Utopia- to transom mount or not to transom mount

[jwinn3]

hi everyone,

I got the idea of putting a fish finder on my utopia a few years ago. I was lucky gifted a lowrance elite-7 a few days ago.

Am I over thinking it when it comes to placement of the transducer? Is it going to break off?

Does anyone have experience they can share? Pictures? Vote of confidence haha

Thanks in advance. I just don't want to start the install if other people have had issues.

 

[Tim75]

On SeaDoo Challenger 20 ft.

I have had 2 Airmar brand transom mount transducers. #1 broke when I "put on the brakes". The reverse jet stream hit it and broke it.

#2 broke when I did a "spin" in the boat. Transducers don't do well at any speed in reverse above idle.

Since only the mounting brackets broke, I was able to make a bracket out of starboard that holds the transducer and mounts to my trim tab. But-- since is mounted to the jet, the vibration causes it to not work well above idle.

 

[Shortrun]

I seen a fish finder mounted inside the boat, Just up against the fiberglass hull just pushed into some soft wax. Best where the boat hull is the thinnest. It is easy to try and easy to remove if it does not work.

They did it because to boat was often kept beached on sand.

 

[enut]

The attached pic shows what I did as a temporary test. I was able to fabricate a mounting bracket out of flat angle iron. I did not have to drill any holes in the hull. The bracket mounts on the pump mounting stud. I just ran the wire up in the helm to try it out. It seemed to work okay. I will probably decide this summer whether to mount in the hull or permanently on the transom.

 

[Tim75]

The attached pic shows what I did as a temporary test. I was able to fabricate a mounting bracket out of flat angle iron. I did not have to drill any holes in the hull. The bracket mounts on the pump mounting stud. I just ran the wire up in the helm to try it out. It seemed to work okay. I will probably decide this summer whether to mount in the hull or permanently on the transom.

Be careful of reverse jet blast.

 

[CedarMtn]

I have an Airmar shoot thru hull connected to a Garmin unit in my Utopia. It has worked really well for years.

Advantages: no holes to drill, maintenance free. I mounted it in the well where the sump is located.




(First post in this forum. I used to be an active participant in the old jetboating.net forums. I have a 2004 Utopia 185 with the 200 Optimax. Besides the Garmin sounder, I put in a Smart Craft gauge and the Mercury trim system from Place Diverter. Haven’t really used the boat much in about 4 - 5 years.)