Author Topic: How I got my 981 installed  (Read 14480 times)

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Offline Jolly Roger

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How I got my 981 installed
« on: May 15, 2009, 12:34:40 PM »
Hi all,

after planing and debating, weighing Pros and Cons, drawing Plans and Sketches I finally got my Unit installed and was more than happy that everything worked out as planed.

My Boat is 1971 VICTORIA 27, proudly built in GERMANY by a Shipyard that went bankrupt in the late 70s  ???. She's got a Fiberglass Hull and has two VOLVO PENTA AQ 115 Inboard Engines with AQ 100 Z-Drives.

The first Problem I ran into after getting my 981 from G-COMM in the UK was the sheer Size of the Transducer. I didn't expect a Surf Board has to find a Place at the Rear End of my Boat   ;D!
Anyways, in Order to get clean Shot to both Sides of the Transducer I had to find a Solution to get underneath Keel Level. I was afraid that the Keel would block the Sight to the right, if I would mount the Ducer in the same Place where the Ducer of my old Fishfinder was mounted.

ila_rendered

So I was thinking about getting it underneath the Boat and to cut out a Piece of the Keel, where I would mount it on a Jack Plate:

ila_rendered

What looked good on a first Look, wasn't good after thinking about it: The Ducer would be the lowest Part of the Boat and there would be no Chance for it to get out of Harm's way if the Boat would hit the Ground for any Reason. On Top of that, every Time that I want to adjust it, I would have to dive down to it. Getting the Dive Gear on just to adjust the Tilt Angle for five Degrees was not what I wanted to do.

So Plan "B" was due to be executed. In Order to get below Keel Level and to have an easy Possibility for the "Fine Tuning" of the Adjustments, I decided to build a "Telescope Mount". This Way, it would be possible to get good Side Scans and High Speed Readings without being worried of wrecking the Ducer in shallow Waters.

Now here's what I did:
I got two Stainless Steel Pipes which fit into each other. One would function as the "standing" Part, holding the second "moving" Part in Place. By using round Pipes instead of square Pipes, one has the Opportunity to line up the Ducer in Drive Direction easily.
Once lined up, the Transducer has to be kept in the Drive Direction to stay rectangular to it. Therefore I cut a "Guiding Line" into the outer Pipe. The Length of this Guiding Line was the Length of the Way I wanted the Ducer to be lowered or raised (20 cm).
To avoid that the inner Pipe moves out of Driving Line, I cut a Thread for a 5mm Screw into it and secured the Screw with LOCTITE. This Way the inner Tube wouldn't fall out of the outer Pipe and the Screw would hold the Ducer/inner Pipe lined up rectangular to the Driving Direction. Since I wanted to have a back up Safety for the single 5 mm Screw, I cut two extra Threads on the Top End of the inner Pipe for two additional Safety Screws (I admit that my German overengineering Tendency broke through here  ;D).

Another Issue that had to be solved was to get the Ducer lined up horizontal to the Surface and a bit tilted down with its Rear End. Therefore I decided to built a Jack Plate. This done, a Friend of mine welded it to the inner Pipe and I could bolt the HB Bracket to it. Using the HB Bracket keeps the Opportunity that the Ducer can "kick up" if it hits something.

Now, after a long Powhow here are some Pictures. I hope they are more "explainative" than my not so good Technical English Expression Capabilities.

Installation Details

ila_rendered

Side View lowered

ila_rendered

Side View raised

ila_rendered

Rear View raised

ila_rendered

Rear View lowered.
Note that the Ducer is too low/close to the Prop and will cause Cavitation to it. That didn't happen by Accident but has a Purpose: It has the Side Effect, that I don't forget to raise the Ducer up if I want to speed off with the Ducer lowered. The Ripping Force at high Speed might be too big for the Installation. The inner Pipe might get bent or the hole Installation might get ripped off from the Transom.

ila_rendered

To get the whole Gig mounted to the Transom, I drilled six Holes THROUGH the Transom Plate and used 8mm Stainless Steel Screws instead of regular Wood Screws, which would be screwed just IN the transom plate.
The Idea behind it is that one still can get the whole Thing off or loosen the Nuts for Adjustment while the boat is in the water AND one doesn't have to worry about getting Water into the Fiberglass.

Well, that's about it. Everthing worked as planed when I finally got my Boat in the Water two Weeks ago. Just had to adjust the Tilt Angle of the Ducer a Bit to get nice 2D Bottom Readings at high Speed.
 
I want to thank Robert and John for their Input, Thoughts and Ideas at this Place and I hope someone will find some Help in this if he's about to become "a fully armed Bass seeking Missile"  ;).

Regards from Lake Constance
Harry
« Last Edit: September 04, 2009, 03:26:59 AM by Jolly Roger »
YES,......
WE SCAN!


Offline Humminbird_Greg

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2009, 01:54:10 PM »
Very nice work Harald!

Greg Walters at Humminbird
gwalters@johnsonoutdoors.com

Offline RGecy

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2009, 03:04:03 PM »
Harald,

Definitely great work.  I had wanted to do something similar a while back to get the transducer deeper in the water and eliminate my issue with the deep-v blocking my left side.

Any ideas on putting a hydrolic or mechanical actuator to raise it up and down?

Robert
Humminbird Guru and Forum Administrator

Offline keizerh

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2009, 04:23:15 PM »
Hey Harry,

Nice job.
I see you haven the same supplier as me (ian from g-comm)
Sister of your bird 987
Navionics gold from prs comm also uk
Same ducer setup as with my navman 6600 on the KMV

ila_rendered

Want to do it likewise with my bird on the Cygnus with single duoprop IO.
Have to get the ducer higher, because of saltwater (barnacles) or use a trough hull in the center of the boat (10 cm fibreglass)
Need a longer ducer kabel (+30 feet) to get to the stern
ila_rendered


At this moment I use 2 window sucking naps to attach the duce pole to the side of the boat.
Show us your SI results please
best regards hendrik





 


« Last Edit: May 21, 2009, 02:53:08 AM by keizerh »

Offline Jolly Roger

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2009, 04:24:30 AM »
Hydraulic lift device? ???

Robert, you're Da Man!!
I didn't even think about that. But now, as you mention it, that's the next step!
My buddy, who welded the jack plate to the inner pipe, is a master in metal engineering.
You break it? ---> He fixes it!
I talk to him about this idea and I'm convinced he can make something.

Using a regular hydraulic cylinder, extending the piston to the right length or just get the inner pipe mounted to it and we should be ready to go.

Hey guys, what about getting a patend on this???  ;D

Hendrik:

Nice boat you have there!
Here's are some pictures I got from two sunken sail boats. I already posted some of them in another thread http://forums.sideimagingsoft.com/index.php?topic=164.0. The first one sunk three years ago, the second wasn't even known by the Water Police. That one must be lying there for decades, because its hull is completely covered with muscles.
We went and dove both wrecks two days ago to confirm that theses are boats. I didn't want to go public with it before having it confirmed. Might have looked like an idiot, raising hell for nothing  ::)

SI view 1st boat
ila_rendered

2D view first boat
ila_rendered


SI view second boat. Note the details: Hull, keel and mast are precisely visible!
ila_rendered

2D view second boat.
ila_rendered

I got some other curious shots, but have to download them first. I'll post them later.

BTW: Happy Fatherday to all of you!

« Last Edit: May 21, 2009, 04:37:15 AM by Jolly Roger »
YES,......
WE SCAN!

Offline keizerh

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2009, 06:26:39 AM »
Nice pics.

What do you think of



Can be connected to a standard Bennet trimpump, sitting in a lot of boats already.
http://www.bennetttrimtabs.com/pdf/schemIcon/Hatch_Lifters_All_Diagrams.pdf

I must still have an ATR (autotab retractor) somewhere overhere, if you use that you can automatically drive the ducer to it's upperlimit at a certain speed.


« Last Edit: May 21, 2009, 06:42:42 AM by keizerh »

Offline Jolly Roger

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2009, 08:39:53 AM »
Ha, here we go Hendrik!
The hardware is already available on the market then. Just have to find it at a decent price  ;).

I think I'll try to find a hydraulic piston that has the same size in diameter like my jack plate in width. I'd like to mount the jack plate directly onto the piston. Here are my thoughts behind it:
First it will be sturdy enough to take some abuse. Just in case s#%! happens  ;).
Second it will have a more hydrodynamic shape. Therefore it will cause less turbulence in order to get clean water around it.
Third, I think it will also deflect seagrass and other debris better if it has a rounder shape as my installation at the moment. I noticed that this stuff gets caught at the jack plate easily.

What do you guys think about that?
YES,......
WE SCAN!

Offline keizerh

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2009, 11:08:32 AM »
How far is your keel going to the bow?
Maybe you can easily drill a 1" hole in the bottom between the engines.
Then you can use a trough hull SI transducer that is hydrodynamical and is only sticking 1 inch under the bottom.


Offline Jolly Roger

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2009, 01:20:30 PM »
Hi Hendrik,
I was thinking about getting the ducer mounted between the two Z Drives, but the space there is too limited. On top of that, the exhaust of the left engine is there as well and would cause bubbles (see 2nd Picture).
My main concern, and that's the main reason why I don't like this solution, is that the ducer will always be the lowest part of the ship. Ditching the ducer on the ground would mean the end of the show.
Plus: If that would happen with a through hull installation, the boat has to go out of the water for repair ---> 35 Euros just for the crane and getting a new ducer (275 Euros)? Hm, no!!
YES,......
WE SCAN!

Offline keizerh

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Re: How I got my 981 installed
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2009, 01:08:50 AM »
All Clear


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