Transom Transducer placement on Trophy 1802

[ropwoo]

I am about to take the plunge and mount my Humminbird Transducer to the transom of my new 1802. Before I begin making holes, I figured I would ask the folks here what location in the Transom worked best for them and any tips on areas to avoid.

According the the directions, it is recommended to mount the transducer to the outside of the first 'step'. However, this would place it directly over the bunk on the trailer which would increase the likelihood of damage.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Transom Transducer placement on Trophy 1802

I have had transducers mounted over the bunk, no problems.

When the boat is on the trailer, the bunk should not extend farther than 1/2" beyond the transom, so the bunk will not hit the transducer.

You should get a poly mounting board, and attach it to the transom.
Only 2 holes, sealed, and then seal around the board.

Then you can mount any number of transducers to it over the next 25 years. You can even remove your transducer and reposition it several times, to get the best performance, and you will still only have the 2 holes in the transom.

I'm wondering why the boat manufacturers don't put these on at the factory, making it a more professional looking installation.

After all, what 18' boat doesn't have a fish locator of depth sounder on it these days?

 

[ropwoo]

Re: Transom Transducer placement on Trophy 1802

Thanks for your reply. I am still working through the mounting issues (more like obsessing). The directions call for the transducer to be 15" away from the prop, but I can only manage about 11" from the outermost edge of the prop when the motor is straight. Any further over and I am over the bunk.

You previously pointed out that it would not be an issue to mount directly over the bunk, but I was wondering which is the lesser offense? Closer to the edge of the prop or over the bunk?

And I totally agree, manufactures should install a mounting board at the factory. They could do it easily and it really would save us owners a lot of grief.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Transom Transducer placement on Trophy 1802

As Roscoe said, mounting it by the bunk will not pose a problem. If the bunk extends too far back the boat needs to be repositioned anyway. Make sure wherever you choose to mount it that it is not in line with a row of rivets or a strake. Air bubbles from structural members on the bottom of the boat can cause erratic operation.