Sweetwater Fishing Forums
Special Interest => Kayak & Canoe Chat => Topic started by: Bracey on May 21, 2011, 01:25:58 PM
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G'day all,
After just selling one kayak, I have recently purchased another in which I was hoping to mount a Lowrance transducer to the floor using Sikaflex, held also in place with a bracket in which I'll fabricate. In the last kayak, I wet mounted the transducer, however in this one I was hoping to use the other method.
Has anyone had success using this method getting true signals or have you experienced hardship?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers Dave
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Dave
i will say the same thing here so you get the message
no bubbles. Not even one.
next thing when you put it in, leave the bloody kayak alone for a week. Do not go touching it, poking it, taking it for a swim anywhere. Let the sh!t dry and stick properly.
Also if you can get it somewhere that is stiffer than the rest of the yak, happy days cause that will mean no hull flex and therefore no movement. So next too a scupper is the go.
Also before you do it and think you have found nirvana cause that is the spot. Mark the spot and chuck the yak on the roof. Is it where your straps go??? or on the crossbars?? so will it then flex when you tie it down???
Other than that mate all is good.
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:thanks Steve!
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Mate,
I always used to run my transducers inside the hull. Fixed them in with selly's all clear. As Steve said, takes days to setup hard enough to use the yak, try and leave it somewhere where the area you are fixing the transducer to is dead level, the first one I did the transducer moved downhill whilst setting and was barely on the patch of all clear when it setup. Also leave the hatches open for as much air to get in as possible, helps with the curing.
Why dont I mount them in the hull anymore?
4 sounders in 18 months is why. It takes about 10 minutes of grunt, broken fingernails, swearing, and otherwise having a big tantie, until you finally pry the old transducer off the hull!
I set up an external mount as a trial when I got my mark 5, it worked, so the "trial" is still in use!
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Thanks Andrew,
This is why I'm hoping it'll do the job. The amount of Sikaflex I'll be using will be minimul with the use of the bracket that I'll use to also install the transducer. It should also assist the transducer to set it in it's correct position.
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I've used several different adhesives for in hull mounting. The ones I've found to be ok are Sikaflex, Fixteck and All Clear. Never use acid based silicones on transducers as the acid will eat into the transducer's outter surface. To find out if a silicone is acid cure, simply smell it, if it smells like vineger it is acid cure.
Cheers,
fitz..
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The thru hull tx in my Stratos is pretty high tech. A transom mount tx without the bracket is cable tied to a live well hose so that the face of the tx is sitting against bottom of the hull. A quick squirt of the throttle while reversing off the trailer sees a bit of water run into the bilge. 60mph depth readings!
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Cheers Fitzy,
I have ample tubes of Sikaflex from left overs of contracts past. Even with work these days I stay clear of acid based silicone and tend to only use natural curing silicones.
Dale, that is high tech!
Dave
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Tim Morgan has a transducer that slides around in the rear well of his glass boat. It works perfectly, got me buggered how, even without water....
fitz..
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Tim fitted mine out too. He must have run out of cable ties for his.