TRANSDUCER RESOURCE GUIDE 532651-1EN_A
THANK YOU! Thank you for choosing Humminbird®, the #1 name in marine electronics. Humminbird has built its reputation by designing and manufacturing top quality, thoroughly reliable marine equipment. Your Humminbird is designed for trouble-free use in even the harshest marine environment. We encourage you to read this operations manual carefully in order to get the full benefit from all the features and applications of your Humminbird product. Contact Humminbird Customer Service at humminbird.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Warnings 2 Introduction 5 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Transom Mount 6 Turbulence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Trailering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Deadrise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
INTRODUCTION Proper transducer placement and mounting is one of the most critical aspects of sonar performance. The accuracy of the sonar display is affected by the location and type of transducer. Follow the tips in this resource guide to help you determine the best place to mount your transducer on your boat. NOTE: Read the transducer installation guide completely to understand the mounting guidelines before starting the installation.
TRANSOM MOUNT The transom installation, which is the most widely used, places the transducer on the outside of the boat hull. This technique produces the least signal loss, and provides a way to adjust the transducer after installation. The mounting hardware included is designed to protect both the boat and the transducer should the boat strike debris in the water or when trailering.
Areas of Possible Turbulence rivets strakes hull Stepped Hull transom step rib If the transom is behind the propeller(s), it may be impossible to find an area clear from turbulence, and a different mounting technique or transducer type should be considered. Trailering If you plan to trailer your boat, do not mount the transducer too close to trailer bunks or rollers to avoid moving or damaging the transducer during loading and unloading of the boat.
Measuring the Transom Angle If you do not know your transom angle, measure it using a plumb line (weighted nylon string or monofilament line) exactly 12 inches long. Measuring the Transom Angle 1. Hold the top of the plumb line against the top of the transom with your finger, and wait until the line hangs straight down. 2. Using a ruler, measure the distance from the bottom of the plumb line to the back of the transom. Refer to the illustration for more information.
Mounting Angle The transducer should be even with the bottom of the boat or slightly below the bottom. Adjusting the Initial Transducer Angle 2 3 1 4 5 1 Leading edge (the edge closest to the transom of the boat). 2 One click too high: the transducer is tilted out of the water and cannot maintain a sonar signal. If the transducer is installed higher than the bottom of the boat, turbulence will roll off the edge of the boat bottom and cause interference.
High Speed Operation The location of the transducer becomes more critical as boat speed increases. Both front-to-rear and side-to-side transducer mounting angles are critical to high-speed performance. You may have to adjust the mounting angles to get top performance at high speeds. You want to keep the transducer in contact with the water while adding minimal drag. See the Side Imaging section for high speed options with your Side Imaging transducer.
Straight/Parallel: In order for the side beams to be displayed accurately, the transducer must be mounted parallel with the waterline, so that it is looking straight down in the water when the boat is in the water. High Speed Operation: Side Imaging sonar is best performed at boat speeds from 2 to 6 mph, and it is not recommended for high-speed operation as gaps between strips of information can appear. However, the transducer can support traditional 2D sonar and Down Imaging sonar at higher speeds.
Considering Different Boat Types Your boat’s hull type will determine the transducer mounting location. Here are some tips for various boat types. On twin-drive boats, the transducer should be mounted between drives. On pontoon boats, place the transducer on the bottom of the bracket on the back of a pontoon tube. The starboard side usually requires less cord to route to the control head. Also, place the transducer away from electrical interference and a livewell pump.
IN-HULL MOUNT In-hull transducers (also known as shoot-through transducers) are installed inside of fiberglass boats. They are epoxied to the boat hull. Since fiberglass has similar sonar characteristics as water, the sonar signal can pass through the boat hull with minimal loss. The hull of the boat must be single layer construction (not double-hulled) and should not contain any foam. Any air trapped in the lamination of fiberglass would prevent the sonar signal from passing through the fiberglass.
THRU-HULL MOUNT Thru-hull transducers are mounted through a hole drilled in the bottom of the boat. Outside the Boat WARNING! Do NOT install the transducer in line with the engine intake. • The best location for the transducer will be aft midship, as close to centerline of the boat as possible. The transducer should be mounted forward of the propellers on inboard boats, and separated adequately from other transducers, strakes, rivet lines, or other protrusions that may create turbulence.
Installation Scenarios • Flat Hull, One Transducer: Locate a flat area on the bottom of the hull, forward of where the Flat Hull, One Transducer propeller shaft comes out of the hull. Make sure there is nothing lower than this location to the right or left. • V-shaped Hull, Two Transducers: Install two thru-hull transducers, one on each side of the V. Connect the transducers with a Y-Cable. • Two Back Engines, Two Transducers: Install two thru-hull transducers outboard from the dual engines.
For outboard and inboard/outboard boats, mount the transducer just forward and to the side of the engines(s). For inboard boats, mount the transducer ahead of the propeller(s) and shaft(s). For fin keel sailboats, mount the transducer to the side of the centerline and forward of the fin keel 1' to 2'. For full keel sailboats, mount the transducer midship and away from the keel at the point of minimum deadrise angle.
TROLLING MOTOR MOUNT Confirm the transducer is oriented in the trolling motor’s direction of travel. Position the transducer on the underside of the motor housing with the front of the transducer facing away from the propeller. Directional Bias Round, circular-bottomed transducers have no directional bias, and therefore orientation of these types of transducers is not as important. Rounded rectangular transducers, however, do have a directional bias, and must be installed as shown in the illustration.
CONTACT HUMMINBIRD Contact Humminbird Customer Service in any of the following ways: Web site: humminbird.com E-mail: service@humminbird.com Telephone: 1-800-633-1468 Direct Shipping: Humminbird Service Department 678 Humminbird Lane Eufaula, AL 36027 USA Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Central Standard Time) Social Media Resources: Facebook.com/HumminbirdElectronics Twitter.com (@humminbirdfish) Instagram.com/humminbirdfishing YouTube.
