fishfinder modifications?

[rambin]

Ive had a  hummingbird 141c sitting around for quite a few years...ya its an older model but it wasn't bad when I was using it, im wondering if I can use it on the ice... I have the transducer off the back of the boat and I'd like to use it instead of that ice one they sell I don't really see what the difference is?  hoping you people can give me some wisdom on what I need to do here? or if its even feasible?  I also have a 345c I use on my boat but id rather just use this one if it will do the job...its just taking up shelf space

[3300]

it would be the cone angle and no IR, are the problems. maybe the screen freezing causing a lag at least.
you can use it tho.

[rambin]

i'll have too look up the cone angle...thought it was dual but not sure its been a few years... whats ir?

[3300]

rejection from other sonars. adjustable interference rejection. (IR for short)
 open water unit companies have been wanting the ice market and so they are making ice transducers and soft packs/carry cases. they do not have ir or if they do, it's just starting.
for the tiny jigs we use on ice and wanting to see them, they use narrower cone angles. when you fish open water, you just want to see the fish, not the lure.
just knowing fish are in your spot, will be helpful and knowing how deep of water your on.
ice sonars show all of it and you can tune out the interference from other sonars and has 8 degree cone angle and 20 degree for shallow water.
open water have some thing like 60 degree and 40 i think but are very wide angles and not for ice fishing, but you'll see fish and bottom. anyway just like in a boat. being wide angle, you'll have a harder time knowing where they are.
think of it as if it were a scope on a gun. angle of view.

here's your manual
http://piranhamax.ru/manual/fishfinder_141c.pdf

it shows you have a circular view too.  page 11

[rambin]

heres the specs on it...it is a single cone...its older and don't have too many bells and whistles...but its here and just collecting dust.

[url][/uhttp://www.humminbird.com/Products/141c/rl]

[3300]

                                                                      specs
Power Output
...................... ......................
150 Watts (RMS), 1200 Watts (Peak to Peak)
Operating Frequency
...................... ...................... ...................... ...................... 200 kHz
Area of Coverage
...................... ...................... .................... 20° @ -10 dB in 200 kHz
Target Separation
...................... ...................... ...................... 2 1/2 Inches (63.5 mm)

low power. ice sonars use much more power.
20 degree cone is okay for shallow to medium depths.
target separation is typical for humminbird and not that great, but will do fine.
you have to make a mount probably to use your transducer. lots of others have done what your doing. so fishing with electronics section probably has more on that.

[buz23]

Ice finders with an LCD screen have a heater built it to make it work in the cold.  That could be a problem with your unit.

[rambin]

I don't know how it handles the cold...my idea is to power it from my snowmachine via the cigarette lighter plug which is always hot...  seeing power is not an issue I should be able to run the light at full output if that might help the cold issue?  just a thought?

[3300]

coldest of days will be a problem with slow screen outside the shanty. you can get a carry case and small sla battery to be mobile and look in the section i mentioned for how to rig the transducer to a pole.
a buddy of mine used one and he had his in an insulated lunch type bag/case.

is it your only sonar or you just want to see if you can use it?

[fishville]

No reason to reinvent the wheel. Just build a genz box. Sonar and battery all one unit. Just a matter of hanging transducer level.

[rambin]

3300 its the only sonar I will be using,,never used electronics for ice fisihing...more to check depth and see any activity and hey  I already have it for a few bucks and some time It will be working.... soon as I make a plan!


fishville...as I said I have a battery on the snowmachine, no point hauling another around when a wire will do the trick. I have to study up on the transducer brackets a little is all I guess

[3300]

nice, it will open a new world for you, sort of speak. getting what ever transducer aiming straight down will be the hardest part. being it is so cumbersome with poles and brackets and the mere size of it will want you to make an extra hole to fish from so it isn't in the way.
being tethered to a snowmachine will be like a ball and chain, so a carry bag/case and small sla battery will remove that chain, if you want to be more mobile on foot and don't want wires to worry about. they are cheap and not too bad for weight.

you'll learn more after you get it on ice and will probably want to get a better one after you out grow that one.

[SirCranksalot]

It's fairly easy to "Red Green" a boat ducer into an iceducer. Try a search on here. If you can't find anything I'll try to post a pix of mine.

[rambin]

sure wouldn't mind seeing pics of yours the more ideas the better to attach it to some pipe or something

[matzilla]

just loop the cord on the skimmer transducer -


that unit has 5 stage IR - noise filter that works excellent
20* cone is fine - you'll easily see your jig and be able to fish 99% of the time
150 watts is more than enough to ice fish with - its 3x that of any vexilar
Color LCD screens DO NOT slow down in the cold - greyscale screens do slow down a bit below 15*'s

I fished with a HB PMAX 175 which is similar to yours but has the greyscale screen - it worked flawlessly for 3 years and I still use it to vertical jig off the bow of my boat in the summer. You will have absolutely no problems tracking your jig and fish using this sonar if properly setup. Manually adjust your depth settings for best results - you can increase the max depth setting to increase gain. Turn off the fish id. Turn on the WIDE RTS view and set the chart speed to ultra! Use advanced mode. Changing to the black background saves battery and gives you a high contrast view. Adjust the sensitivity to see your jig and use the IR to remove any clutter. Its really simple to use these units on the ice - take it from someone who has

You can see the jig and the fish - turning off fish ID makes the screen more clear



This is what I use now...

[rambin]

would there be any advantage to adding some weight to the transducer? maybe bolting on some steel as weight using the existing bolt hole?

are you sinking it below the ice? or is it ok just below the surface like it is on a boat?

what are u using for a float?

[willisdotcom]

would there be any advantage to adding some weight to the transducer? maybe bolting on some steel as weight using the existing bolt hole?

are you sinking it below the ice? or is it ok just below the surface like it is on a boat?

what are u using for a float?

want ducer to just below the ice

[SirCranksalot]

let's see if this pic shows. If it does pls feel free to ask questions.

[matzilla]

would there be any advantage to adding some weight to the transducer? maybe bolting on some steel as weight using the existing bolt hole?

are you sinking it below the ice? or is it ok just below the surface like it is on a boat?

what are u using for a float?

Just toss it in the hole, let it hand just below the ice - adding weight would be a waste as the transducer hangs nice and level with the cord looped. You don't need a float

[Johnsonarcher]

just loop the cord on the skimmer transducer -
(Image removed from quote.)

That looks incredibly more usable than all of the pole and pipe modifications I see people use.

[SirCranksalot]

The advantages of adding a weight at the bottom as I have done is that the device is self leveling and counteracts forces from the cable that tend to throw it off level. I have no qualms about yanking it out of the hole for whatever reason and then plunking it back in. Wrt the cable---I find that it's stiff enough in the cold that if it's not sitting quite right up on the ice it can push the ducer off level.

[rambin]

im realy liking the simplicity of the loop and tiewrap   and letting it hang!  looking at the tranny wire Im guessing its somehow shielded wire and cant be shortened from its original length? its quite long!  like to see more of what you guys are using for floats as well...

[matzilla]

mine is shortened to about 10' - yes it is shielded and not that easy to splice but entirely possible

The more you use the looped cable the better it works - the cable will get a nice bend it in from the top edge of the ice. From there on out you just flop it in the hole and fish away. I had a float on mine and all it did was get in the way. An arm works much better than a float.

[Uncle Al]

This is my backup I use a swim noodle as a float, and the transducer wire slides inside the noodle for ice thickness and the transducer is heavy enough to sink.

[Shack man Shoney]

I really like the loop method..... I used to use something similar back In the day with my Eagle silent sixty flasher. I sometimes have enough trouble getting the transducer out of the hole by its self, I can't imagine getting a pipe apparatus out as well.

[rambin]

started working it into a plywood box and wired up a lighter plug on the end of the power cord...hoping someone can chip in that's tried shortening the tranny wire? I don't wanna cut into it and find out It cant be put back together? not sure whats exactly is under the rubber coating? just plain wire? somekinda  tinfoil crap like sat cable?   anyone?

[matzilla]

there are a pair of red/black 22ga wires, a single unsheathed wire and foil spiraled around them. Cut the cable, strip back several inches of the outer insulation without cutting through the foil shield, unravel the shield, cut the red and black wires to length, strip the insulation from them, offset splice the red/black wires, soldier, splice the uninsulated wire, soldier, wrap the shielding foil back around, heat shrink everything twice