Posts tagged “transducer mount

Transducer & Battery Mount in a Slayer Propel 10 Kayak

Here is how I installed a Lowrance HDS 4X, transducer and battery in a Slayer Propel 10 kayak;

Transducer
After reading an article on a kayak fishing forum written by a guy that worked with industrial ulrta sound equipment, I decided to go with an in hull or ‘shoot through’ hull transducer mount. He explained that the sound waves produced by the transducer would not be effected when travelling through the hull and that no sensitivity would be lost. At least nothing discernible at all!

Until I found this article my research (watching YouTubes) revealed all kinds of different arrangements when mounting transducers in the hull. Some people advocated having a certain amount of water in the hull to prevent loss of sensitivity and others would simply glue the transducer down. Some used Vaseline and others used duct seal putty. Some people went to the trouble of mounting a water filled container on the hull with the transducer mounted inside. Mounting the transducers externally was also an option. The transducer could be mounted through the scupper holes or even beside the kayak using a retractable arm hanging off the side of the kayak.

After contemplating all these options I decided I would keep it simple. If the article was right and no sensitivity was to be lost with a ‘shoot thru hull’ installation, then that’s what I would do. So I spent $5 on some BlueTac and simply stuck the transducer on with that. After a test run on the water I was satisfied with the results. The images revealed solid returns from the bottom and from structure such as logs etc. Fish symbols also appeared along with the indicated depth.

Battery
As with the transducer installation I wanted to keep the battery mounting simple. I didn’t want to drill any holes but I needed the battery to remain firmly in its place yet quick removal for recharging was needed. After much thought I discovered some battery carrying bags at Jaycar Electronics. These bags were $20 each and easily fastened around the molding structure inside the Slayer Propel 10. Unzipping the bag provides easy access for recharging.

Despite transporting the yaks on their side and after several trips the transducer and battery have remained in place. I am still getting good readings and would recommend this installation to anyone.

Simon Fitzpatrick  🙂