Cable Save 'R vs Cable Guard vs Homemade airhose transducer on ulterra

[joebassletter]

Does anyone have any first hand experience with this on a 45" ulterrra? Which is better? They are priced about the same. I am a bit concerned about catching a lot of weeds, so I might try the homemade air hose looped around the shaft idea. Which direction should I go?

Cable Guard http://precisionsonar.com/products/ (scroll to the very bottom of the page)
Cable Save 'R https://www.cornfieldcrappiegear.com...e/cable-save-r
Homemade air hose http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=790239 (Scott cook's post half way down)


Thanks!

[rnvinc]

Cornfieldcrappiegear makes the cable saver that Precision Sonar sells ...

Same machinist ... I know him personally ...

Precision Sonar will install it at HITEC Outdoors if hired to do so ...

Rickie

[joebassletter]

Wow. Thanks for the good info. So that cuts my decision down, making it easier. Now I just need to decide between an offset coiled airhose like the cable save'r/cableguard and and around-the-shaft coiled arihose that I put together.

cable save'r/cableguard
pros: easy install, easy shopping
cons: possible more weed pickup,
questions: does it allow full rotation plus some in both directions

Air hose around the shaft
cons: research required for shopping, self fabrication and testing, concerns of pinching if not done right
pros: more weedless/less risk of hangups, cleaner looking
questions: on a 45" shaft will I have enough room for enough coils to do full rotations in both directions

[Super 91]

I bought the Precision Sonar setup for my Ultrex but I don't have it installed yet. Hoping I can get it done whenever I get my Solix units in........might be a while....

[Marshfly]

It's a shame that Minn Kota messed up the ability to use the slot in the shaft by fixing a nonexistent problem with the lift assist.

[joebassletter]

Well, don't quote me on this, but I think the lift assist is removable, allowing you to free up the shaft (and gain a few extra inches.) But that is not the problem, because the new MEGA transducer cable is TOO THICK to fit even in the old shaft slot in the terrova.

That all said, my question is not about the terrova, but about the Ulterra.. which never had an available shaft slot.

I can think of 5 ways humminbird could allow an easy transducer install on the terrova/ulterra (add an additional deliberate slot for tranducer cables, make the shaft bigger if needed for strength.. easy peasy. Add double shielding to the tranducer cable, make the transducer brains an addin module for the trolling motor, make the signal digital so you don't have to deal with interference. and on and on. I think they just keep their engineers busy with all the other improvements it hasn't been gotten around to yet. Plus it gives us something to buy with gradual improvements. game changer... as they say.)

[ScottCook]

Wow. Thanks for the good info. So that cuts my decision down, making it easier. Now I just need to decide between an offset coiled airhose like the cable save'r/cableguard and and around-the-shaft coiled arihose that I put together.

cable save'r/cableguard
pros: easy install, easy shopping
cons: possible more weed pickup,
questions: does it allow full rotation plus some in both directions

Air hose around the shaft
cons: research required for shopping, self fabrication and testing, concerns of pinching if not done right
pros: more weedless/less risk of hangups, cleaner looking
questions: on a 45" shaft will I have enough room for enough coils to do full rotations in both directions

Mine is on a 45" shaft and although there's plenty of room/slack to do full rotations, I'd add another coil or two if I was inclined to do it over for any reason (like when I switch to a 'bird for the front).

I adjusted it to turn until the autostop stops the turning, then I turned it another half turn.

[BigMouth]

Check this thread....

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread....=1#post8277565

When using the remote or foot pedal on my unit it will barely do one wrap before tension will kill the rotation and you have to manually reverse direction. I like that!

But while in spot lock mode the rotation motor will continue to turn the head wrapping coils around the shaft. I don't like that!

IIRC, I think the iLink will not allow more than three wraps but I'll be damned if I'll purposely be the beta tester for that experment. Unless I get absorbed in landing a fish, tying on a bait or just have a senior moment then I my Ulterra can go more than three wraps n one direction.

Give me a week or two, I'll report my findings.

[Ohio Archer]

Most I've had my Terrova wrap is 1 1/2 times then it self corrected . That was in Spotlock.

[frazier2209]

Nothing but great things to say about my Precision Sonar setup. Randy was great to deal with. So far it works flawlessly. The spot-lock will wrap it up tighter than I like though.

[joebassletter]

I don't think it is a good thing that cable/hose tension triggers the motor to stop turning. It would be better if there was enough hose to allow the motor to rotate as much as it normally would before auto-correcting. Are you sure you guys have it adjusted properly? Do you need a longer section of hose. I think the design is supposed to be that it allow full normal rotation.

[scubatelco]

Man these options are ugly. There has to be a better way to fix this problem, I saw a spring loaded cable option that looked better. Sure would be nice to drill a hole in the shaft and drop the cable down and out by the TM, too bad that would weaken the shaft too much and let water into the shaft.

[ScottCook]

I don't think it is a good thing that cable/hose tension triggers the motor to stop turning. It would be better if there was enough hose to allow the motor to rotate as much as it normally would before auto-correcting. Are you sure you guys have it adjusted properly? Do you need a longer section of hose. I think the design is supposed to be that it allow full normal rotation.

It's the MinnKota factory cable that triggers the stop, not the transducer cable/hose

[joebassletter]

It's the MinnKota factory cable that triggers the stop, not the transducer cable/hose

Right. On your setup, coils around the shaft, it sounds good. But on BigMouth's, using the precision sonar cableguard/saver, he said it was the hose/tranducer that was actually stopping the rotation from "tension" He briefly mentioned it in this post, and in the post he linked to he explained that the cablesaver tension actually stopped the rotation of the motor.. Somehow that doesn't sound good.

[Terryg]

Mine will turn about 1 1/4 turn from any position. I always make sure that when I put the TM down it is pointed straight ahead. I can turn TM clockwise 1/2 rotation then stop and then I can turn it about 1 1/4 turn further. One of the techs told me that it wasn't tension that would stop it from turning, it would only turn a certain amount then stop. I still have problems with TM wanting to turn to many revolutions and bind in spot lock. My transducer cable has gotten the outside insulation stripped in a small section. In my opinion the Terrova is a great idea but a poor design. I wish the depth collar could be redesigned without the knob to catch the cable.

[BigMouth]

Man these options are ugly. There has to be a better way to fix this problem, I saw a spring loaded cable option that looked better. Sure would be nice to drill a hole in the shaft and drop the cable down and out by the TM, too bad that would weaken the shaft too much and let water into the shaft.

Been there done that, once it gets wrapped in spot-lock mode the spring gets all stretched out. Also the metal of the spring wrapping around the TM isn't good for the finish.

[BigMouth]

Right. On your setup, coils around the shaft, it sounds good. But on BigMouth's, using the precision sonar cableguard/saver, he said it was the hose/tranducer that was actually stopping the rotation from "tension" He briefly mentioned it in this post, and in the post he linked to he explained that the cablesaver tension actually stopped the rotation of the motor.. Somehow that doesn't sound good.

It's better than wrapping it so tight that something gives but you're right its not a good solution. As it stands today my Ulterra will manually turn about 340° to the left before the tension stops rotation. To the right it will do about 400°+

<rant on>

MINN KOTA ARE YOU LISTENING.!?!

Give us a wireless transducer or a better solution than these over priced, mickey-mouse solutions! My expensive $2,500 TM is now a $3,000+ TM because I have to buy extra chit. How many bass fishermen want a TM without a transducer? I'd venture to say very few so get your high priced engineers to work! </rant off>

[rnvinc]

Incorporating any imaging xducer in the Minn Kota would turn every xducer problem in a Minn Kota problem...instead of the Sonar unit problem ...

I would venture to guess Minn Kota is taking care of Minn Kota ...

Rickie

[BigMouth]

IIRC HB & MK are cooperative business partners and MK already has units with a ducer built in also.

[rnvinc]

IIRC HB & MK are cooperative business partners and MK already has units with a ducer built in also.

You are correct they are under the same parent company of Johnson Outdoors ...

But that doesn't mean the management at MK want to deal with the xducer issues from HB units ...

After all - a large % of troubleshooting in this very forum is dealing with xducer issues ...

MK subsidiary management let's HB subsidiary management deal with HB xducer issues ...

Rickie