Advice: Transom location for SS3D and TM150 transducers on my Nitro

[Greywalls]

New Nitro Z19 Sport (identical to the one pictured here). Need to install my new transducers - a SS3D and a TM150. No jackplate, unfortunately. Also, the step above the drain plug area is not deep enough to topmount the SS3D. And, the transom area is deceivingly concave... Ergo, I'm not seeing a ton of room or a ton of options for transducer placement.

Current plan is to mount two Jumbo Stern Pads (4x6x1") at the locations indicated as "A" and "B". The wide spacing between them will not be ideal for FishReveal / overlay; but, this is the best I've been able to think of... Two questions:

1. Anyone see better options?

2. Is there a preference for which transducer should be mounted at location "A" and location "B"? I'm tentatively thinking that the SS3D will be mounted at "A", and the TM150 will be mounted at "B".

Thanks!

[ammdrew]

my ss3d is on the jack plate on the A side, my tm150 is on the B side

[Basshopper]

Right side of the prop at least 12 in from center of prop shaft to the right. Least prop wash and turbulence on the right for standard rotating prop. I also have my 3D on the bottom of the jack plate hole shot plate to the right side. Then you will have Fish Reveal.

[Greywalls]

Right side of the prop at least 12 in from center of prop shaft to the right. Least prop wash and turbulence on the right for standard rotating prop. I also have my 3D on the bottom of the jack plate hole shot plate to the right side. Then you will have Fish Reveal.

Thanks - those measurements place things squarely within the confines of location "A". Maybe I can try to squeeze both transducers in that same space. You'd have to see the transom in person, but there are frustratingly nil flat spots on this boat model - nearly every spot has a convex (back to front) curve or is obstructed by the "sponson"-looking sections of the hull. Oh well, at least it's a fun project to mess with.

[Basshopper]

Is there a step below A? From this vantage point you could very easily lose the bottom on plane with the 2D. I would put a shoot through transducer for running on pad. You don't say what units but if you have Carbon or HDS LIve you can run 2 transducers at the same time. Can you do a close up of A with the indent? and while your at it take a pic along the transom with the motor down so we can see the space between boat and motor Start to the right of A towards B along transom.

[Greywalls]

Is there a step below A? From this vantage point you could very easily lose the bottom on plane with the 2D. I would put a shoot through transducer for running on pad. You don't say what units but if you have Carbon or HDS LIve you can run 2 transducers at the same time. Can you do a close up of A with the indent? and while your at it take a pic along the transom with the motor down so we can see the space between boat and motor Start to the right of A towards B along transom.

Thank you. I will be running a Carbon 12 on the console, using: the SS3D via ethernet, the TM150 in the black port, and a bilge-mounted HDI (came installed from Nitro) in the blue port. At some point, I may upgrade and re-position the shoot through -- while I haven't tested it with the Carbon (just installed), I wasn't impressed with the shoot through using the little Hook 5X that came on the boat... I'd lose bottom at plane, and also even going slower sometimes and the image was grainy. Boat only hits 52mph with the Merc 150, but I'm thinking that I might be getting some aeration along the keel from the factory installed keel guard's rear edge. Or, perhaps the install wasn't the best -- looks like the factory just placed the HDI (which is a skimmer) atop a dollop of epoxy and may or may not have placed it in the optimal position (or taken the time that I would have done for the job). In any event, my goal is to fiddle with the new transducers to see if I can retain bottom on plane -- I had luck on a previous boat and on a friend's boat, both using the TotalScan (which basically had to be kept deep and in harm's way - but it worked)...

I've posted a handful of pics I snapped hastily on the way out the door this morning - not the best, but I couldn't fit behind the boat in my cramped garage (unfortunately wearing dress clothes!). There is no step below either of A or B. Also, I realize that I'm going to need to trim up the motor for unobstructed side imaging... Thanks again.








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[Basshopper]

A location will be fine for the 150 since you have a in hull transducer for speed. How close is that transducer to the inside of the transom is it as close as it can be or way forward of the transom?

[Greywalls]

A location will be fine for the 150 since you have a in hull transducer for speed. How close is that transducer to the inside of the transom is it as close as it can be or way forward of the transom?

Thanks. Re: the in hull, it could have been mounted closer to the inside of the transom. If I recall, it's probably ~12" forward. I'll have to look more closely at what's going on with it -- one thing's for certain, it'll be a tough bugger to get to when replaced!

[Basshopper]

If you can mount it with in a couple of inch's from the inside of the transom you will lock down on the bottom. To prove this next time out, run at wide open full trim then start to trim down at full throttol until it locks on.

[Snowedin3]

what is that nice mounting plate that you have?

[Greywalls]

what is that nice mounting plate that you have?

It's a Jumbo Stern Pad by Seaworthy Innovations - I've never used one before, but have read good things about it. It adheres with some type of 3M VHB tape - seems to be rock solid, but time will tell. Just to be safe, I plan to use a short length of thin cable tethering the xdcr to the stern eye in order to to avoid accidentally feeding anything to my prop at WOT (at least until I see that the mount is foolproof)!

[KAISER40]

Greywalls...Wondering how your setup is working for you. I have the same setup on my 620 Rangertransducers.jpg

[Greywalls]

Hi, K40. So far, so good! I was out on the boat with the setup yesterday striper fishing for 12hrs! Re: placement, I'm very pleased -- I'm reading depth at 50mph without issue. Given that both units are mounted pretty low, AND on 3M-backed stern pads, I was sweating bullets the first time out. In fact, I crimped up two 15" stainless leaders (attached to xdcr and transom eye) to serve as safety tethers, just in case the mount failed at WOT. Thus far, everything is as solid as a rock. As for the TM150, I can't say enough good things about it. It's offered a considerable improvement over past 2d units. I could probably stand to install one of the small included shims, as my fish arches are a little backward leaning -- however, not certain that I want to risk messing with it, as it's working nicely. As for the SS3D, I'm generally satisfied, but suspect that I need to study the settings in order to optimize it. The side scan is phenomenal -- as good as anything I've ever seen. I DO get some fade to black on the left side, as expected, owing to the engine being in the way; however, trimming up fixes things. As for the downscan, I'm not thrilled (but likely user error). While FishReveal is helpful, my downscan performance is much below that of my previous TotalScan. With the TotalScan, I could see detailed images of large standing timber in Smith Mountain Lake. With the new xdcr, I don't see anything well-defined -- rather, I just get globs of clutter that are only slightly better than what you'd see on 2d. Too, my scroll speed on downscan quickly bogs down and gets to the point where it's barely moving. Really weird. Side scan and 2d are fine though. How's your Ranger setup working?

[swivel'n]

can you post pictures of your final instal?

Hi, K40. So far, so good! I was out on the boat with the setup yesterday striper fishing for 12hrs! Re: placement, I'm very pleased -- I'm reading depth at 50mph without issue. Given that both units are mounted pretty low, AND on 3M-backed stern pads, I was sweating bullets the first time out. In fact, I crimped up two 15" stainless leaders (attached to xdcr and transom eye) to serve as safety tethers, just in case the mount failed at WOT. Thus far, everything is as solid as a rock. As for the TM150, I can't say enough good things about it. It's offered a considerable improvement over past 2d units. I could probably stand to install one of the small included shims, as my fish arches are a little backward leaning -- however, not certain that I want to risk messing with it, as it's working nicely. As for the SS3D, I'm generally satisfied, but suspect that I need to study the settings in order to optimize it. The side scan is phenomenal -- as good as anything I've ever seen. I DO get some fade to black on the left side, as expected, owing to the engine being in the way; however, trimming up fixes things. As for the downscan, I'm not thrilled (but likely user error). While FishReveal is helpful, my downscan performance is much below that of my previous TotalScan. With the TotalScan, I could see detailed images of large standing timber in Smith Mountain Lake. With the new xdcr, I don't see anything well-defined -- rather, I just get globs of clutter that are only slightly better than what you'd see on 2d. Too, my scroll speed on downscan quickly bogs down and gets to the point where it's barely moving. Really weird. Side scan and 2d are fine though. How's your Ranger setup working?

[Ketchin]

Not sure it serves a purpose to worry about bottom contact when on traveling on the pad. The chart gives you depth via GPS. Besides, by the time you discover you are running too shallow at the back of the boat, you have already gone past it! I lost one transducer worrying about the reading while on plane and decided to move the replacement up. Have found using the chart works very nicely.