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Transducer; port ot starboard?
Mr T	#1  Posted on 04/02/09 - 7:17 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 230 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/07/08	Getting a new electronics package, and the old xducer is on the starboard side. I've seen notes that says port on whalers seems to be best. Any opinions? I do lose bottom currently once I get on plane.
18 Ventura	#2  Posted on 04/02/09 - 7:33 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 17 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/05/08	I installed my transducer on the port side to help compensate for steering torque. I also wanted to keep it away from the swim ladder which gets used quite often.
Guts	#3  Posted on 04/02/09 - 8:29 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 612 Comments: 8 Joined: 11/21/08	I have one on the starboard side. It will work on either side. I also have read on the port side. I think it had some thing to do with the prop, the way it turned. I like thru hull...
brooks89	#4  Posted on 04/02/09 - 8:53 AM
Member Posts: 177 Comments: 0 Joined: 05/24/07	Whaler used to recommend port side. Don't know if the still do. That's where mine is and it tracks perfectly.
MW	#5  Posted on 04/02/09 - 9:13 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 1827 Comments: 10 Joined: 01/08/06	I'm on the starboard side, no issues. Just make sure that you have good water "contact" and not behind any "Turbulance" (chine etc.). Matt
Mr T	#6  Posted on 04/02/09 - 11:55 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 230 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/07/08	Thanks all, I might try the port side to see if it helps cut down turblulence. Can't wait for the new package to get here, being told it will ship next Tuesday. Cannot get here fast enough!
liteamorn	#7  Posted on 04/02/09 - 4:35 PM
Member Posts: 16 Comments: 0 Joined: 03/30/05	I installed my transducer on my Montauk on the port side aka Whalers suggestions. I used to lose the bottom at anything near running speed. On my Eastport I mounted it on starboard side and it worked flawlessly.
ioptfm	#8  Posted on 04/02/09 - 5:42 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 1533 Comments: 3 Joined: 10/28/06	Just curious.............why would it make any difference which side it was mounted on? Tom 1979 Sport 15'
Guts	#9  Posted on 04/02/09 - 5:51 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 612 Comments: 8 Joined: 11/21/08	ioptfm wrote: Just curious.............why would it make any difference which side it was mounted on? As I recall it had some thing to do with the harmonics of the prop. They went into it in depth on Jim H's site many years ago.
wezie	#10  Posted on 04/02/09 - 7:30 PM
Member Posts: 109 Comments: 0 Joined: 05/12/07	On some of the 170s (2005) there is a through hull in the bottom just in front of the place you might mount a transducer. Take a look at yours. that would cause turbulence at speed.
Guts	#11  Posted on 04/02/09 - 8:11 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 612 Comments: 8 Joined: 11/21/08	wezie Mine is an 1981 Montauk and in is in the drain sump
MW	#12  Posted on 04/03/09 - 1:04 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 1827 Comments: 10 Joined: 01/08/06	I'm not sure but, I remember earlier transducers being a bit larger and "rounder", Perhaps the "Hydrodynamics" caused more "drag" through the water back then, and the port side application offset the sideway's pull of the prop torque. I've mounted them on either side, and somtimes I lose bottom when at full throttle. My view is that if you are unfamiliar with the depth of where you are, you should be going slow anyway and checking you sonar often. Matt
Mr T	#13  Posted on 04/04/09 - 7:34 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 230 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/07/08	What I recall was related to the rotation of the prop causing turbulence. Since most prop rotation is clockwise, it was said to mount away from the side where the leading edge goes into the water first. MW of course you are right; if you don't know what you are heading into then don't go in fast, but you should still be able to see bottom on plane either way. Maybe not WOT, but on plane is reasonable IMO.
Fishmore	#14  Posted on 04/09/09 - 9:41 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 270 Comments: 0 Joined: 11/20/07	Recently I moved my transducer and achieved much better performance. Originally I had mounted the transducer about midway between the motor and the port side gunwale thinking that it was more toward the center of the boat, more likely to be underwater and prop wash normally goes toward starboard. It worked okay but, I had problems reading at higher speeds. This year I moved the transducer about a foot closer to the port gunwale and further away from the outboard and bingo now I get bottom readings even at full throttle (about 40 mph). By the way before moving my transducer to the port side I had it on the starboard side and it read okay but not as good as it does now. I moved it to port when I put a kicker motor on as the port side had the stern light where the kicker would go. So the kicker went to starboard and the transducer went to port. Almost forgot I have a 73 - non-smirk 17. Edited by Fishmore on 04/09/09 - 9:43 PM
Mr T	#15  Posted on 04/12/09 - 8:18 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 230 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/07/08	Fsihmore, thanks for the input. Do you mind me asking for a measurement? I'm curious to see where you are mounted relative to the drain hole. I too have a pre smirk 17, (1970) and right now it looks like it will have to go to the starbaord as my kicker and lights are opposite of yours. I'lll be mounting a P58 series, useed on a raymaine head unit. thanks, Larry
Fishmore	#16  Posted on 04/12/09 - 7:12 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 270 Comments: 0 Joined: 11/20/07	Measurements... From the center of the drain hole it is 24" to the center of the transducer. From the port gunwale to the center of the transducer it is 8". The transducer is an Airmar P66 on a Furuno unit and it is mounted on a piece of 3/4" thick starboard. So the starboard is sandwiched between the transducer mount and the transom. I took a straight edge and held it up to the bottom of the hull and the bottom of the transducer is 3/4" below the hull's running surface. Hope that helps... Tim Edited by Fishmore on 04/12/09 - 7:13 PM
Mr T	#17  Posted on 04/13/09 - 8:39 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 230 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/07/08	Thanks Tim, it helps a lot, sounds like we have the same ducer (size wise, mine is 500 w versus your 600) so this should work well.
Mr T	#18  Posted on 04/14/09 - 6:11 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 230 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/07/08	Put a tape on it last night and the measurements place the ducer smack dab right on one of the trailer bunks. hmmmm, ... Might have to stick with the original location.
Fishmore	#19  Posted on 04/15/09 - 10:28 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 270 Comments: 0 Joined: 11/20/07	T, If the bunk does not extend past the transom you should still be okay. By placing the 3/4" starboard in between the transducer mount and the transom the head of my transducer is about 2" away from the transom. If your bunks extend more than 2" beyond the transom then you would have a problem. My bunks are not in the way but they also extend only 1/2" past the transom so it would still not be an issue for me. Regards Tim.
Mr T	#20  Posted on 04/16/09 - 6:54 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 230 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/07/08	Tim, The bunk extends about 2 inche past the end of the boat, so it really will wack the ducer. I got all the parts in last night and went ahead and mounted it to the original spot for now so as to get on the water this weekend. A friend suggested wacking the bunk board off with a sawzall, and it sounds good to me. I think I'll try that next if this does not work out well. One thing I did different this time was to use the 4.5 degree shim to get the tail end pointed down more to get a better reading, as suggested by airmar. Cannot wait to get out there; is it Saturday yet?