520L Livescope Mounting Questions

[ssntmd8r]

Hey guys, I am putting a livescope and a new 12" Garmin unit on a boat that has a 12" HDS in the bow plate. I have a Balzzout to mount to the deck and want to put the black box in the front starboard compartment. A couple of questions though. First, do you put screws or nuts/bolts in the Ballzout through the deck? I am asking because it doesn't look like there is access to get a nut on under the deck. Second, how do you drill a hole through into the front compartment? Do you cut out some of the foam and drill from the front of the boat or is there a better method for this?

Any help will be appreciated!

[Schultz]

I would just use screws thru the deck. I mounted my black box in the port rod locker. Just cut the end off one of the rod tubes to run wires to the box.

[ssntmd8r]

If I don't want to lose any of my rod tubes is there another way that you guys have used to get the black box mounted in a forward compartment? I am keeping that as an option but would like to know if there are other ways to accomplish this.

[Z520L]

I mounted my black box in the forward right side of the center locker. I used the 2 rod tubes on the right side to run my wires through. I found using the rod tubes a better option for me rather that cutting holes in the fiberglass and digging out foam.

[DoctorJJ]

I drilled a hole in my port side box. You have to remove some foam from under the bow plate. Then you can get a drill basically inside the bow area and drill from there. I removed enough foam to actually see and feel the front of the port side box before drilling.

[jaderhold]

Ire commend spending a few hundred more dollars and get a stackable mount from someone like bass boat technologies or boatlogix.

[EKY-Ranger]

IDK if I am the only one that done this but I put the black box inside the bow plate and then zipped tied the box to the rod tubes securely. This means there was no drilling and all cords are out of the way and easy to run to the unit. Only negative is if I have to get to the box I got to take the box plate and units off to get to it.

[ssntmd8r]

Thanks for all of the input guys! I think cutting out the foam and drilling into the starboard side compartment is going to be my choice. I can't put the box under the bow plate with the HDS unit mounted there and I want the livescope to be removable because it will be coming off to go on a new boat before long. Any issues with drilling into the starboard box?

[kcg202champ]

Following... i just purchased my LS bundle kit and will be adding it to my '17 520C

[electritek]

I mounted my back box with Zip Ties to the rod tubes under bow panel. Nice and secure.

[kcg202champ]

For those that are mounting them like mentioned above...is there any concern abiut hit big waves and having water come over/into the bow of the boat and getting down behind the bow panel and possibly soaking the black box??

[munchie]

I mounted my back box with Zip Ties to the rod tubes under bow panel. Nice and secure.

This. And i have a hds flush mounted. . No issues at all. Stays bone dry under there, over two years now. Now I do have a 520c. Not. L

[Z520L]

Photo of box mounted in 520L center locker. I don’t use the center locker for rod storage but still could if I chose to.
E5D4F887-94E9-4AE2-AAC3-1F229F2A513A.jpeg

[ssntmd8r]

munchie, do you have an HDS12 flush mounted? I was just concerned if there would be enough space in there with the 12.

[EKY-Ranger]

munchie, do you have an HDS12 flush mounted? I was just concerned if there would be enough space in there with the 12.

There should be enough space in the bow

[ssntmd8r]

There should be enough space in the bow

Thanks, it will be a much simpler install if it will fit in the bow!

[jessemyers]

I started to install my Livescope bundle over the weekend in my Z522D. In doing research I read several guys who had mounted their black box under the bow plate. I wasnt a big fan of the idea until I started laying out everything this weekend. I was surprised how solid those rod tubes are when they are encased in foam. They dont budge. I tried the zip tie attachment of the black box to the tubes, and the black box could not be more solid. I do intend to get some of the beefier ties available before I button everything up, but I am sold on this being a perfectly acceptable location. I too have a 12" graph (HDS 12 Gen3) flush mounted in the bow plate and there is enough room for both under there, and there seems to be about 1" clearance between the back of the flush mounted graph and the black box for airflow and heat disapation.

The black box should stay dry under the bow plate. in research I did see several people in smaller aluminum boats who have their black box mounted out in the open where it sees rain, splash, etc. without issue. So the occasional water if I dunk the bow of the boat in a wave should be ok - especially considering it would not be sitting in water.

The only downside to mounting under the bow plate is not having quick and easy access to the status light on the black box.

[ssntmd8r]

Thanks for everyone's input on this! Barring any unforeseen circumstances I will be putting the black box under the bow plate this week and getting everything up and running.

[BoilermakerZ519]

Just installed in portside locker so I could get access to it if needed. Used a dremel to cut a hole in one of the (unused) rod tubes and fed all the lines from the bow to the locker and connected the black box.

BTW, pulled 8 gauge marine wire from the battery to the bow as instructed by Garmin.

I chose this storage approach as I had an issue w my electronics the morning of a tournament that was a pain to deal with as I needed access to wires under the bow. That wasn't fun. I have enough going on in that bow compartment...adding another wasnt for me.

[ssntmd8r]

Finished the install yesterday and it was very clean putting the black box in the bow compartment. Only had to open up the hole into the bow compartment for the size of the connector on that Livescope transducer since it's huge! lol Everything else went very well and I am really happy with how it turned out! Thanks again for input.