Mounting a transducer on the correct location is as essential as actually installing it. You won’t get anything from your transducer unless and until it showers the sound waves from the right place on the hull. Sometimes transducers come with a guide about where to mount them like the Garmin PS22. It’s because they have a specific type and work the best in a particular location. The other ones need an external guide to put them where they are perfect according to features on offer and angler’s preferences.
Although there is a universal truth for every installation of a transducer. There is always some acoustic noise, the sound waves from around which can interfere in the transducer’s operation. Other things that are out of control are the background noise from waves, other vessels, and fish. There is some noise generated from your own vessel as well that comes from shafts, machinery, other fish finders, propellers, etc. But we can try to minimize their effect by applying the following points.
- Try to mount it where the water flowing has the minimum amount of bubbles and turbulence.
- Locating it where your transducer is immersed in water all the time is better than an inconsistent one.
- The deadrise angle should be minimum.
- The beam sent by the transducer must not be obstructed by the shaft or anything else on the hull.
- There are some irregularities in the hull including where the water intake and discharge take place, where there are lifting strakes, from where the transducer must be kept away.
In short, the water flow near the face of your transducer must be as smooth as possible for the best performance. Here are some options to mount the transducer on the boat.
Using a fairing block
There are three functions of using a fairing block.
- It reduces the drag of the boat.
- It compensates for the hull deadrise angle.
- It creates a smooth surface of the water to flow cleanly where it comes in contact with the face of the transducer.
All these three points have a prerequisite that the transducer is mounted correctly. The fairing block is made to support the transducer. It works by cutting the water into two streams with its elongated wedge shape. It ends with a tapered finishing that rejoins the two streams smoothly. If you succeed in mounting a fairing block correctly, you will get better fishing results on speeds above 15 knots. It should be fitted as tightly as possible for the water to flow even more smoothly.
Through hull mounting
This option requires a hole cut out in the hull. It requires somewhat more engagement than the simple transom mount. Periodic maintenance becomes difficult as the area is difficult to access for cleaning. So, this option requires more dedicated transducers for transom mount. Here also a fairing block must be used to ensure that the transducer face points downwards. The fairing block is placed parallel to the water flow.
For a perfect through hull installation, you require considerable skills. If you have any doubts, consult your best Garmin PS22 dealer rather than figuring out on your own.
Transom mounting
It’s one of the most common methods for the installation of a transducer in smaller sized boats. This means installing the transducer just below the waterline on the transom. For the transducer to work correctly, it must be angled slightly forward so that turbulence and aerated water don’t affect its operations.
In-hull or shoot through
With this option, you can install the transducer inside the boat. The signals are transmitted through a shoot through fiberglass. Due to being of suitable material, the signal doesn’t need a cut-out hole to move through. If the hull has a flotation material like wood, aluminum or steel, you might have to cut them out to install fiberglass. This option minimizes the effects of aerated water and turbulence to a great extent. If you don’t want to compromise on performance, use the modern in-Hull transducers.
With all these mounting options, transducers can prove to be the most useful thing while fish finding. Make sure whichever option you choose, the installation process is perfect.
