Is This Thinking TOO FAR Out of the BOX

hardee

Just wondering, IF this is way too crazy, or . . . ???

I am going ahead with a Raymarine upgrade which will include a new Transducer (RV-100), that will have RealVision 3D, CHIRP DownVision, SideVision, high frequency CHIRP, and 600W 50/200kHz traditional sonar.

What it doesn’t have are 2 important features that I am looking for, or use currently:
1. Real time, current (actual) water speed. (Have now via a paddle wheel on my P-66 Airmar transducer.)
2. Forward looking capability. Since I’m doing an upgrade, would love to have this capability without the HUGE transducer that hangs down under the hull. (Not something for a trailer boat.)

This brings me to two major questions:
1. To get water speed, I need to keep my old p66 transducer (Airmar). In doing that I lose the best place to mount a transducer, (between the down rotation side of my twin 40 Yami, and the inboard side of the trim tab,) not giving that spot to the new RV-100. Instead, the RV-100 RealVision 3D All-In-One Transom Mount CHIRP Transducer looks to be getting the second-best position, between the Twin 40’s, and just to Port of the cockpit drain hole. This will be about 10 inches from the Port side OB, and about 13 inches from the center of the Stbd OB and 16-18 from the up-rotation side of the prop.
Q #1. Does this sound like a reasonable plan to go forward with?

2. The Side scan 3D features reads to 300 feet each side, and down to 300 feet. So here is really where I may be so far out of the box I might be off on the next pallet (planet), but . . . . . . here goes - What if I fabricate a transducer mount that would allow me to rotate the RV-100 90 degrees(*) counterclockwise. That would let the starboard view then become a forward view, and allow me to look for bumpy hard things in my direction of travel when looking for some nook and cranny anchoring hole. (Please refer to the opening photo as an example.) This would be a manual operation, and only for 3 knots and under, mildly calm conditions, and would be for short term use only. AND manually changed back to normal position after anchoring, and that would show the anchorage, side to side.
Q #2. Does this sound anywhere near NOT CRAZY? Does it sound like a reasonable function for the fancy sounder version?

Well maybe more than two. Embarrased

Q #3. Is there anyone currently running more than one sounder transducer? If so, how far apart are they? Have you had any interference between them?

Q #4. Anyone here running twins, with a transducer mounted between the OB’s? Any adverse issues with that set up?

Anyone with any experience any way related to any of these issues, Please, speak up. I’m getting close to decision time here and this is a pretty major investment so I would really like to do it right and be able to move forward with a degree of confidence. I know the insight level of the C-BRAT community is WAY above normal so my trust level here is considerable.

Thanks for reading this far, and thanks in advance for any comments, negative or positive.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

ssobol · Last edited by ssobol on Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

thataway · Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:50 pm Post subject:

Harvey, Thataway had two of the CPT-100D transducers about 8"apart on the Starboard side of the single engine. No interference, but I ran them on different frequencies. They are downscan transducers, but should work the same. You want the Real Scan transducers where they have good vision of both sides--Also turbulence of water from the props can be an issue.

I would put Starboard blocks on the lower part of the transom, and then you can screw the transducers into the blocks, you may need to move them periodically to get the best picture.

I don't think you are going to be happy trying to use "RealVision" transducers turned to read forward. Usually phased array transducers are used for forward scans. The Panoptic by Garmin is one of the better forward looking units. The bottom of the boat will interfere.

drbridge · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:36 am Post subject:

In situations where you are doing 3 knt and looking for obstacles could you shut off and possibly lift the starboard motor to cut down on turbulence and provide a clear view for the transducer?

mstrpo · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:18 am Post subject:

I was also looking for a way to see hard objects approaching instead of those I had already gone over. To accomplish this, I took a page out of the book that pontoon boats use for fishing and rigged a mount for an inexpensive fish finder transducer (still has CHIRP) for the front of our Tomcat. I mounted a pipe to the rail just offset of center (avoiding the anchor bow roller). The mount allows me to raise and lower the pipe. The transducer is mounted at the bottom of the pipe. The down pipe rests on the rub-rail in a vertical position. Note that I rigged this up to see how it would work and will need to make some changes for a better, easier to use mount and route the cable more appropriately.

This all works and gives me very accurate shallow depth and bottom image for slow speeds. When traveling over 10 kts or so, I go forward and raise the transducer out of the water.

forrest · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:44 am Post subject:

I have often wondered how "sidescan" works when it has to look through a outboard motor shaft or the outdrive of an inboard. I've asked that question of factory reps in the Sportsmen Show seminars and have never received an adequate explanation. One rep stated that it looks a little forward. I then asked if it looks a little forward, how does it see through the keel of a deep v boat. Personally I'm very skeptical of sidescan. I just don't see how sidescan can see bait balls on the surface opposite the side your transducer is mounted on. Disclaimer: I have a Garmin unit with chirp and sidescan on my boat along with my original Furuno sonar. If I want to see what is really going on, I look at the Furuno screen.

Robert H. Wilkinson

jkidd · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:22 am Post subject:

Here's three as long as you are using different frequencies they will work if you set two of them to the same freq. you will see diagonal lines scrolling through the screen. The last trip to lake Powell I clipped a cottonwood tree with the forword sonar and it removed it from the boat. I just need to remount it.

drbridge · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 11:52 am Post subject:

On our boat I installed a Garmin Stryker 7SV stand alone sonar/fishfinder. It gives much better feed back than the Raymarine DSM300 and Airmar PS66 combo that was origionally installed on our boat. This also gives redundancy for Sonar in case one of the systems fail. I like having the sonar on it's own 7" screen, leaving the Chart plotter screen open for maps and Radar. The Garmin unit sells for as low as $400 including Transducer. It has Side scan, although I have not found it to be useful and do not use it.

C-Wolfe · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:37 pm Post subject:

I might be even crazier then the OP but, what about mounting the transducer in hull under the v-berth. On my boat (2006 M Y), the wood core stop a few inches forward of the v-berth bulkhead.
On my previous sailboat I did install a very basic dual frequency transom mount model transducer in a big blub of silicon forward in the boat (had to go past the lead ballast) . That was just for basic deep reading at slow speed, but it work just fine for my need at the time.

Not very obvious but the wood core stop a bit aft of the edge of the shade. I could get better pictures if anyone is interested.

smckean (Tosca) · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:02 pm Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 7:25 pm Post subject:

ssobol · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 7:55 pm Post subject:

If you use a typical chartplotter and transducer and the boat is stopped, the plotter will display a moving trace on the display with a constant depth bottom. The same slice is being displayed over and over again but it will look like the boat is moving along.

jkidd · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 8:02 pm Post subject:

The current Garmin transducer is the ps22-tr it sees 300 feet in front and 300 feet down and is live sonar. It will show anything in it’s view down to fishing lures. Here is a link to the old thread.

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=26691

The new Livescope product has got a little better for fishing and structure.

texasair · Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:13 pm Post subject:

I have a 2nd transponder in hull mounted in front of the helm in the right hand v berth compartment. At speeds over about 18-20 mph it stops working as that part of the boat at those speeds begins to clear the water.
At any speeds slower it works great and I use in for nosing into shallower areas as it gives me about a 12-14' advantage over the rear one. It has helped prevent damage to my propeller on many occasions.
I mounted it to shoot straight down, in hind sight, I could of spent a little extra time to try it at a slight angle to look a bit more forward. before I glassed it in.
It is an entry level unit, But overall I am pleased with the additional capability.