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Posts: 2024
| I have to rent boats wherever I am fishing up north and always feel limited by only having a very basic depth finder on the console. So, I am looking to buy a portable sonar with gps that I can place in the bow, where I fish from. I have found some leads on sonar/gps units, but they have very small screens, from 3.5 to 5 inches only. I have a navionics app on my phone, which is 4.5 inches, and this did not work to see any detail, nor does it have depth etc. My question is does anyone have any info on how I could modify a decent sonar/gps unit so that is could be portable? Any help is appreciated. |
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Posts: 1090
Location: Hayward, WI | Check out PTC U portable kit for Humminbird or PPP-10 portable kit for Lowrance. |
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Posts: 190
Location: Savage, MN | I quickly threw together a portable option for my LCX-27C thinking I would need to take it on a trip. Luckily didn't have to as I got to take the boat instead. I took a spare power cord and first put a 3 amp inline fuse on then crimped round connections on both so that it could be connected to a battery if supplied. I was going to bring a smaller battery with if needed and kicked around the idea of a 12volt Vexliar type battery but wasn't sure how it would hold up. In regards to mounting the unit I had to use the original gimble bracket and quickly made a little wooden box to mount it to (1/4" plywood and 1"x1" I had laying around), similar to that of a Vexilar case (was hoping to use my Vexilar set up but LCX was too big) and was able to mount the GPS puck on the back side of that. For the sonar I just used the suction cup piece that I had from an old Eagle Portable unit to fasten to the stern. It sure wasn't the nicest looking rig in the world and could only be used in the back (power cable length) but it sure was better than that old Eagle unit. Good luck.
Edited by Skyblaster 10/31/2012 3:46 PM
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Posts: 2024
| Skyblaster, that is kind of what I was thinking of doing, but being new to the technology I am unsure of what would work. Since I don't have an old Eagle unit, do you think it would work to rig a PVC pipe to mount the transducer on so that it can attach to the gunwale of the boat when I get on a spot? As for power, most of the boats I have used have a separate battery up front for the trolling motor and one in back for the motor (I rent from the same guy on V when I get home). Plus, I usually carry a portable power pack to recharge the trolling battery as they always wear down after 6 hours of use, I also have a battery for a trolling motor that I can use. Cumbersome to haul around, but at least I could have good electronics. |
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Posts: 190
Location: Savage, MN | A piece of PVC pipe would certainly work I would imagine. I think that the difficult part would be trying to figure out a way to mount to the gunwale as to keep it flush with the bottom. I know a couple guys that spend some time every year up in the BWCA with canoe's and one of them bought this set up from Cabelas and likes it.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/Boating-Electronics/Sonar-Ac...
Since you have a trolling motor you could always bring a hose clamp to clamp it onto the base of the trolling motor like many guys currently do with their bow mount setups. Biggest reccomendation I can make is to remember to put a fuse in the power to eliminate any issues that may damage your setup.
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Location: Eastern Ontario | http://www.lebaron.ca/pdf_files_sp12/tite_lok.pdf The tight lok transducer mounts are shown in a Canadian catalogue but I'm sure you could find them in thr states. I cut the motor and head off an old deceased transom mount trolling motor and accomplished the same thing. I built a plywood box to hold the battery from my lawn tractor and mount the unit on. |
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Posts: 1722
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | I will post pictures of my hds 5 when I get home from work. |
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Posts: 2024
| I hadn't even gotten around to looking at the mounting possibilities, bet those would be easier to carry around than a homemade mount. I am looking at the hds 5 gen 2 or lowrance elite 5. Opinions on either? And what about map chips? I will use it on Kinkaid or Vermilion mostly. Possibly here in Arkansas too. |
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Posts: 1722
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | Here is my HDS5. I just run the transducer cable through the opening in the front of the case. It is made from a construction material called azek. I have a sealed lead acid battery in the back of the case that is 18 amp hours.
Edited by RyanJoz 11/7/2012 10:07 AM
(2012-11-04_21-17-37_544 (Small).jpg)
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 2012-11-04_21-17-37_544 (Small).jpg (88KB - 172 downloads)
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Posts: 2024
| Thanks! I like how the battery is included in the case. Do you use anything to strap it down in the boat, or just rely on the weight of the battery to hold it down? |
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Posts: 1722
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | I use the rubber feet to hold it in place. They are rubber stoppers for test tubes. Ace hardware had quite the supply of them. I would get the battery before you build the case. I estimated the size of the battery before I built the case and I guessed wrong. I had to add a spacer between the back of the battery and the case to keep it from tilting. I used all 316SS hardware and I used 1" aluminum strap backed with 1/8" rubber to hold the battery in place.
I can take the unit out and send you more pictures if you are interested.
Edited by RyanJoz 11/5/2012 7:20 AM
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Posts: 201
| I don't know if what I did will work for you. I wanted to get rid of my ICE 35 for ice fishing and have a GPS unit. So I bought a kit from Humminbird to turn my 788CI into my ice fishing sonar with a battery and carrying case. If you get a Humminbird unit of any kind they make a kit to do the same thing, just get an open water transuder and away you go. the internal GPS is nice too. |
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