Anyone out there try a thru hull transducer mount before?

i'm using water in a foam cutout currently.  no goop at all. 

i never had problems with my old 565 so that's why i'm trying to figure out where the issue lies.  either way i'm going to the color one this year so its just a matter of making sure that everything is perfect. getting rid of my excuses to be crappy at fishing one at a time.

I have the same set up Ben and I always just chocked it up to 'ya get what ya pay for'.
I am not all that impressed with the 245DS other than it hasn't crapped out on me.
I don't get as accurate readings with mine as I would like to.
The only place where I would really need something to see very deep is Tahoe.
Maybe when the time comes I will invest in a diff FF.

In spite of the fact that other people have been doing that for years I just couldn't. I would almost certainly be the exception that proves the rule... at the most inopportune time   .

I can offer this insight, though. On my first yak (Perception Caster) I epoxied a through hull transducer (flat, like the pics you posted) into place. The one time I took it out on the ocean I could watch my lure descending on my Eagle s/Map 250. With my second yak (WS-T160), I just gooped in the transom mount transducer. Same FF, not as sensitive (never see my lure), but plenty serviceable.

The hulls are different between the two yaks also. The 12' caster weighs more than the 16' T160. Whether the hull is just thicker, or a different material, I couldn't say. But my guess is that the sensitively is better because more transducer surface is more perfectly adhered to the hull.

fwiw,

The Other Ben

#1 - yes, i'm a bit brave but also a whole lot of stupid

#2 - i'm considering multiple options on my new FF install. 

I am also considering a rudder mounted transducer but worry a bit that the cone will not spot what is in front of me, only what is right below me or behind me.  also worried about that one for times when i pull the rudder up (usually while anchored so i get a more natural set)

i also want to try a true shoot-through-hull mount with the puck style transducer. 

problem is i dont think there is any way to just try them all out and get a free or nominal cost exchange.  i do know i don't like gooped in transducers and i think the foam puck is annoying and not sensitive enough.

if i was to exchange for the thru-hull style, would that also shoot through the hull decently if i was to try a foam puck?  then i could see if the signal appears good enough before deciding to drill a hole...

Have you seen these?. Transducer arms. This will be my next project. I will attach the finder to a dry box.

http://kayakfishinggear.com/slidetrack-transducerdeploymentarmusedwiththesideboard.aspx

Ben,

Being that you peddle and not paddle I say drill away 
Being in the AOTY I say Make sure you have a big enough hole in the bottom 

But being in the fishing buisness I would have to say shoot through the hull and get a Quality finder with the most power and pixles you can fit in your budget. You will never be disapointed if you follow these rules.

I have had good luck w/both the puck-style and the thru-hull style that the southern-holy-boat-guy used. For both styles of TD, I permanently gooped it inside the hull. I prefer the puck style because it requires less surface-space...and it's meant to shoot through the hull, compared to this other style that is supposed to be in contact w/the water.
Due mainly to the reason Jay cited RE: hull flex, I would not recommend cutting a hole in the bottom of the boat. Unless you're installing a jet drive.
Those transducer arms seems like the best way to get an accurate reading. Maybe even construct a custom one. But honestly, it isn't going to help much with that FF.   

what about MattS's mod. I am thinking about that one myself

At one time I was having problem reading the dept from my finder accurately. I
got desperate one day and I took the transducer and placed it outside the yak.
It worked for a while until it was giving me some weird reading again. Come to find out
it was my power supply that was giving me the inaccurate reading. Just wondering
if that was the same problem you were having Ben.

Jedmo

i dont think its my power supply. my readings are not intermittent, they are consistently crappy.  I demand a lot from my equipment, especially if i spend good money on it.

i actually am getting a 343c off craigslist for a really good price, so we'll see how that works out.

After you cut the hole in your Hobie and it sinks, go out and buy an OK Trident and a Humminbird with the scupper hole transducer.

Brian

Ben,
You are making a good choice with the 343 and I hope they give you a great price since they were discontinued last year and replaced with the new 345 at the same price and higher res.

After you cut the hole in your Hobie and it sinks, go out and buy an OK Trident and a Humminbird with the scupper hole transducer.

Brian

i had one of those, sold it for the hobie  i do wish hobie would make a transducer compatible scupper, would make life much easier for sure.  i cant imagine that OK has a patent on making a scupper hole fit a transducer.

OK, I understand a little better.  You actually want more screen resolution not power or sensitivity. 

i actually want a little bit of everything.

last year while downrigging, i would drop my ball (2 1/2lb ball) and lose track of it around 40 feet.  this was true even while not moving, so the ball theoretically should still have been in the scope.  i even tried to zoom in around where it should have been, but was unable to see it.  not sure why that was. pixelwise i would think it still should have shown up if the FF was able to find it.  in those times i'm able to mark bottom but it is not a very good image, usually does not show any sort of contour.   I didn't have the same problem with my 565 mounted through my scupper hole on my T13, only with the DS.  of course the 565 also has higher screen resolution, but it also didn't have to shoot through the hull.

also, trees and fish are apparently interchangable to the FF.

I guess part of it is i'm about to drop a good chunk of change on a FF and I want to get my money's worth out of it.

The reason why the DR ball dissappears after a while is because the drag of the water is  blowing it behind you and out of your trans' cone. If you're sitting still and your DR line is vertical and can't see your DR ball then you've got another problem. Get a good FF like a Humminbird w/ a nice big screen and you'll be all set.

BTW I use the foam puck method for my trans. and have taken the trans out while on the water and put it directly in the water to see what the difference was like. I was really surprised to see very little difference at all other than a correct water temp reading. Give it a shot the next time you're on the water and you'll see why Hobie doesn't plug up a scupper for it.

Z

I have a shoot thru hull transducer with the Hummingbird 345c in my X-factor it works great.
I would never put a hole in the bottom of a kayak. Hope you seal the hole well. Good luck.

The reason why the DR ball dissappears after a while is because the drag of the water is  blowing it behind you and out of your trans' cone. If you're sitting still and your DR line is vertical and can't see your DR ball then you've got another problem. Get a good FF like a Humminbird w/ a nice big screen and you'll be all set.

BTW I use the foam puck method for my trans. and have taken the trans out while on the water and put it directly in the water to see what the difference was like. I was really surprised to see very little difference at all other than a correct water temp reading. Give it a shot the next time you're on the water and you'll see why Hobie doesn't plug up a scupper for it.

Z

Another thing to try is getting a FF with a wider cone angle.  I've got a dual scan FF, at 50khz the cone angle is 35d and at 200khz it's 12d. With a 4 lb ball and 50lb PowerPro braid and trolling from 1.5-2mph, I'll general lose the ball below 20-30' at 200 khz but I can see it at over 100' at 50 khz.  I'll also see alot more fish at 50 khz but alot of those are actually off to the sides and are shallower than what they show up on the FF.