How to rig up front locator?

[Christopher Quast]

I want to put a locator on the bow and I'm really not sure how to do it for sure I do have a minn kota mounted up front is there a way to clamp the transducer to the motor and what about the cable?

[BoxMN]

There is a special clamp and mount for attaaching it to the motor housing and it works great. Can get at any decent sporting store or fleet farm, etc.

What we did before US, was to tie wrap the cable near the mounting on the motor housing, so no pressure is ever put on the connection to the xducer. Then the cable just hangs free up next to the shaft to the bow. We put those little plastic cable clamps (like on hockey helmets...) right on the bow it self where the cable would go over the side. The cable could slide through them when you drop the motor, but it won't slide easily through once the motor is down.

That allows you to pull the cable up with a short pull manually, after you pull up the motor to pick up slack. Then when you drop the motor it simply slides down by itself, nothing to touch.

That worked great for us for years until universal sonar.

Good luck!

[Down Deep]

Many models of depthfinders have transducers that are concaved to fit the trolling motor.

[marine_man]

You can by a puck transducer that has a cutout in it to mount it to a trolling motor. That's the direction I'd head in. I would also get power for it from the starting battery - even if it's not easy to do. At times you can get interference from the deep cycle battery that powers the trolling motor if you get your power from the trolling motor battery.

marine_man

[Steve Foss]

I would also get power for it from the starting battery - even if it's not easy to do. At times you can get interference from the deep cycle battery that powers the trolling motor if you get your power from the trolling motor battery.

marine_man

Agreed. I learned that one the hard way a few years ago when power fluctuations cost me my bow mount electronics.

[Christopher Quast]

Hey thanks guys and especially you marineman for the heads up on the interferance deal. What type of locators come with the cutout style transducer?

[PerchJerker]

You have two options for transducers.

One is the puck style, that's the type with a concave cutout and you attach it to the lower unit with a metal band hose clamp.

For mine, I use a skimmer style transducer. Lowrance sells an adapter for about $15, it has the hose clamp and a small bracket that the skimmer transducer mounts to.

After that, cable-tie you transducer to the fin at the front of the lower unit, to the bottom of the shaft right above the lower unit, and to the top of the shaft right below the head. Leave just enough slack in the cable to deploy and stow your motor, and to turn it. After than I run the transducer cable through the coiled wire on the trolling motor, then route it to the depthfinder.

marine_man is right on the money re: rigging power from your starting battery. And remember to use an in-line fuse.