Author Topic: How to construct a transducer rod (Read 16508 times)

Utahice · « **on:** Feb 01, 2005, 08:04 PM »

I'm new to this forum. I've been searching for suggestions on how to construct a rod from which to attach/suspend my skimmer transducer but have not been able to locate anything. If anyone has any photos or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. I've been thinking about using PVC pipe but I'm wrestling with how to attach the transducer. It does have mounting holes. I'm just looking for ideas. I'm also trying to come up with a good way to pivot the rod from my side of the ice. Thanks for your help!!

Gamalot · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 01, 2005, 08:40 PM »

Take an old tip up, loose the flag and reel and add the ducer. Works great.

newoodhntr · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 01, 2005, 09:02 PM »

I took to wooden slats and bolted them in a cross (+) and drilled holes for the ducer to bolt it to it. I also put holes on top to cable tie the cable to. It works well because it keeps the transducer close to the side of the hole and out of the way. Newoodhntr

TJG · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 01, 2005, 11:18 PM »

Instead of a rod, use a piece of styrafoam and float it
or a piece of foam pipe insulation (also known a armaflex).
If you need to use a rod, buy a cheap ice fishing or
any cheap fishing rod for that matter, with a plastic handle.
They are hollow inside, good to drill into and mount from.
To hang/pivit it, I use an eyelet drilled into the side of the
case I use for my sonor and hang it over my hole.

cityfishin · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 01, 2005, 11:52 PM »

If your transducer is a transom mount one, it won't hang straight. You need to mount it on something that you can stick down the hole and secure. Until I create a way to do that myself...I've got the same issue...I will be using the system that someone else made up. It's just a piece of aluminum or something that was bendable and mounted the transducer to. The top has a reverse bend in it that allows me to jam it into the snow/slush created from drilling the hole. It stays pretty secure and does the job. And like I said, it's only going to work until I create a better system or replace the transducer with a floating one. Good luck.

TJG · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 02, 2005, 12:02 AM »

I too have a transom mount and had this problem forever. Tried the flexable rod, after so many times out, would not bend right. Tried the rod and pivot until the pivot point broke! Tried to weigh down the transducer, worked until a very cold day and the wire would frezze. The pipe insulation and/or the styrafoam have worked the best. Will send some photos soon.

Iron Chef · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 02, 2005, 09:11 AM »

I got a piece of steel strap from Home Depot, maybe 3/4" wide, bend one end into a squared "j" shape and mount to the side of the genz ice box with a double lock nut and washers to keep from loosening while being able to rotate. Then cut the steel to the length of the ice box. Cut a piece of rain gutter plastic to about 3"x2" or whatever to mount the transducer to, then put two more holes in the plastic in the centerline from vertical to mount to the strap. Mount the plastic piece to the arm first with locking nuts, but use 1 screw that is 2" too long, then line that up and drill another hole into the front side of the ice box and it will work to secure the arm for storage, then mount the transducer and finish the wiring nice and neat. Then when you set it up, that long screw will press against the ice and wont flop around. I also mounted a very small bubble level to the top of the transducer with shoe-goo. Five seasons and works everytime

reelcharacter · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 02, 2005, 09:27 AM »

My Transducer Rod was made from a plastic telescoping broom (or perhaps it was a mop) handle. Attached the transducer bracket to the bottom of the handle by screwing through the handle. I can point it down or twist the transducer bracket to a horizontal position for a look-see in which ever direction I want.

Electrical tape to attach the cord to the handle. The handle top twists and telescopes out if ice is deeper, (or for using off a boat). Shorter handle position makes it easier to transport. All I have to do is drop it down the hole. The metal bracket is enough weight at the bottom and the plastic handle is boyant enough to keep the set-up resting nicely in place at the edge of the hole. With it off to the side, I can fish from the same hole as the transducer is in. Have not made a satisfactory bracket for attaching the handle off the edge of a moving canoe yet, but perhaps this spring . . .

Under the right ice conditions (early, or late, clear ice) I can extend the handle and walk along on the ice, "looking" at the depth below as I go. The transducer will "see" bottom right through the ice and can even mark fish below. (With some help from fellow Hummingbird users, I may even get the settings right to mark fish better). I tow the sled with one hand and carry the handle and transducer in the other. I have my Hummingbird locator set up and switched on in the sled and "take a look" now and then for structure, drop offs, or whatever I think will have fish below.

Will try to post a pic of this not-so-fancy set up, but this will be a first for me, so be kind if I muff up the photo. It isn't much to look at, but was a simple, quick and no-cost solution a couple of years ago.

-Reelcharacter

[/img]

bitts · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 03, 2005, 09:37 PM »

That setup looks like how I have my camera setup.

reelcharacter · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 03, 2005, 10:34 PM »

Quote from: bitts on Feb 03, 2005, 09:37 PM

That setup looks like how I have my camera setup.

Like I said, not real pretty, but works well for me. Any other modifications you use or tips you have?

-Reelcharacter

missfishylicious · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 04, 2005, 09:59 AM »

I just use an old wooden tip up cant get any simpler than that.it's adjustible and easy to get level.

thedude · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 12, 2005, 12:39 PM »

here's mine just some bent conduit:

big big rdg · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 12, 2005, 02:32 PM »

Real Nice Set-up there thedude

!

pontiac787 · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 12, 2005, 03:31 PM »

Check this link. Pretty good design for a transom mount http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=15330.0.

winchester 88 · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 13, 2005, 07:47 AM »

I have a Hummingbird Flasher that has a flat puck style transducer that I adapted for use on the ice. I took the idea from the method used for the Vex style transducers.
First glue a "bullseye" level on the top of the puck with silicone adhesive.
Cut a piece of clear 3/16" or !/4" plexiglass the same size as the top of the puck.
Drill and tap a hole in the center to hold a 10/32 eye bolt and secure it with a nut and lock washer.
Use 2-8/32 machine screws to fasten a piece of 3/8 pvc pipe to one end of the flat clear plexiglass This pipe is cut to length to fit between the 2 up right tabs on the puck which normally attach the puck to the boat bracket and is fastened to the plexiglass flat piece by drilling and tapping 2-8/32 holes in it.
Now secure this to the puck with a 1/4" carriage bolt,lock washer and wing nut.
Viewed from the side this should look like a letter "U" laying on it's side with the eye bolt on top and the puck on the bottom..
Open the eyebolt up a little bit and loop the transducer cable thru it allowing some slack for adjustment and secure it to the eyebolt with a plastic tie wrap.This will allow the transducer to hang on it's cable and be adjusted so that the transducer is level.
I hang mine in the hole by making a loop in the transducer cable and securing it with a rubber band and then hook the loop over a cup hook that I mounted to the carrying case that I made for the flasher. A little adjustment here and there and it works fine.
If you need help post it and I will respond.
Good fishin...
Dickie

johnnylimit · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 13, 2005, 08:15 AM »

I swear that in order to be and outdoorsman you have to be an engineer. It is amazing the ingenuity that you can see here. If you want to see some cool new things just walk around on a busy section of ice.

TogueHunter · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 14, 2005, 07:47 AM »

I have tried a couple of different arm setups, and I've found what works best for me is one of those folding tape measures.

I have a transom mount transducer, and I used tie wraps to secure it to one end and then the cord just wraps around.
The beauty of it is, that because it folds up to about 8" long it's very portable. I can adjust it as far down as I want, to compensate for ice thickness. I position it flat up against the hole with the L part of the transducer up flat against the underside of the ice, and set my fish finder unit on top of it to hold it down. Having it set up this way, it's out of the way so I can easily bring fish up through the same hole without them getting tangle up in the transducer.

If anyone is having trouble visualizing this I can take some pics or submitt a drawing of a cross section of the thing.

TogueHunter · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 14, 2005, 09:32 AM »

Here is a quick and dirty drawing of my setup using the folding ruler.

roygpa · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 14, 2005, 07:03 PM »

I used a 6 inch piece of a fun noodle the foam thingy that the kids use while swimming.
Then I cut an old aluminum arrrow roughly in half, and left the fletching on it sort of as a handle.
I jammed the arrow through the fun noodle and then used elctrical tape to fasten the transducer to the arrow.

The thing float upright, just about perfectly level and I left enough of the handle above the fun noodle so that I could aim the transducer if needed. I did have to adjust the length of foam to get it to float just right.

Roy GPA

dusty · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 15, 2005, 01:35 AM »

I used two pieces of 1x3 , on the top i cut a slot ,bolted a cross section allowing the main rod to be adjusted up or down depending on the thickness of the ice. On the bottom I mounted my transducer in an offset position . This way once you place the holder into the ice you can turn it to get the transducer out of the way under and up against the ice. I fish in the same hole and this way my line doesn't hit as I pull fish up..

crappiehunter · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 15, 2005, 07:38 AM »

Do you guys ever have trouble with your Depth/fish Finder Fogging up on the ice? If so, how do you deal with that? I'm a new ice fisherman and don't have vex, but do have an Eagle Fishfinder on my boat that I'm thinking about using. Any tips?

TogueHunter · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 15, 2005, 09:39 AM »

To answer your question: No, I've never had any problem with my LCD fish finder fogging up, and I've owned both Eagles and Hummingbird units.

On a slightly different note: Last year I bought a Hummingbird Matrix-10, and I love that thing! It's got excellent resolution, in fact in Zoom mode I can watch a 1/8oz jig bouncing in real time on the bottom in 75ft of water even with a slight twitch of my rod tip! It would probably work just as good even deeper, but I haven't tried it on a lake deeper than that.

I know I'm going going to draw a lot of crossfire from the VEX users, but I carefully compared several units and found this LCR to be everything I wanted in a fishfinder. Incidentally, it was only $150 through Cabela's AND included the integrated GPS! Last year I dropped some waypoints of exact locations where I found structure, and that really produced fish. I can't wait for this year so my GPS can direct me to the exact spots again... what a fantastic feature!

Ok, I'll quit the sales speech about the LCR, and wait to see how many VEX users pounce on this post!

But hey this site is all about gathering and sharing information about ice fishing and I'm just passing along my views. 8)

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Author Topic: How to construct a transducer rod (Read 16508 times)

Utahice

bitts

missfishylicious