PS 30 mounting question

[Diesel Pro]

I'm looking to run a PS 30 for Quickdraw mapping. I'm looking for suggestions as to if I should look to mount to a pole or if I should mount to the transom? My Ranger has the stepped hull at the transom so I am assuming I would mount it up under the shelf like my SI transducer and not try to skim on plane?

[MonteSS]

Pretty sure it's not for high speed use.

[LWINCHESTER2]

It is not for high speed use. Put it on the transom for stability to minimize movement.

[Diesel Pro]

I looked up the beam pattern and it is said to be 120 x 90 oval. I circled my proposed location but I am concerned that my 2d skimmer will be in the beam. I would mount the bracket up under the horizontal surface and close flat like my SI transducer is mounted. It may end up hanging low enough to miss the skimmer it's hard to say.

[LWINCHESTER2]

I looked up the beam pattern and it is said to be 120 x 90 oval.

It's not that simple. This is a very sophisticated device. The 120 x 90 refers to the sweep when using RealVu Down. The mapping I did was using LiveVu Down. In that use, the beam is 120 x either 10, 20, or 40 as selected in the software. You also have a fore and aft adjustment as much as 45 degrees for the transmit angle of the beam. The lakes I fish have lots of water over 100 ft deep. I always felt like the 10 degree setting gave the best mapping. It will surprise you how fast you can map (boat speed). You watch the screen for when the mapping circle changes from green to red, then you know that's too fast. On my boat the nose raised up a lot so the mounted angle on the transom was not the actual angle of the beam. So I adjusted for that in the software, guesstimating by how the bow was pointed up and changing the transmit angle to compensate for that. I don't claim to be an expert on this. I'm just telling you how I did it. A better approach would be to call Garmin tech support and hopefully get someone who really knows their stuff to tell you the best settings to use for mapping. Todd may be able to help. Consider messaging him.

Something else to consider. Mine is mounted on the transom. My GPS-24xd is also mounted near the transom. The location of the GPS being used could be a factor. Also, if Garmin makes a specific recommendation as to which PS-30 mode to be using for the best mapping, please post it here. I'll email them and see what they say.

[Todd Driscoll]

Sorry for the slow reply on this. I have a PS30 for QD mapping but it's been several years since I've used it and had to consult with Engineering on the details. When recording QD with the PS30, it always uses the historical mode data to generate the contours so the beam width selection doesn’t affect it at all. It is the same for the transducer installation angle (not much affect), as the 3D historical mode always tries to keep the beam pointed down."

[Diesel Pro]

From an older thread. Fishing specialties stick mount

https://www.bbcboards.net/attachment...4&d=1501325812

[BigBry]

The PS30 is very large and has a lot of drag. The stoutest of pole mounts would struggle with holding it during travel. Mine started on a Fishing Specialties mount and quickly found a very useful home on my transom. Figure out a way to get it on your transom. You’ll be very happy you did. Great transducer and the mapping is just one of its features. Searching with it is a game changer.

[LWINCHESTER2]

Thanks Todd. Much better explanation than I got from the Help Desk.