# Fish finder/ transducer mounts



## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Does anyone have some DIY mods for a fish finder/ transducer mount? I'm looking for a transducer arm type of mount. Because I'll be using dsi, I don't want to shoot through the hull. I was kind of thinking about an all in one, removable, console made of PVC. 
I was originally going to get the ram transducer arm but, then thought maybe I could just make something.


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

I know Stuhly did it a few months ago. Its in one of the threads here. Might just pm him and i'm sure he'll send you his pics. I don't know if I would go with PVC. Too flimsy and it could screw up your readings. The RAM mount has an aluminum rod that runs through it. Its a good solid mount, and worth it to me to protect my transducer from falling off or being inaccurate.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

I found this one on YouTube. It looks pretty sturdy and it's the same yak I have. I just don't like how he has it sitting in the scuppers.
[ame]http://youtu.be/yXgZrWRa6xY[/ame]


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## Bowhunter57 (Feb 9, 2011)

Sturdy, yes, but it still gets caught on stuff and has endless possibilities of getting knocked off. 

All you need is a block of Duct Seal. It's a block of electrical putty for sealing up a hole that's been cut into a building for an electrical installation. It seals out the weather elements and keeps the wiring dry. It can be purchased at Menards, Lowes, etc. and it's about $3 or $4.

Air bubbles are your enemy!!! Clean the surface of the hull, where you're going to install the transducer. Roll the block of Duct Seal in place, so that there's no air trapped between it and the hull.

Push the transducer into the putty...all the way to the bottom, against the hull. Then press the surrounding putty against the transducer to hold it in place. It will stay there until you remove it.

The water temperature will NOT be accurate, until the hull material reaches the same temperature as the water...which takes about 30 minutes or so. I could care less about the water temperature. The depth, structure and fish readings are as accurate as they would be if the transducer was directly in the water. Installing it inside will protect it from getting knocked off, by anything the kayak would travel over.







Bowhunter57


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## kayakcle216 (Aug 14, 2013)

I just txt stuhly...hopefully he will show up with pics if you haven't already pm him. 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## mjn88 (Feb 18, 2011)

I just installed mine, the way that bowhunter talks about it. Haven't had my kayak in the water with it yet, but it was easy to install, and cost less than $5. 
By the way, thanks for the tips bowhunter.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Because it's a down scan unit, I really don't want to shoot through the hull. Also, if I don't have to wait a half hour for accurate water temps, I'd rather not. Anything I use to install the FF (dry box or DIY console) will be strapped down to keep them from coming off unexpectedly. At the moment I'm just tossing around the idea of some DIY hack or mod. If it ends up costing just as much as the ram arm, I'll just stick with the ram mount.
I did PM stuhly and he said he'll send me some pics. Hopefully I'll see those a little later.


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## Stuhly (Jul 6, 2009)

View attachment 91769

Here is what I did


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## Stuhly (Jul 6, 2009)

View attachment 91770

Hope this helps out


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## Yakphisher (Jul 9, 2013)

You will soon enough find that duct seal will make a mess when it gets hot in the summer. 
This is not the ideal material to use if you are wanting something to stay in place.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Yakphisher said:


> You will soon enough find that duct seal will make a mess when it gets hot in the summer.
> This is not the ideal material to use if you are wanting something to stay in place.


Plus I dont think it will work on a SOT without cutting through the deck to get to the hull.


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## kayakcle216 (Aug 14, 2013)

I think most sot yaks have storage in the hull. So you don't have to cut through the deck. 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

kayakcle216 said:


> I think most sot yaks have storage in the hull. So you don't have to cut through the deck.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


To get the wiring back up to the FF though, you would have to somehow get it through the hull, so a hole would probably be necessary unless you left a hatch open or something to run the wiring to the display. But, you might have figured something else out than me. Your yak is decked out clean! lol


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## kayakcle216 (Aug 14, 2013)

Lol 

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## zero410 (Feb 26, 2010)

I made my own bracket for my transducer.i made it out of aluminum and it mounts to the track on my slayer.it pulls out and then swivels down.i mounted the battery and cables in a plastic ammo box that i got at rural king for 5$.I also mounted the fishfinder to the ammo box.the whole thing is removable.which is how i wanted it.ill post pics later tonight.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Snakecharmer said:


> Plus I dont think it will work on a SOT without cutting through the deck to get to the hull.


Drilling holes for cables is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. I want the whole unit easily removable, so it's not a big hassle when I want to use it for ice fishing. Some sort of transducer arm will help make that possible. I can strap a dry box to the deck to hold the battery or strap it to some sort of homemade console kinda deal. Now I'm wondering if building something will cost me just as much as buying the ram arm.


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## silverbullet (Apr 14, 2004)

I made an arm out of 1" PVC on my sit in. It dropped it in my flush mount rod holder, a t a short piece then a 90 down to the transducer. I capped the end and drilled a hole thru it for the bolt to hold the ducer. 

Sent from my C811 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

Jmsteele187 said:


> Drilling holes for cables is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. I want the whole unit easily removable, so it's not a big hassle when I want to use it for ice fishing. Some sort of transducer arm will help make that possible. I can strap a dry box to the deck to hold the battery or strap it to some sort of homemade console kinda deal. Now I'm wondering if building something will cost me just as much as buying the ram arm.


From your comments, I think you are leaning toward the RAM arm as your best bet. It sounds like you want something reliable as well as something that will be clean, strong, no holes necessary and removable for transport very easily. The arm is around $50. If you are good at making things and can make something nice, go for it. If not, I wouldn't worry about it and if you have the funds, just buy something that's going to last forever.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Northern1 said:


> From your comments, I think you are leaning toward the RAM arm as your best bet. It sounds like you want something reliable as well as something that will be clean, strong, no holes necessary and removable for transport very easily. The arm is around $50. If you are good at making things and can make something nice, go for it. If not, I wouldn't worry about it and if you have the funds, just buy something that's going to last forever.


I am pretty good at making things, that's the only reason I'm considering it. The ram arm was my original intent, then I thought "well could I make something for less $". However, one thing I know about PVC is that the pipe is fairly cheap. The fittings are not so cheap, comparatively speaking. I haven't walked into menards to price it out yet, but just looking at their website, that PVC console looks like it might cost nearly $70. Far more than the ram arm. While I do like stuhly's setup, I don't already have the swing arm FF mount, which is $75 on its own. I can get the ram arm from hook1 for $46 shipped. Unless my calculations on PVC prices are way off, I'll probably just go with the ram arm.


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## Bowhunter57 (Feb 9, 2011)

Yakphisher said:


> You will soon enough find that duct seal will make a mess when it gets hot in the summer.
> This is not the ideal material to use if you are wanting something to stay in place.


I had to dig the Duct Seal out with my fingers on the last kayak that I had a FF installed in the hull. I store the kayak hanging on its' side, in my garage and transport it upside down...never had it so much as move.

I suppose if you left it sitting outside in the sun, upside down, either during storage or transportation, it could happen.

Bowhunter57


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## zero410 (Feb 26, 2010)

here are the pics.


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## zero410 (Feb 26, 2010)

having trouble with photo bucket lets try again.


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## zero410 (Feb 26, 2010)

heres another .i havent used photo bucket in a long time .it really stinks now.what does everyone else use to host their pictures?


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## kayakcle216 (Aug 14, 2013)

Did you make that arm? Nicely done! 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Well, the PVC contraption is back in the running. I went to menards on my lunch break and priced it out. Everything would run me about $17. I'm not sure what I was looking at last night, online, that was running almost $70 but, that was way off.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

I got my fish finder and mount all together. I went with a PVC, self build console mount. I also plan to move my rod holder mounts to the console as well.
[ame]http://youtu.be/ecUrMdq8l6I[/ame]


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## kayakcle216 (Aug 14, 2013)

you gotta turn your phone horizontal! lol looks good!


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