Awesome video, helped me adjust my helix 7 to read better and eliminated my rooster tail. Thanks! But... Sonar uses sound waves, and radar uses radio waves. Sound travels faster through water, and fish finders read the bottom based off of the speed of sound through water.
This was the best video i have seen. You covered all aspects of what will and wont work if transducer is in or out of the water flow!! You cleared my problem up not i will try and fix it!
When your on plane you shouldn’t be looking for brush piles on the graph, you should be looking ahead of you or occasionally glance at the gps map of lake. Why would people be looking for ledges while their going 20+ mph don’t make sense to me
Hey Doug , just seen you video. I having issue with my newly installed helix 5. While trolling my system works great DI. Once I pick speed my DI screen freezes and just notice a rooster tail coming from my transducer. Based on this video my transducer is placed too low, so fix should be to raise it a bit correct? Please advise need all the help!!!
I just purchased a tracker classic and looking at purchasing the Humminbird helix 10 megs si , where should I mount the transducer, some say close to the drain plug outlet some say where the Lowrance transducer is mounted from the factory will work. Any ideas Thanks
Hi Doug, I have a Helix 9 DI and SI transducer mounted on my transom. I'm considering adding a 2D sonar transducer inside my hull with a Y cable so I don't lose my depth readings at high speeds. Can you tell me how the Y cable connects to my current transducer cable? Do I need to disconnect the existing cable from my head and run the Y cable from the head to the transom, or does my existing cable connect to the Y cable? Thanks, Greg
Hi Doug, I also have an urelated question. I recently bought my first bass boat and moved my hummingbird 587 ci HD transducer from the transom of my old boat to the trolling motor of my new boat. When I use the fish finder with the trolling motor running, I get somer serious interference on the screen of the fish finder. When the trolling motor is not running, the image is fine. Seems like there is some sort of electromagnetic interfence. Ever heard of this and know of any solutions? Perhaps you've already done a video on the topic I haven't seen? Thanks!
+Matt Provencher Give Humminbird customer service a call 800-633-1468 they can help you with getting the Radio Frequency Noise and killing it. Check the transducer cable and make sure it is not damaged.
Also one other thing: I bought a transducer mounting bracket for my 2001 bass tracker 175 and as soon as I got it out of the package I realized an issue. On the stern of my boat there are bolts spread out about 6-8 inches so the board cannot fit flush. So should I cut the board (I wont have much room on it and I will need to drill an extra hole to mount), or should I try to use those same bolts to anchor the transducer mounting plate? I have no clue what the bolts are for, but I was thinking it might apply to the structural integrity somehow
It's alright, I got it figured out. For some reason on the back of my bass tracker it has bolts attached to the transom every 6 to 8 inches. I was wondering if I could remove two of the bolts in the transom and use them to anchor the mounting mounting plate (since the bolts sticking out would not let the plate mount flush). However I just got creative and marked on the transducer mounting plate where the bolts would hit it and used a dremmel tool. With the dremmel tool I reamed the mounting board so that it fit around the bolts perfectly so I could mount it flush to the transom. @@DougVahrenberg
Doug , I just installed mine last night and the transducer mount seems loose , actually let me refrase that , is loose . I'm scratching my head on this as it seems simple but I'm missing something . The shoulder bolt goes through the bracket and transducer , then the runner washer , then the metal washer and then the screw that goes into the shoulder bolt . There is a lot of slack , the transducer moves around up and down a good 1/4" or more in the bracket assembly . That can't be right ?!? Do you have any closeups of the ducer?
Chad Halvorson If the HDSI Transducer like the 999ci HD, 1199ci HD comes standard with will have play or loosen in the transducer as part of the kick up protection feature. One you are moving the water pressure on the transducer will hold it in place
Hello Doug,I recently acquired the Humminbird Helix 9 SI KVD Edition, I have couple questions to ask you and my 1st ? has to do with what side of my boat I should mount my transducer, I notice that on your boat you mounted your transducer to the port side of your boat or left side of the outboard does it matter what side the transducer needs to be mounted on?. Reason I ask you is I have a Humminbird Helix 5 DI and my transducers is on the starboard side or right side of my outboard..,My boat is 1989 SS175 Fish & Ski Sean Nymph Aluminum boat with a Evinrude 70hp Outboard.. my next question is mounting the Helix 9 SI Transducer mounting the same as mount my Helix 5 DI..Hope to here back from you asap as I trying to get my boat finished in the next couple weeks to go fishing..Thanks for your help..
Right side is best to reduce creating turbulence on the prop. This boat is a slow boat never get on plane. You can mount the SI transducer in the same area if it has clear view to both sides but it can also damage if high speed boat or hit underwater obstructions.
Thank You Doug,also I have some screw holes that where used from the previous owner who had mounted a transducer straight to the transom and did not use a transducer plate what would you recommend I use to plug these old holes for a sealant,they did use a screw and what looks to be just regular caulking and I want to use some thing that is more stronger to make sure there is no leaks..
3M make different marine silicones that I've heard others use to fill holes some set up hard some soft. Depends on what you want. I would ask a retailer that sells the product which is best for your application
Doug Vahrenberg most manufacturers of transducers recommend mounting on the starboard side with conventional rotation because the water is less turbulent there; hence, the ducer works better. Nothing to do with motor interference.
Doug a question that is not relevant to this video. hope u don't mind. I'm thinking of getting a helix 9 along with bow mount 360 imaging. I'm in contact with a US international shipping site(I'm from India). as per them the helix 9 will be released in US in mid December and bow mount 360 will be released in mid Jan in US. my question is how is it that I see professionals and some other anglers also with the units and giving demos. I'm trying to make sense of the site claiming the launch dates. your opinion would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
That dimension is for when mounting transducer for all speed uses and can aerate or disturb the water flow to the outboard. The Transducer mounted on the fish and ski will be out of the water when on plane and will have no way to effect the water flow to the outboard motor. That is the reason for the 15" recommendation and I did an alternative mounting method on this boat.
Doug Vahrenberg thanks for the reply. I'm doing a left and right si transducer setup (no jackplate) for less than 6 mph imaging and have to position closer than 15" so I've got a lot more confidence in transducer placement now. I've already got a shoot thru for on plane sonar.
I have the 2D Transducer and Si Transducer on a transducer plate. There is a Strake right by the 2D Transducer. I tried to move to the side of the strake but still having trouble. The Si seems to be perfect. I also seem to have trouble with the level of the 2D moving it a notch in or out. Seems like no matter what it seems a little tilted in or out. The returns after moving and adjusting seems like I'm getting a lot of / marks. What does that mean? I'm thinking it is indicating too much to a direction. Also after getting up on plane the Sonar will fad out and then comes back in fine. Not sure why it would change from good to bad. I have an aluminum boat.
I'm getting a rooster tail and when I'm running more than 15 knots it cuts out the reading. should I move it away fromt he prop. could the prop be causing a cavitation issue
Doug, On my Lund ProV aluminum boat, if I would my SI transducer on a mounting board will the motor get in the way of one of the side views? If so, what is the best mounting option for aluminum boats with the motor mounted to the transom? Thanks, Bob
I have a transducer shield and saver bracket for ss3d transducer on jack plate right side works fine. I have an airmar tm150 transom mount transducer. My bass boat has a step like your fish an ski. According to airmar transducer will over heat if out of the water wile on pad. when when off pad the transducer will drop down and be submerged. I'm looking into a stern saver pad behind the step to keep the transducer submerged at a ll times. Do you think the location will cause cavitation and effect my outboard performance. I spent almost 4k on a carbon 12 3d bundle mainly for the chirp and now I'm in the dedicated chirp transducer rabbit hole. Airmar dedicated chirp options are tm150 transom mount b150 through hull (hole in boat to install ;o{ ) and the and the p95 and 979 in hull 's aren't compatible with lorance hds carbon units WTF. thats by far the best option for a bass boat.
Doug, Question I have a new Helix 10 Si Mega and I also have the Gen1 Helix 10si that I have moved to the front of the boat, I connected that to my trolling motor. My question is do I need to run an high speed transducer such as the XNT 9 20 along with my Mega transducer? I have been losing bottom at high speeds. And if so will that interfere with the frequencies of the chirp 2D?
There are products that bond to the boat...I've never used them so I can not recommend them at this time. Maybe others that have used a product like that can comment.
Thank you very much. I've been watching installation videos. You give great information in an easy to understand way. Much appreciated!
Awesome video, helped me adjust my helix 7 to read better and eliminated my rooster tail. Thanks!
But... Sonar uses sound waves, and radar uses radio waves. Sound travels faster through water, and fish finders read the bottom based off of the speed of sound through water.
Knowledge is definitely power! Thanks for posting!
You help me a lot. I will install my new transducer now.
This was the best video i have seen. You covered all aspects of what will and wont work if transducer is in or out of the water flow!! You cleared my problem up not i will try and fix it!
Thanks for the comments and glad it helped!
When your on plane you shouldn’t be looking for brush piles on the graph, you should be looking ahead of you or occasionally glance at the gps map of lake. Why would people be looking for ledges while their going 20+ mph don’t make sense to me
One of your best videos ever.
Hey Doug , just seen you video. I having issue with my newly installed helix 5. While trolling my system works great DI. Once I pick speed my DI screen freezes and just notice a rooster tail coming from my transducer. Based on this video my transducer is placed too low, so fix should be to raise it a bit correct? Please advise need all the help!!!
I just purchased a tracker classic and looking at purchasing the Humminbird helix 10 megs si , where should I mount the transducer, some say close to the drain plug outlet some say where the Lowrance transducer is mounted from the factory will work. Any ideas Thanks
I’m getting a rooster tail when I hit roughly 16 knots as well as wrong readings... do I need to move the transducer up slightly?
That is a sign the transducer is too low when it throws a rooster tail
On a pontoon boat should it be mounted an 1/8 inch below the toon, or further down?
Hi Doug, I have a Helix 9 DI and SI transducer mounted on my transom. I'm considering adding a 2D sonar transducer inside my hull with a Y cable so I don't lose my depth readings at high speeds. Can you tell me how the Y cable connects to my current transducer cable? Do I need to disconnect the existing cable from my head and run the Y cable from the head to the transom, or does my existing cable connect to the Y cable?
Thanks, Greg
I have a blue coloured copper paint on the bottom of my boat, will this interfere with the transducer?
Hi Doug, I also have an urelated question. I recently bought my first bass boat and moved my hummingbird 587 ci HD transducer from the transom of my old boat to the trolling motor of my new boat. When I use the fish finder with the trolling motor running, I get somer serious interference on the screen of the fish finder. When the trolling motor is not running, the image is fine. Seems like there is some sort of electromagnetic interfence. Ever heard of this and know of any solutions? Perhaps you've already done a video on the topic I haven't seen? Thanks!
+Matt Provencher Give Humminbird customer service a call 800-633-1468 they can help you with getting the Radio Frequency Noise and killing it. Check the transducer cable and make sure it is not damaged.
Thanks!
Also one other thing: I bought a transducer mounting bracket for my 2001 bass tracker 175 and as soon as I got it out of the package I realized an issue. On the stern of my boat there are bolts spread out about 6-8 inches so the board cannot fit flush. So should I cut the board (I wont have much room on it and I will need to drill an extra hole to mount), or should I try to use those same bolts to anchor the transducer mounting plate? I have no clue what the bolts are for, but I was thinking it might apply to the structural integrity somehow
I'm not sure I understand your question. You purchase a Transducer Mount Board? You need to install that to the bot then transducer to mounting board.
It's alright, I got it figured out. For some reason on the back of my bass tracker it has bolts attached to the transom every 6 to 8 inches. I was wondering if I could remove two of the bolts in the transom and use them to anchor the mounting mounting plate (since the bolts sticking out would not let the plate mount flush). However I just got creative and marked on the transducer mounting plate where the bolts would hit it and used a dremmel tool. With the dremmel tool I reamed the mounting board so that it fit around the bolts perfectly so I could mount it flush to the transom. @@DougVahrenberg
Doug , I just installed mine last night and the transducer mount seems loose , actually let me refrase that , is loose . I'm scratching my head on this as it seems simple but I'm missing something . The shoulder bolt goes through the bracket and transducer , then the runner washer , then the metal washer and then the screw that goes into the shoulder bolt . There is a lot of slack , the transducer moves around up and down a good 1/4" or more in the bracket assembly . That can't be right ?!?
Do you have any closeups of the ducer?
Chad Halvorson If the HDSI Transducer like the 999ci HD, 1199ci HD comes standard with will have play or loosen in the transducer as part of the kick up protection feature. One you are moving the water pressure on the transducer will hold it in place
thank you!
Hello Doug,I recently acquired the Humminbird Helix 9 SI KVD Edition, I have couple questions to ask you and my 1st ? has to do with what side of my boat I should mount my transducer, I notice that on your boat you mounted your transducer to the port side of your boat or left side of the outboard does it matter what side the transducer needs to be mounted on?. Reason I ask you is I have a Humminbird Helix 5 DI and my transducers is on the starboard side or right side of my outboard..,My boat is 1989 SS175 Fish & Ski Sean Nymph Aluminum boat with a Evinrude 70hp Outboard.. my next question is mounting the Helix 9 SI Transducer mounting the same as mount my Helix 5 DI..Hope to here back from you asap as I trying to get my boat finished in the next couple weeks to go fishing..Thanks for your help..
Right side is best to reduce creating turbulence on the prop. This boat is a slow boat never get on plane. You can mount the SI transducer in the same area if it has clear view to both sides but it can also damage if high speed boat or hit underwater obstructions.
Thank You Doug,also I have some screw holes that where used from the previous owner who had mounted a transducer straight to the transom and did not use a transducer plate what would you recommend I use to plug these old holes for a sealant,they did use a screw and what looks to be just regular caulking and I want to use some thing that is more stronger to make sure there is no leaks..
3M make different marine silicones that I've heard others use to fill holes some set up hard some soft. Depends on what you want. I would ask a retailer that sells the product which is best for your application
with conventional rotation of the props, shouldnt the placement of the transducer be on the right side of the motor
+fishinman69 As long as it does not interfere with water flow to the outboard it will work on either side
Doug Vahrenberg most manufacturers of transducers recommend mounting on the starboard side with conventional rotation because the water is less turbulent there; hence, the ducer works better. Nothing to do with motor interference.
I was under the impression the transducer had to be to the right of the propeller.
It just needs to be away from disturbing water flow to the motos water cooling pickups even in hard turns
Doug a question that is not relevant to this video. hope u don't mind. I'm thinking of getting a helix 9 along with bow mount 360 imaging. I'm in contact with a US international shipping site(I'm from India). as per them the helix 9 will be released in US in mid December and bow mount 360 will be released in mid Jan in US. my question is how is it that I see professionals and some other anglers also with the units and giving demos. I'm trying to make sense of the site claiming the launch dates. your opinion would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
+Mark D' Costa HELIX 9 coming very soon. Bow 360 has been out for a couple years already.
I noticed that the transduces on the fish and ski is less than the Humminbird recommended 15" from the prop. Does this cause you any problems?
That dimension is for when mounting transducer for all speed uses and can aerate or disturb the water flow to the outboard. The Transducer mounted on the fish and ski will be out of the water when on plane and will have no way to effect the water flow to the outboard motor. That is the reason for the 15" recommendation and I did an alternative mounting method on this boat.
Doug Vahrenberg thanks for the reply. I'm doing a left and right si transducer setup (no jackplate) for less than 6 mph imaging and have to position closer than 15" so I've got a lot more confidence in transducer placement now. I've already got a shoot thru for on plane sonar.
so to find the best location for off-plane/idling functioning transducer, you need to know the water level while the boat is idling in the water?
Correct
I have the 2D Transducer and Si Transducer on a transducer plate. There is a Strake right by the 2D Transducer. I tried to move to the side of the strake but still having trouble. The Si seems to be perfect. I also seem to have trouble with the level of the 2D moving it a notch in or out. Seems like no matter what it seems a little tilted in or out. The returns after moving and adjusting seems like I'm getting a lot of / marks. What does that mean? I'm thinking it is indicating too much to a direction. Also after getting up on plane the Sonar will fad out and then comes back in fine. Not sure why it would change from good to bad. I have an aluminum boat.
A slight forward tilt will help with on-plane 2D performance. Got to give it good clean non-turbulated water flow so it can read.
I'm getting a rooster tail and when I'm running more than 15 knots it cuts out the reading. should I move it away fromt he prop. could the prop be causing a cavitation issue
Transdcuer is too low. move it up a little.
Doug Vahrenberg thanks ill try it
Doug,
On my Lund ProV aluminum boat, if I would my SI transducer on a mounting board will the motor get in the way of one of the side views? If so, what is the best mounting option for aluminum boats with the motor mounted to the transom?
Thanks,
Bob
Trim the motor or add a second SI TRansducer and use the Left/Right Y Cable
I have a transducer shield and saver bracket for ss3d transducer on jack plate right side works fine. I have an airmar tm150 transom mount transducer. My bass boat has a step like your fish an ski. According to airmar transducer will over heat if out of the water wile on pad. when when off pad the transducer will drop down and be submerged. I'm looking into a stern saver pad behind the step to keep the transducer submerged at a ll times. Do you think the location will cause cavitation and effect my outboard performance. I spent almost 4k on a carbon 12 3d bundle mainly for the chirp and now I'm in the dedicated chirp transducer rabbit hole. Airmar dedicated chirp options are tm150 transom mount b150 through hull (hole in boat to install ;o{ ) and the and the p95 and 979 in hull 's aren't compatible with lorance hds carbon units WTF. thats by far the best option for a bass boat.
NO idea what Lowrance and AirMar TRansducers need.
Doug, Question I have a new Helix 10 Si Mega and I also have the Gen1 Helix 10si that I have moved to the front of the boat, I connected that to my trolling motor. My question is do I need to run an high speed transducer such as the XNT 9 20 along with my Mega transducer? I have been losing bottom at high speeds. And if so will that interfere with the frequencies of the chirp 2D?
If you don't mount the MEGA Transducer where it can get high speed readings then a second 2D only transducer should be used with the Ycable
Thank you.
+Dough. thanks a mil for your input
I heard the mounting plates can be glued ( epoxied) to the hull true?
There are products that bond to the boat...I've never used them so I can not recommend them at this time. Maybe others that have used a product like that can comment.
(Rubber washer )