Port side.
John's angle is good but it might help if the whole transducer was tweaked a few mm lower.

How does yours perform at speed John?

HaHa, I accidentally disliked my own post...

Hi Fed, I frigged around with that thing for a while and have to say it is touchy, but that is about the best compromise for cruising performamce and not spraying water up everywhere.
It reads pretty consistantly up to 25KT with the occasional drop out. I can go deeper which does make it read a bit better at speed but then it shoots more water up. I know I could just fit a deflector but I am happy enough not to worry about it now and I tend to just use my second Garmin trannie while under way which for some reason is almost 100% at any speed, no spray much.

The whole Port side mounting debate should be clarified because I just can't see that it should matter much on a boat with an outboard, the prop being well behind the trannie. Inboard shaft drives I can understand. I have mounted trannies either side with outboards over the years and haven't noticed any disadvantange one way or the other. Or is it so the trannie doesn't interfere with the prop? but it shouldn't if far enough out from centre.

If anything I would think that the Port side would be the favoured side with one of these big trannies to help offset the downward pressure which can be applied by the the props clockwise rotation ie boats natural tendancy to lean port down. If I end up with a TM260 one day I will most likely try it on the Port side first for no other reason than to assist with my boats natural port lean while on the plane.
I know everyone has beliefs and differing opinions on this and I am always trying to be open minded as to why things may be better one way or the other.

[Fed]

I don't think it makes any difference either John I only made the comment in case 'wetryin' was having a head spin with it.

Anyone who has a transducer problem should do your way with masking tape, looking at bare pictures can be very deceiving.

[MyWay]

MyWay
Do you mean drop the whole transducer or just angle it down on more inch
Thanks
whole Transducer
and your angle it is good you don't have that 100% just get closer you can
at rest your boat rock back and forward ( not much like some bots ;D ) and side on, so angle is changing constantly

one of guys on here ,he got his fix his just front of the water ballast on his Fisher, it is only 600w but performance is awesome
i believe someone can dig picture and post here

[wetryin]

Another week now past. Got some wedges and made up to suit the transducer and refitted. And guess what- weather still crap and I cant water test so need your opinion. May be too low this time
Your thoughts?
Left the ducer on the starboard side for if 82256I am climbing in over the transom that is the side that is usually closer to the bottom so left it where it is
the photos on the new installationd82255

[wetryin]

By the way the photos if you havent already figured are upside down. Small mistake. Have to rotate the camera as flash is shadowed within motor supports.

[johncar]

Yes that's looking better, it appears to have plenty of angle now, you may have got away with a little less, always hard to say, but just try it I think, see how it goes. Perhaps take a few bits and pieces with you so you can fine tune it when you get to your destination. Would you be able to fit the spray deflector where you are going if you take all the bits you need to fit it. I can understand your reluctance to fit it untill you have checked the general performance.
Anyway the weather is crap for sure but you just need to give it a run in some sheltered water somewhere. I would be trying to or be prepared at least to do some adjustment while away.

[MyWay]

i think you need to loewer it more
as soon as you get any speed tranduser will not read

[maimai]

Another week now past. Got some wedges and made up to suit the transducer and refitted. And guess what- weather still crap and I cant water test so need your opinion. May be too low this time
Your thoughts?
Left the ducer on the starboard side for if 82256I am climbing in over the transom that is the side that is usually closer to the bottom so left it where it is
the photos on the new installationd82255


Looking much better, Angle is nice. do agree with Myway, drop the whole tranny down a tad more

[wetryin]

82403
82402

Getting now very close to the week away fishing
Tried and water tested, was ok but I thougtht I could have done better install, and dropped it lower
Now I think I have gotten it right and intend on water testing wednesday mid week. Your thoughts appreciated
I did find after the boat came back to shore, the transducer bracket (after out on the 40's) I found that the screws (which were as tight that I could do up) worked loose. Is locktite the best way to secure them in the alloy???
Wetryin.

[johncar]

Assuming that you are talking about self tapping SS, I would usually use Sikaflex. I would also probably prefer to use SS metal threads and get some nyloc nuts in behind the mounting plate, but it shouldn't come loose either way. They are a big trannie though so I would go on the over done side of things when securing it as it is subject to a fair load and vibration while under way.