How many use your normal fishfinder for hardwater?

[BlindSquirrel]

My old setup.




My new setup.  I can't take credit for the design but I'll pass it along.




I don't have a picture of it, but the PVC transducer support fits inside the box as well.  I also use Velcro tape on the battery so it doesn't slide around.

[wnybassman]

My new setup.  I can't take credit for the design but I'll pass it along.

That looks oddly familiar to the set-up I made last week   

I can't take credit either though.   I got the idea from a past member here several years back (OnceBitten) as he had something similar.  I tinkered in my barn today and made this thing up.  I had to buy ZERO materials, everything was scavenged from stuff I had laying around, and fortunately I had an extra transducer for the graph because I replaced the original with the trolling motor transducer for the boat.  I got a new battery for my Vex, so I used the old one for this.  There was nothing wrong with it, however.

So, here it is.................




I used a piece of outdoor PVC electrical conduit for the transducer mount.  I had a heavy wall hook that I was able to attach to the box, and bent it slightly so the conduit "snaps" into it and the bell end holds the whole works from slipping through.  I think I have it where it hangs pretty plumb.  From where the box sits on the ice to the bottom of the transducer is 10 inches.  Not sure how thicker ice will affect performance.




A close up of the transducer mount detail.  I lucked out, the plug was able to slip through the conduit so I was able to run the wire internally.




Here is a shot of the unit fired up.




The transducer assembly "snaps" off the metal hook and folds nicely in the box.




All closed up it just looks like an old shi-tay tackle box   




What's nice is the unit has the internal GPS antenna so if I do find a spot I really need to get back to, I can.  I'd had to leave the unit open on a shanty seat or something trying to navigate though, which could be a PITA

[TogueHunter]

I'm using a Humminbird Matrix-10, and it works as well on the ice as it does in my boat. 
Like BlindSquirrel, I also use a 12Volt Gel cell battery that is commonly found in computer backup UPS units, and can get about 10 days of fishing out of it.  The battery is stored underneath the unit in the soft-sided cooler shown below.

  I bought this one through Cabela's and it's GPS-ready and this one came bundled with a free GPS antenna for $150.
The ability to drop waypoints over structure and hot spots and use them all year round is a BIG plus.   
It's sensitivity and ability to split the screen to see the entire water column and a zoomed in area make is a great tool.
  It's so sensitive in fact that I've used in in over 100 FOW and can watch a 1/8oz jig bounce on the bottom with just the twitch of the rod tip and even follow it all the way down as I drop it to the bottom.  The Fish-ID alarms allow me to adjust the alarm for the size of the fish so I only get "woken up" when the bigger fish move in.   

I've tried a number of different ways to mount the transducer, and so far the best one I've come up with uses a folding yardstick.  (see attached sketch)  With this method it's possible to tuck it up under the ice so it's not in the way of the line I'm fishing, and I think it helps with the echo returns as well. 

[rgfixit]

I smell an engineer at work...You guys are cream of the crop tinkerers...I doff my chapeau to you.

Now I gotta dig out my hummingbird setup for pics.

RG

[BlindSquirrel]

From where the box sits on the ice to the bottom of the transducer is 10 inches.  Not sure how thicker ice will affect performance.

For additional depth I added another section of PVC to mine and connected it with a union.  It's not cemented so I can pull it apart and fold it to fit in the box.

[mrlongbeard1]

I see some great ad on ideas here. I have my x67 mounted in a five gallon pail. I can take the lid off pull the finder to the top and use it all day. Battery stays in the bottom along with my jig boxes. At the end of the day I lower the unit back down snap the top on the bucket and everything is safe.And this unit is very easyu to move around for run and gun fishing plus it gets the finder up in the air where it's easier to watch.

[beeverfishing]

Great idea's !!     Thank you for the pics, / diagrams.  Make it so much better !!

[Madpuppy]

Thanks for the pix guys, I'm going to work on one tonight!

[channelcatben]

I just got home, and have access to more pictures of my "RedNexilar," so I figured I'd post 'em. I like a lot of the setups you guys have done. This is what happens when guys with tools are waiting for ice to form, I guess.



Rod holders on the back. 1.5" PVC. The rope, for carrying the unit, is off-center to compensate for the weight of the battery.



Inside the bucket. The transducer, support, and transducer support extension (for thick ice) all fit in there, along with a small assortment of jigs, a container of waxies, and a forceps and pliers. There's also room for the battery, of course, and a bunch of cords.



That's my transducer support. It just hangs in the hole, pretty much level.

I had a lot of fun with this. I want to line the inside with some sort of heat-reflecting material, and maybe put a couple LEDs in there for light, because the backlight on the Cuda leaves much to be desired. I'm sure I'll find a bunch more things I want to do with it, and eventually scrap it all and build something else entirely. It's just how I work...

[UpperSaranacLake]

this is one of the best threads i've seen since i've been on ice shanty...some great ideas!

i need to go and rig my fish finder apparatus right now!

[Kevin23]

So does the ducer need to be completely under the ice? or can it still be in the hole? Im going to work one of these up this week so i can use it this weekend.

[TogueHunter]

So does the ducer need to be completely under the ice? or can it still be in the hole? Im going to work one of these up this week so i can use it this weekend.

No the transducer doesn't have to be completely under the ice for most depths, but I've found I do get better resolution in deeper waters when the transducer is deeper in the hole.  Transducers that have a smaller cone diameter would be less prone to surface clutter.  I've owned Eagles and Humminbirds LCD's and they all had gain and surface clutter rejection that really allowed some great fine tuning.   
Now at the risk of getting flamed by all of the loyal VEX users out there,  I would put my Humminbird up against a VEX any day.  IMHO, the ability to plot the underwater structures, contours and many of the other features incorporated in most LCD's made it an easy decision to make.  Price was another factor!

[Madpuppy]

No the transducer doesn't have to be completely under the ice for most depths, but I've found I do get better resolution in deeper waters when the transducer is deeper in the hole.  Transducers that have a smaller cone diameter would be less prone to surface clutter.  I've owned Eagles and Humminbirds LCD's and they all had gain and surface clutter rejection that really allowed some great fine tuning.   
Now at the risk of getting flamed by all of the loyal VEX users out there,  I would put my Humminbird up against a VEX any day.  IMHO, the ability to plot the underwater structures, contours and many of the other features incorporated in most LCD's made it an easy decision to make.  Price was another factor!

I would agree with you TogueHunter, I have an Eagle and a Hummingbird, like them both for hard and soft water. But thats just me. I don't want to offend any Vex users

[Kevin23]

Im planning on using an old Eagle Fish ID 128 that we have had in the garage for 10 years.


I mainly want to use it to see depth and bottom structure.

[Madpuppy]

Outta work.

[BASS4ME]

YOU GUYS THIS IS AN AWESOME IDEA, THAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT FOR SOMETIME KNOW. BUT DIDNT KNOW IF MY EAGLE MODEL CUDA242 WOULD WORK DOSE ANYBODY USE THIS MODEL. IF SO WHAT BATTERY DO YOU RECCOMMEND. THANKS ALOT

[WHITETAIL111]

this is one of the best threads i've seen since i've been on ice shanty...some great ideas!

i need to go and rig my fish finder apparatus right now!

Your welcome(for posting)  .  I have one rigged up myself, but wanted to see how everyone rigged their transducer mainly as mine needs some improvements.  Some of these are great ideas.

[Keeper Reaper]

Keeper,
     I used an in line 1A fuse to be safe and it bench tested fine.(there's a 15A fuse in the cig adapter) I made 2 pig tails for power. 1 to connect to the battery charger unit with the cig adapter(my battery charger/jumper doesn't quite fit into a a bucket) and 1 to connect to some 12V screw gun rechargeable batteries I have from a broken drill. I bench tested it with both power supplies for several hours on simulation mode. Today I'll put the transducer in some water and test it in working mode to see how the rechargeable batteries hold up.

Tight lines Tangler - it's better than sitting on the boat or work bench for the winter - right. Happy huntin!

[Keeper Reaper]

I think we need a new thread for us to come back and post some results fromt his season using our units. Who is up ?

[Keeper Reaper]

(Image removed from quote.)

I just got home, and have access to more pictures of my "RedNexilar," so I figured I'd post 'em. I like a lot of the setups you guys have done. This is what happens when guys with tools are waiting for ice to form, I guess.

(Image removed from quote.)

Rod holders on the back. 1.5" PVC. The rope, for carrying the unit, is off-center to compensate for the weight of the battery.

(Image removed from quote.)

Inside the bucket. The transducer, support, and transducer support extension (for thick ice) all fit in there, along with a small assortment of jigs, a container of waxies, and a forceps and pliers. There's also room for the battery, of course, and a bunch of cords.

(Image removed from quote.)

That's my transducer support. It just hangs in the hole, pretty much level.

I had a lot of fun with this. I want to line the inside with some sort of heat-reflecting material, and maybe put a couple LEDs in there for light, because the backlight on the Cuda leaves much to be desired. I'm sure I'll find a bunch more things I want to do with it, and eventually scrap it all and build something else entirely. It's just how I work...

You are right. None of this get's done once the ice has arrived. But pre-season, I spend in a special area of my basement workshop I call "Ice station - Zebra", building traps, tinkering with ideas. 

[MC]

I have the portable pack for Lowrance x67c. I like it so far.

[WHITETAIL111]

LMAO....   Rednexilar.  Too funny. 
KR... thats a great idea.  When finished everyone should post pictures of their homemade fishfinding units they bring with them out on the ice.  It'll be kind of a science project of sorts.  Lets see who gets the best "grade" on their project!!   
If you make yours and want to post it...post it under the subject nicely named by channelcatben....."Rednexilar" under IceShanty Main General icefishing Chit Chat...so we know where to look.

[channelcatben]

YOU GUYS THIS IS AN AWESOME IDEA, THAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT FOR SOMETIME KNOW. BUT DIDNT KNOW IF MY EAGLE MODEL CUDA242 WOULD WORK DOSE ANYBODY USE THIS MODEL. IF SO WHAT BATTERY DO YOU RECCOMMEND. THANKS ALOT

I would think so. The Cuda 242 is basically an updated version of the Cuda 168, which I use (correct me if I'm wrong, guys). I'm using a 12v 8amp hour battery, but the owners manual recommends 10 to 14 volts... It doesn't really specify. When I first got the finder, I had it hooked up to 8 AA batteries in a battery holder from Radio Shack, and it worked fine. I think you can hook it up to just about any 12 volt battery.

[Bellybuster]

I usually run my Humminbird 220 on the 12v emergency lighting batts but also have the option of running off 8 AA batteries as well. Surprisingly it went 6 solid days o last years soft water fish trip. That was runnng at least 6-7 hours i a day

[BASS4ME]

WHER DID YOU FIND THIS 12V 8AMP HR BATTERY? WHAT STORE WOULD CARRY THEM?

[TogueHunter]

WHER DID YOU FIND THIS 12V 8AMP HR BATTERY? WHAT STORE WOULD CARRY THEM?

If you Google "UPS replacement batteries", you'll find all kinds of places to buy them.
Here's one source, but you may be able to find a better price elsewhere.   They are heavy though and the shipping will probably be pretty steep.

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=713773

I'm a computer geek and they commonly are used inside battery backup units.  We replace them on a regular basis because of age, but most of them will hold a charge and work great for a fishfinder or a game camera.   You might want to check with local computer repair stores and they may have some old ones that they will give you.   You can charge them with a regular car battery charger, but ONLY use a trickle-charge (2amps max).

Good luck!

[TogueHunter]

KeeperReaper... Loved the name REDNEXILAR on your unit!  The pics were awesome too!

Here's another tidbit that will give you an extra edge when using a sonar.  Depending on the power of the unit, it is possible to shoot right through the ice and get a depth reading.
This however only works early in the season when the ice is not more than 5" (give or take).  Also the quality has to be good, black ice works best but where there are air bubbles trapped the results are marginal.

I use a ziplock bag and put a little water in it with the transducer.  This will give you the tightest possible "seal" against the ice, and the best echo return.  Press the transducer hard against the ice. 
I've also heard of guys using a Tupperware container or coffee can filled with water, but the flatter you can get the transducer against the ice, the better the results.   In the summertime I attach my transducer inside the hull of my kayak with silicone, and it fine through the plastic hull.

I use it when looking for a drop off, and it saves a lot of time compared to the old fashioned way of drilling and sounding to check the depth, and no noise and commotion that potentially could scare away fish.

[Keeper Reaper]

KeeperReaper... Loved the name REDNEXILAR on your unit!  The pics were awesome too!

Here's another tidbit that will give you an extra edge when using a sonar.  Depending on the power of the unit, it is possible to shoot right through the ice and get a depth reading.
This however only works early in the season when the ice is not more than 5" (give or take).  Also the quality has to be good, black ice works best but where there are air bubbles trapped the results are marginal.

I use a ziplock bag and put a little water in it with the transducer.  This will give you the tightest possible "seal" against the ice, and the best echo return.  Press the transducer hard against the ice. 
I've also heard of guys using a Tupperware container or coffee can filled with water, but the flatter you can get the transducer against the ice, the better the results.   In the summertime I attach my transducer inside the hull of my kayak with silicone, and it fine through the plastic hull.

I use it when looking for a drop off, and it saves a lot of time compared to the old fashioned way of drilling and sounding to check the depth, and no noise and commotion that potentially could scare away fish.

You and a few others have told me the same thing. I think I will attach one of those plastic coffee containers ot the side of my 5 gallon buucket to fill with water and try. I would love to be abe to drag that baby across the ice and get depth readings. I can't take credit for the Rednexilar - that wasn't my post. But funny stuff. I wonder if he could get that name Trademarked ?

[oxquo]

I've heard this before, but never tried it. Does the transducer haev to be submerged in water to get a reading ?

Mine works by just sinking it in the snow, but I use to carry it in a pail of alcohol and sit that down on the snow. I find the reading a bit shady but it will find the depth and fish. You have to remember to position it right though or it will read off to the side.

[fishville]

Gee I feel like I'm brain dead. All you guys got great ideas.