Topic: SI Transducer Mounting on a Pontoon

[Weekend Warrior]

Hello all.  I have enjoyed lurking and reading your forum for several days now, but am having a little difficulty in making a purchasing decision on an SI unit.  I have a Spectrum 18 ft. "Fish" model pontoon and am dying to put an SI unit on it (probably the 898 or 998), but am concerned about the traditional mounting place for the transducer on the starboard pontoon behind the live well pump.  My 40 hp. outboard will significantly block the SI beam to the port side.  Will I be happy with just shooting out to the starboard side or should I consider a second transducer for the port tube as well?  I did a search and read a reply post from one fellow(dubldown)with an 898 that seemed to get along just fine with one transducer on the rear end of one tube, but my outboard will definitely and significantly be in the way of the beam on my boat.  It seems these SI units don't get purchased for pontoon boats very often.  There's not been much discussion of pontoon related issues. I did read the catamaran transducer installation post as well.  I would appreciate your thoughts on my situation, especially members with pontoon experience.  I am replacing an ancient little HB that came with the boat.  Black goo is oozing from the transducer.

Thank you,

Mark, Mercer, PA 

[sonar2000]

On a pontoon boat you might consider a trolling motor type shaft with a johnny ray bracket adapter.

Chuck

[depark1]

Hi Weekend Warrior,
Chuck's suggestion is a good one if you already have a trolling motor.  I myself have a 26' Princecraft pontoon and have the same issue as you with my 115 Mercury smack dab in the middle blocking any SI signal.  After looking at my options I decided on getting a new 998CX SI with 2 transducers.  That's one way for HB to make an extra $240 off me (XHS 9 HDSI 180T transducer and AS SI LR Y cable).   I am really looking forward to getting it out on the lake (T minus 5 weeks) .  I am going to mount the GPS puck in the middle of the transducers on top of my ski tow bar.  That way the navigation data will correspond with the sonar data.  It will really work well from my understanding.  Hope this helps. 
Cheers
Darryl

[sonar2000]

I may have been a bit confusing with the post.

The intent was to get a trolling motor shaft and bracket only.

Then mount the transducer on the shaft with the johnny ray adapter..

However as Depark1 said you might want to spend a little more and use two transducers..

Chuck

[Weekend Warrior]

Thank you both for the replies.  My plan will be to try the simplest approach first and mount on the live well pump bracket on the starboard toon.  Depending on the SI view to port, I will either leave it alone or look into some kind of retractable bracket mount that will give me a clear view.  I have a toolmaker at my plant that's pretty handy with "government jobs"   and I'm sure he could fabricate something for me.  We have plenty of stainless and aluminum stock.  I really don't want to go the double transducer route(and the added expense).

Thanks again Chuck and Darryl for your time.  Appreciate it!

Mark
 

[sonar2000]

Great.  let us know how this goes.
Take some pictures if you can and post them in the media section.

Chuck

[Troutcatcher]

I do not have a pontoon boat but have a similar situation where the pod is going to obstruct the port side of the transducer and rathar than go the twin transducer and the complications that go with it, I will be using the one transducer and view mainly to the starboard side.

[sonar2000]

Trout...this past weekend on a search I was provided a pontoon boat and driver. We mounted the portable transducer on the front and it worked very well.
Caution...This is on the front so you have to make sure you dont hit or ground in shallow water.

Chuck

[Humminbird_Greg]

There are some guys on the Crappie.com web site that have come up with their own home-made retractable Si transducer mounts.  You may want to go there and do a search as well.

[sonar2000]

Our portable transducer is a trolling motor shaft with bracket and a johnny ray adapter for the ducer..
That way we can tilt up out of the way and also set the depth in the water.
I am sure there are also an number of ways to do this.
Early tests showed that with this arrangement it was necessary to tilt the bracket up for anything above trolling speed as the force on the bracket could (and did) break the mounting bracket lock pin..

 
Chuck

[Humminbird_Greg]

The brackets on the Crappie.com web site are for use at trolling speeds, so as Chuck pointed out: higher boat speeds could be a problem.

[depark1]

so as Chuck pointed out: higher boat speeds could be a problem.

That is the main reason that I decided on 2 transom mounted ducers.  Also I didn't want to fuss with putting something in and out of the water.  Lastly as Chuck pointed out "Caution...This is on the front so you have to make sure you dont hit or ground in shallow water."  I have a ramp on the front of my pontoon boat and beach it regularly. This is just my personal reasoning.

Cheers
Darryl