Transducer depth?

[Dan97]

Howdy All...

Being sort of new to this ICE thing and not being very well equipped I've got a question for ya.

I'm using a depth finder (flasher) out of my boat on a "portable" battery pack. I've rigged a transducer "float" system and it seems to work OK. But how deep should the transducer be in the hole? It has a 19 degree cone, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for any input......Dan

[Guest]

The transducer should be as close to the bottom of the ice as possible. The signal can pass thru ice with little distortion, but any air bubbles that cling to the sides of the hole will not reflect signals. This reduces the cone angle of the transducer, if the ice on the hole sides is smooth and clear it will work fine anywhere in the hole.

Rob

[Dan97]

Thanks Rob!! That's sort of what I thought. But with the transducer's ability to shoot through clear ice kind of confused me a bit. I'll be out on the lake tomorrow and try what you suggested.

Thanks again......Dan

[Guest]

This may sound like a stupid question to most of you out there, but I don't know the answer so maybe you can help me. How does the thickness of the ice effect how your depth finder reads the depth of the water? When I was out on early ice (4") my vex read 10ft. With the ice over two feet thick, will my vex still read 10ft or will it read closer to 8ft?

[Guest]

It depends on how far down the hole you have the transducer. The depth is given by how long it takes the signal to go from the transducer to the bottm and back up. Ice depth will not affect it but how far down the hole will.

Rob

[Guest]

Rob, thanks for the response. However, I don't think I asked my question very clear the first time. When the lake has two feet of ice and I am in the same spot when the lake had 4" of ice, if my transducer is held at the top of the water will it still read 10ft?

[Jim W]

No matter how thick the ice is, it won't change the depth your fishing in, unless your fishing on a flowage or river whee the depth can change periodically

[Guest]

Thanks for the education guys.