SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats
lambeau
Posted 3/13/2010 11:31 AM (#88965)
Subject: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats


does anyone have pictures of their Side Imaging transducer installations on a Tuffy boat transom? (esp X-190)

i've used shoot-through-the-hull transducers mounted in the bilge the last few years, but i'm going with a Humminbird SI this year, so that has to be external. due to the angles of the hull and the stepping of the X-190 transom, there's limited space for mounting oversized transducer hardware for those big transducers.

any suggestions for location? obviously it also needs an unobstructed view to both sides past the main motor and the starboard mounted kicker. i also have a splitter for a second transducer inside the hull to provide the standard 2d sonar, so the SI doesn't have to be at the water line since i won't use it on plane.

thanks for any help!
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cehlert
Posted 3/13/2010 12:15 PM (#88966 - in reply to #88965)
Subject: Re: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats


Member

Posts: 7

I don't have that model of boat, but if you find items like your kicker and other things in the way worse case scenario you can buy an additional transducer and put one on each side of the boat and they will just run right off the right one and left off the left one. I bought a mount that glues onto the transom and then you have a plate with slots with lots of adjustment. The company was Sternmate. After drilling holes for the power pole I was glad to have something that glued on and didn't need a power drill to mount. Other option is to mount bracket to your jackplate if you have one. The transducer is only going to produce good side imaging pictures to approx 6-7mph. On my other two boats once up on plane the depth wouldn't read either. I've mounted them on my old Skeeter, Triton and now Esox Magnum so if you have any questions send me a message. Thanks,
Casey
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KHedquist
Posted 3/13/2010 12:29 PM (#88967 - in reply to #88966)
Subject: Re: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats



Member

Posts: 1991

Mike call me I can tell you what I did with mine and it worked perfect, 2 transducers , I will doing it again this year

Kirt 612 366 7076
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Guest
Posted 3/13/2010 4:29 PM (#88971 - in reply to #88965)
Subject: RE: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats


moreyes,

Could you write a quick description? Is it two SI transducers? An SI and a shoot thru? I'm having my dealer put an SI on my new 1700, and I really hope it gets done correctly, the first time.

Any other input would be great too.

Thanks,

Pete
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TJ DeVoe
Posted 3/13/2010 8:03 PM (#88973 - in reply to #88965)
Subject: Re: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats


Member

Posts: 1040

Location: Stevens Point, WI
Pete, there shouldn't be much to get wrong on a 1700. The 1700 is a Deep V hull, where as the Tuffy 1890, X-190 and the 2060 are all Hi Perf V. The mounting is a little different, hence Lambeau's question.
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KHedquist
Posted 3/14/2010 6:02 AM (#88978 - in reply to #88973)
Subject: Re: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats



Member

Posts: 1991

Pete, Tj is corect the 1890 had a different shaped hull, on my 1890, the 1890 has a step on the transom, and I am going to mount the SI ducer up on that step and then mount a high speed skimmer transducer on the center of the hull were the pad is externaly. You could prabably get by mounting just the SI on the transom, try, I dont recall what the 1700 hull looks like exactly? But you could probably get by with just the SI transducer, I know Jason Halfen who is the Doc of Humminbird just runs the SI transducer.
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KHedquist
Posted 3/14/2010 6:17 AM (#88979 - in reply to #88978)
Subject: Re: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats



Member

Posts: 1991

Here is one I found, you could go this route, note that it is on board, and the SI transducer is slightly lower than the the high speed skimmer one, the SI ducer can be bit trickier to get the right hieght vs the skimmer one, this set up would prabably work for you


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Pete
Posted 3/14/2010 7:19 AM (#88980 - in reply to #88965)
Subject: RE: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats


OK, thanks. And sorry to hijack the thread.

I am/was just a little concerned because I've read several reports of poor performance and even broken/disappearing transducers on the 798c SI which is all I can afford, and apparently comes with a plastic bracket instead of a metal one.

I've never owned a glass boat, so I've never used a shoot thru transducer, but it seems to make some sense. Is it worth the extra $100 or so bucks to have the standard 2D sonar going through the hull?

Lastly, I've seen several pictures of installations using a board. What's the advantage? Is it limiting the number of holes? Holding the transducer out further from the hull? Both? Something else?

Thanks.

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lambeau
Posted 3/14/2010 10:23 AM (#88984 - in reply to #88980)
Subject: RE: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats


the advantage of the a plastic mounting board is that you can change your transducer location to get the best performance without putting lots of holes in your actual boat.

i think on the 1700 you'll probably be fine running just the SI transducer, since there are no steps in the transom, especially if you do not have a kicker motor. on that boat it should be pretty easy for your dealer to mount it somewhere it can get a clean signal for both the 2D and the SI signals.

after talking to Kirt and doing some digging around online, i'm planning to mount my 2D/high-speed transducer inside the hull again.
for the SI transducer, Kirt said he mounted his next to the drain and intakes on his 1890, and he said that worked great for that rig. the X-190 has a big main step plus another around the drain and intake, and the last couple of years i found the space on those steps to be too tight for even the standard transducer mounts, thus my switch to using shoot-through-the hull.

the good thing is that this isn't a new issue, as many bass boats have stepped transoms with limited space. i suppose that's part of why Humminbird sells the splitter cable, to do exactly what i think i'll end up doing.
adapt and overcome, right? without having my new boat to look at yet, i'm tentatively thinking about putting the SI transducer up high on the transom near the motor mount. it'll be below the water line at low speed, should have a clear view past the motor(s) to either side, and will be protected from getting bumped by shallow-water obstructions.

here's a picture of what i'm considering:


Edited by lambeau 3/14/2010 10:34 AM



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Pete
Posted 3/14/2010 11:06 AM (#88985 - in reply to #88965)
Subject: RE: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats


Thanks all, and by the way, I love this site!
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Shep
Posted 3/15/2010 8:22 AM (#88997 - in reply to #88985)
Subject: RE: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats



Member

Posts: 3899

That picture shows where I would mount mine, when I go to SI on my new 1890. As mentioned, you don't need it in contact with the water while on plane, and it is protected from damage. That's a pretty big chunk hanging in the water, and doesn't need to have the stress on it while on plane, not to mention issues with causing prop cavitation, and running on a tilt.

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KHedquist
Posted 3/15/2010 4:24 PM (#89013 - in reply to #88965)
Subject: Re: SI Transducers on Tuffy Boats



Member

Posts: 1991

That is the idea i had but I am going to mount mine SI transducer underneath that lip/ledge then the skimmer above the pad
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