TROLLING MOTOR TRANSDUCER MOUNT?

[Old Dog]

I have a KW 19-6 Bay/Reef and I have a depth/fish finder at the center console but when I’m casting from the bow I can’t see it. I have an extra Garmin 240 fish finder lying around and have given some thought to mounting it up on the bow of the boat about where you see it on the photo below. Have any of you ever done this installation? Any advice? I’m trying to figure a way to mount the old transducer to the trolling motor but will wind up with a big coil of extra cable and am wondering about cutting it to shorten it. If I cut that cable are the wires color coded, and I am wondering too if reconnecting the wires will do anything to signal strength? Most of my fishing is in less than 25’ of water.
Thanks,
OD

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[Sir reel]

I'm sure some of our less technically challenged folks will have some good suggestions, but being lazy by nature, I'd be real tempted to just coil up the extra cable in a real neat bundle that would fit between the arms of the mounting bracket (below the FF) tie wrap it good and place it there. Then no worries about the potential reconnection issues. In addition, if you decide to install something else later or if you change boats or for any reason want to be able to use the 240 in another application....you still got the cable length needed to do it.

[silverking]

I've cut wires and spliced/soldered the connections together on my previous sounder/plotter to mount the antenna on top of my poling platform and it worked fine. When I upgraded the unit and tried the same thing again, it did not work. Ended up getting another cable, reaming a hole through the platform leg and using the factory cable as is.

You may not have any problems since yours is just a sounder vs. GPS combo, but I wouldn't risk it if I were you. If you can't coil the cable as Sir Reel suggested, you might look into whether Garmin makes a shorter cable. Are you planning on a separate transducer or shared? If separate, where are you going to mount it?

[silverking]

Re-read your original post. Before permanently mounting the transducer to the trolling motor, you might try using spot ties or electrical tape for a temp mount and check to see what kind of signal you get. I'm curious whether the trolling motor prop will impact the signal or not.

Good luck, OD and let us know what you come up with.

[Old Dog]

Coiling up the cable is sounding better but there is a lot of it. Thanks.
D

[FUTCHCAIRO]

HEY DON, YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE CUTTING THAT CABLE, I WOULD CHECK AND SEE IF THEY HAVE A SHORTER ONE.
HAVE YA GAVE ANY TROUT SORE MOUTH OVER IN EAST BAY LATELY
































HEY DON, I WOULD NOT BE CUTTING THE CABLE. SEE IF THEY HAVE A SHORTER ONE. HAVE YOU BEEN GIVING THE TROUT OVER IN EAST BAY THE SORE MOUTH LATELY? I WAS SUPPOSE TO GO TO THE GULF TODAY BUT MY PARTNER CHICKENED OUT ON ME. I REALLY NEED TO GET BACK DOWN THERE AND STRETCH A LINE.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA
EARL













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[Old Dog]

Earl, I have switched from EB area over to PSJ/Apalach for the winter. We've been having some great trout bites in the Apalachicola area lately. I went to AB yesterday and brought back a nice box of speckled and white trout. The bay is slap full of trout.
d

[tin can]

Don, don't cut the cable. The transducer cable is a shielded cable.

I've never seen a transducer mounted on a power drive type trolling motor. Usually the transducer is mounted to the bottom of the motor housing, and the cable is attached to the shaft, all the way up to the head of the motor, with zip ties. However, considering the small mount the motor has, and having to slide the shaft up and down in the mount, I don't know how you would secure the cable.

As for all the extra cable, both transducer and power cable, you're going to have to hook the unit to power somewhere, which means, probably removing the front electrical panel, where your trolling motor plugs in. While it's off for connecting and routing, shove all that extra cable behind it, below deck.

[Old Dog]

Some good points John. I've since decided to hire out the job and will report on success if any. And the general opinion from folks is not to cut the cable, so the cable shall remain uncut.
D

[Old Dog]

Install went fine. Mounted the unit on a Ram-mount which enables me to swivel and tilt the unit. Extra cable is out of sight under deck.
OD

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[Tom Keels]

Looks good OD!

[Flint River Pirate]

That turned out good OD!