Transducer Mounting suggestions help

[jhayford13]

I pick up my 2017 Nitro Z20 this weekend. I have a 93SV from my old boat that I want to bring over to the new boat for the time being until I decide what I want to upgrade to for the console. After I do, I will probably put the 93SV back on the bow. My question, concerns and confusion are in mounting the transducer. So many have the best solution with nobody knowing for sure where to mount it. I am having an Atlas 12" jack plate mounted and some say to mount to that. I'm not going to lie. I'm really nervous about drilling into the hull and then upgrading and doing it again. Last thing I want is a hull with holes in it because it wasn't done right the first time. Are the transom eager glue on mounts acceptable? I walked through the parking lot yesterday at a local tournament and not one person had the same answer. Seems like most people rely on what the salesperson tells them. Any pictures, thoughts, comments and good advice is appreciated. Thanks

[Todd Driscoll]

I mount all my xducers to the bottom splashplate of the jackplate. Performance is great here, and as you say, no extra holes in the transom.

IMG_0367.jpg

IMG_0368 resize.jpg

[ifishinxs]

Garmin sells a jackplate mount..I had to take all of my factory mounted HB stuff off so I have a few holes in my transom. I used some 5 min epoxy to seal them off. If you decide to mount the transducer on the jack plate you will loose bottom picture once on plane..

[jhayford13]

Thanks. This is what I'm looking for. Solid tips and pictures. As far as loosing contact with the bottom once on plane, that happens for the most part at 25mph or so no matter where I'd mount it on the transom, correct?

[jhayford13]

Thanks for the response. How's your bottom contact one you get moving?

[Todd Driscoll]

Thanks for the response. How's your bottom contact one you get moving?

No doubt, when mounted on the jackplate, you have no reading at speed. To this point, with higher speed, performance bass boats, an inhull xducer for 2D at speed is the only way to go IMO. With the echoMAPs, you can run an adapter cable, a GT30 mounted like the pics (for Side and ClearVu when idling), and an inhull 2D xducer. If this is of interest to you, I can spec out the part numbers for this combo. Otherwise, you mount the provided, all-in-one xducer on the jackplate (avoid holes in transom), but have no 2D reading at speed. Or, mount the provided all-in-one xducer on transom low enough to read at speed, with actual performance highly dependent on mounting location.

With a transom-mounted xducer low enough to read on plane, seems like absolute peak performance is depth readings up to around 50 MPH, and average performance up to around 30-35 MPH. But this typically requires trial and error with slight mounting adjustments to get to this point.

[jhayford13]

That sounds great. I know I don't use my Garmins to full potential now. If I'm understanding you correctly, I mount the DV and SV transducer to the jackplate(different transducer) then mount the 2D transducer in the shoot through hull position? Through the hull will give me quality 2D readings at higher speeds the and the SV/DV for idle speeds? That would be great if you could tell me which transducer I will need.

I plan on on upgrading to a better graph at the console this winter before next season. I pick up my new boat on Saturday. Excited but nervous to get this all out together correctly.

[ring fry]

I change transducers on the transom quite often. I saw a plastic transducer mounting plate at BPS for $20. I have a buddy that works in a kitchen and gave me an old plastic cutting board they could no longer use. I cut it to the width and length I wanted. Two mounting holes, countersink holes, router the edge, mount with two stainless screws and marine silicone for nearly nothing. Works great and I can mount up to four transducers at one time. Only two holes have to be drilled in the transom forever.

SE Kansas grass grower

[Todd Driscoll]

That sounds great. I know I don't use my Garmins to full potential now. If I'm understanding you correctly, I mount the DV and SV transducer to the jackplate(different transducer) then mount the 2D transducer in the shoot through hull position? Through the hull will give me quality 2D readings at higher speeds the and the SV/DV for idle speeds? That would be great if you could tell me which transducer I will need.

I plan on on upgrading to a better graph at the console this winter before next season. I pick up my new boat on Saturday. Excited but nervous to get this all out together correctly.

Yes, you understood what I was trying to describe. Regarding the GT30/inhull combo for the echoMAPs, do you have the CHIRP or nonCHIRP version? They require different adapter cables and inhull xducers.

[ifishinxs]

Todd can you get the numbers for the inhull ducer and cable for my 93SV. I've got one bird left in my boat and I just use it for bottom picture at speed.

[Todd Driscoll]

Todd can you get the numbers for the inhull ducer and cable for my 93SV. I've got one bird left in my boat and I just use it for bottom picture at speed.

CHIRP or nonCHIRP 93?

[ifishinxs]

CHIRP or nonCHIRP 93?

Oh, I'm chirping

[Todd Driscoll]

For echoMAP CHIRP, 73 and 93:

Y cable: 010-12445-33 https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/pn/010-12445-33

GT15M-IH: 010-12402-00 https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/530269
or
GT8HW-IH: 010-12401-10 https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/573584

GT30: 010-01961-00 https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/540582

Only the GT30 (Side and ClearVu only) works in this combo. EchoMAPs only support one 2D sonar source, and the other xducers that offer Side and ClearVu also have 2D sonar and will not work with the y-cable.

[ifishinxs]

Perfect. Thank you Sir

[jhayford13]

Thanks for all the help. I will be ordering the Y cable today. As far as the transducer goes: the factory provided one will no longer work with the Y cable or were you just providing the link in case I needed a new one. Also, are this 2 different shoot through hull transducers for the 2D? This boat comes with a Lowrance shoot through basic graph. I think it's a Hook 5. I will be removing that one. I'm assuming I should mount the Garmin shoot through in the same location. Like I mentioned earlier, I will be upgrading to a touch screen better console graph soon. I assume I will have to change transducers again when I do this? I want to keep SV at the rear and then move the 93SV to the bow to run off the trolling motor. Thanks again for your help with all this.

[Todd Driscoll]

Thanks for all the help. I will be ordering the Y cable today. As far as the transducer goes: the factory provided one will no longer work with the Y cable or were you just providing the link in case I needed a new one. Also, are this 2 different shoot through hull transducers for the 2D? This boat comes with a Lowrance shoot through basic graph. I think it's a Hook 5. I will be removing that one. I'm assuming I should mount the Garmin shoot through in the same location. Like I mentioned earlier, I will be upgrading to a touch screen better console graph soon. I assume I will have to change transducers again when I do this? I want to keep SV at the rear and then move the 93SV to the bow to run off the trolling motor. Thanks again for your help with all this.

The xducer that came with the echoMAP won't work with the y-cable, only the GT30. So, you would need the GT30, y-cable, and either the GT15M-IH or the GT8HW-IH. Both inhull xducers will perform well. If space is tight where you need to mount the inhull xducer, get the GT8 (pod style). The GT15 is a tank mount and requires a little more room.

Regarding the potential of swapping of xducers again when you swap units, that will depend on the specific new unit that you put at the console.

[MichAngler]

I'm sure there is a reason and this is likely a dumb question

But here goes

Why couldn't you clip/cut the pins on the Y cable that connect to the 2D coming from the SideVu transducer?

Allowing you to use the standard GT52 Transducer rather than spending an additional cash for the GT30?

[LWINCHESTER2]

Interesting question. It might be possible, if...if...if. Too many ifs. The unit has to send a precise electrical signal to the elements and then has to translate the received electrical signals converted from the echos. Sometime it may be possible as Garmin increases its options. The GT30 side and down is rated at 500 watts. So if GT30 was selected it would be sending 500 watts to some 350 watt elements (GT52). Not good. It might could be made to work with one of the 500 watt transducers but I'm not willing to try it. Progress is slow but it is being made. First it was just the GT30 and some Airmar transducer. Then later it was the GT30 and GT15. Later they provided the selection for GT30 and GT8. I think we'll just have to wait until they provide the menu choices for more transducers or build some new ones. It's not that complicated. They've just not done it.

[MichAngler]

The way I understand it is that the GT52 has 2D and Sidevu and the GT30 has sidevu and no 2D

Now when using the GT30 the 2D pins in the Y cable from the GT30 just get no signal from the GT30

If you clip the pins in the Y cable for the 2d signal from the larger transducer and replace the 30 for a 52 and use a 2D transducer (GT8 or GT15)

And keep the unit set for a GT52 the unit should see the two transducers as just one GT52

Right?

At least this is how it works with other brands they just never hook up the 2D pins in the Y cable that goes to the larger transducer

[LWINCHESTER2]

You can try it, but I wouldn't recommend it. Garmin says the Y cable only works one way - with a GT30. There's something weird going on that Garmin is not releasing. For a long time Humminbird Side Imaging would not work without a 2d transducer connected. They didn't have to design it that way, but they did. That's not what's going on here but there is something unusual in the implementation (hardware,software, or both) that only works with the GT30. I was doing an experiment a good while back and cutting wires to isolate the pinouts. I had 2d, SideVu and Downvu all on screen at the same time to see which one went out when I cut a wire. It's been so long now I don't remember which element it was, but I cut a wire and instead of one of them going out, one dimmed by 1/2 and all kept working. I saw then that I was in over my head and abandoned the effort.

What I am saying is that it is not as simple as you might think.

I think the Y cable has the standard 12 pin connector that all of these combo transducers will plug to. The risk is yours though if you try it and fry the unit or transducer.