Topic: 898c si transducer install on a crestliner superhawk?

[smallmunster]

I just got my first side imaging unit and am looking to install it on my crestliner superhawk 1700.  I have an extra kicker motor so there is not a lot of room to choose from.  I am thinking I will put it where the old transducer was, but it is pretty close to the main motor.  I would have to trim up the 90 horse (it often is when trolling anyway) and possibly the kicker motor, although the kicker sits out farther.  ANy thoughts on my setup would be appreciated.

[newkid4si]

smallmunster
   I believe the item to the right of the old transducer ( Speed prob ? ) will be an issue.
   You need clear line of sight left and right of the transducer from the surface of the water on down.
   The screen on the water intake may be OK if the transducer ends up lower than it.
   The kicker motor appears to have enough clearance. I think you need 6" front to back for the SI beam to clear.
   Good luck. I'm sure others will offer suggestions.

[sonar2000]

Right on newKid.
From the picture is appears he had a lowrance as that looks like a 200 skimmer transducer.
Which would work for that particular lowrance..

If he installs an HDSI I am almost sure he will get interference from the kicker as well as the motor. Unless they can be raised out of the way when using the HDSI.

These SI "bigfoot" ducers havew such a wide beam...

Chuck

[smallmunster]

The paddle wheel on the left side was with my old lowrance x65 and was removed when I took all the x65 stuff out.  The speed sensor to the right of the old transducer is connected to the dash mount speedometer.  I could take this out as well as I will be using the gps speed anyway.  Would the old transducer spot be too close to the motor?  I thought of moving it over to the right to take the place of the speed sensor, but that moves it up a little higher.  The kicker motor is right at 6 inches off the back trimmed all the way down so I don't think it would have to trimmed up too much to get out of the way.  The big motor would have to be trimmed up quite a lot to get clearance it looks like. 

Will the down imaging still work if one side is blocked?  I am envisioning that the left side side scan will be blocked when using the big motor most or all of the time, but that the right and down imaging would still work (if I remove the right side speed sensor).

After this then I get to decide where to put the GPS puck.  I have a good spot in front of the windshield, but it is only 28" away from my marine band radio antenna and not anywhere near the transducer.  I rarely use the marine band but I am not sure that spot is a good one.

[wolfs4evr]

IMO you want the GPS puck in the rear as close to the transducers position as possible.  That way when you see something under the water and mark it the GPS position is as close as it can get to the reference point (The transducer).  Everything you see sonar wise is in reference to the transducers location.  If you put the puck up in the front of the boat with the transducer in the back the GPS location of the item you are marking won't be close.  If all of that garble makes sense...

[sonar2000]

Also, the 2D and DI should work ok.  It is the SI that has the problems with potential blockage..

Chuck

[wolfs4evr]

Where my puck is.

[newkid4si]

wolfs4evr
   GPS puck location looks good. I see you have the SI transducer mounted. Let us know how it works.

[smallmunster]

I got everything installed except the ram mount that has not come yet.  I got the puck within about 40" or so, just far enough out of the way so someone coming up the ladder will not grab a hold of it.  If I am lucky I might be able to get on the water and try it out this week.  I am a little worried about interference as I had to run all the cables on the same side of the boat, but I didn't have much choice without dismantling the whole inside of the boat.  I did have to modify the transducer mount because there was a transom bolt right where it had to go. 

[sonar2000]

Smallm.  only a trip will tell now.
by all means let us know what you see.
And take snapshots as you can and post for us to see.

The install looks neat and professional. As you can see fro other posts wiring and proximity to others can be an issue. You will have to see how this works out.

Good electrical connections both positive and ground are important.

It would be nice if a boat provided electrical continuity and we could give a frame ground like some three wire could provide.



Chuck

[smallmunster]

Well it has been a while, but I finally got the boat out and got a few images from some dredge cuts on a lake I like to go to.  I didn't mess with the setting much. There is always some clutter in the water, but I don't know what it is.  When I tilt the motor I get lots of interference, but it doesn't seem to bad otherwise.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Could you post a Screen Snapshot from your unit of this clutter with the Si Range set much closer, say at 20 to 50 feet?

[smallmunster]

I finally got the boat out again and got some snapshots. 

[Humminbird_Greg]

Is it just me or does that clutter in the left and right Si sonar only seem to show up at slower boat speeds?  The image at 4.9 mph showed the least clutter.

Does it show this while drifting?

[smallmunster]

It seems to show up most of the time including while drifting.  I didn't watch too much at higher speeds to see what it looked like then.  It was pretty rough on the day I took the snapshots if that makes any difference.

[sonar2000]

If the water was rough then you could be getting some air in the transducer area.
You might try on a calmer day and see what happens.
Especially if your transducer is not very low in the water..

Chuck