Topic: Jack Plates and Transducer Location

[tellicorick]

Apologies if this subject has come up before; but new to forum and haven't learn where to navigate for potential answers.  So here goes;

My 1198C SI is due in tomorrow so I will be busy mounting it.  At the same time, I'm fabbing up a manual jack plate that will move the motor back about 5 inches off the transom.  Will the rearward move of the motor help to reduce any dead zones?  I really don't want to purchase and mount a 2nd transducer if I can move the transducer closer to the boat centerline.  In my mind, the jack plate will help reduce masking of the beam.  Is this correct?  Since I don't have the 1198C SI in hand right now, I don't know exactly how far away from the motor it should be - what is minimum mounting point with respect to the motor?

[Jolly Roger]

Hi Telli and welcome to the forum,

we had pretty much the same question just recently discussed here:

http://forums.sideimagingsoft.com/index.php?topic=1923.msg10405;topicseen#new

If you can post some pictures of your transom seen from the side and from behind with the motor in upper and lower position it would help a lot.

Regards / Harry

[Wayne P.]

You only have two concerns to deal with.
The Side Imaging beams have to "see" horizontally to the right and left.
If you want on-plane 2D with the Side Imaging transducer, you have to mount it so it gets a smooth flow of water across it all the time.
With an outboard boat, there is no distance from the motor restrictions you need to allow for.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Tellicorick,
The 1198 uses the large HDSi transducer which is six inches long.  So you will need at least that amount of clearance between the motor and the transom if you want to shoot the Si beam between the motor and transom (you can trim the motor up when using the Si as many others do) or if you want to mount the transducer there.  If you want to mount it there I would have seven inches of clearance.

[sonar2000]

As Harry said go to the previous posts and look at all that was said there.  Also consider some assembly that lets you lower the transducer into the water when you want and extract it when you dont.
there have been several postings on brackets both for the transom and for trolling motors.
Again pictures would be nice also.
We can see that transducer location varies when considering boat hull type. 
Chuck 

[tellicorick]

Thanks guys; tomorrow I'll shoot a couple of images of the transom and post them up for recommendations.