Remember the old Zercom RTS?

[aquafang]

I've had one of these for a few years now. Rarely use it since I have other flashers. But, I don't like the transducer. is there any trasducer similar to other ice fishing flashers that will work. the style of this one does not self level and i have it tied up with tie wraps to try to keep it level.

[PerchJerker]

is there any trasducer similar to other ice fishing flashers that will work

As far as I know there is not an ice transducer avaialbe for that unit

[hydro]

If you are handy with the old soldering gun, you can make any transducer work with that unit. A transducer is a two wire device and is easily spliced into the old connectors cable. While the new transducer may not be an exact impedance match to the Zercom, you will be surprised at how well this works. Be sure to slide a piece of shrink tube onto the cable before splicing and use it to seal up the connection.

[aquafang]

That's interesting.....

I am a tech at a photelectric plant and we make several ultrasonic sensors but the internal circuitry is designed for a specific trasducer. Depending on the pulse rate and frequency range of the circuit/trasducer, it may somewhat work but the gain and amount of pulses that are received in a certain amount of "time" may not match. I guess I don't really know what freq. the zercom transducer runs at now and what others are spec'd for? I should probably check. just thought that it would be a long shot for another trasducer to work properly. I'll take a look.

[hydro]

Almost all of the sonars that I am familiar with operate at 190 - 200 khz for normal operation and some switch to 45 khz for deep water. From transducer swapping experience with Lowrance, Humminbird and Vexilars, all of the transducers have been interchangeable with no noticeable/significant change in performance. I have done this swap for exactly the reason you originally posted and it has worked well. Give it a try and see how it works. At worst you will be out the price of the transducer.

The name of the photoelectric plant you work at doesn't with a "B" does it? I worked there as an application engineer years ago.

[Crusty old Swede]

Several years ago I was in a similar situation. I bought a boat that had a Zercom clearwater pro flasher with the speedo style xducer, well it was way to big for icefishing. So I talked to the guys at Fishlectronics and they said that the Pros came in two frequencies so you could use two at once in the same boat. If I had one of the hi frequency units they could put a Zercom connector on a vex xducer and it would work fine. But they had no way of checking which freq. my unit was and my boat was in storage so I couldn't run out and check the lable on the cord to see which it was. I got a hold of a guy over in Prescot Wis. who had some new unused trolling motor puck style xducers for the pro's ( hi freq. )- bought one and rigged it up for icefishing & it works fine...next spring I look at the xducer on the boat and it's a low freq. unit and it works fine too. While researching xducers I got the idea that perhaps the Airmar company makes darn near all fish locator xducers in the U.S. and maybe they're all interchangeable? We need a real xducer expert to let us know what's up... anybody know an ex-Airmar empolyee we can get the scoop from?

[BIG DS]

The adapted vexilar ducer is an incredibly close match. Doubtful you will notice the difference. You need to splice the Zercom plug onto the Vexilar ducer. Works great.

[aquafang]

Hydro..........

yes my company does start with a "B". I am headed to Plymouth tomorrow afternoon as I need to be there on monday to learn their packaging system mach. and a new product to bring back to Aberdeen. I've been there for over 15yrs. now.

[Nozzlejocky]

Actually, there was an ice ducer made for the RTS. I know that because I have one! Actually, I have the whole ice package which was a case type carrier, sort of like a vex type, and a ducer. Works great and I still have it as a back up. The plus side to the whole deal is that I believe I still have the extra case and ducer I picked up for a buddy who sold his RTS and no longer wanted the ice parts. If I can find it in the garage (no small feat!) I'll let you know as I'd most likely be willing to sell it; I don't need two.

[MinnesotaMongo]

I know Fish 'Lectronics in the TC's will make up anything for you. I had them make up a self-leveling 'ducer for my Clearwater classic last year - they probably used the same technique as described by Hydro (except that I'm handy like Homer Simpson, so I leave it to the pros)

You might want to check if they can help with the RTS. Good luck!

[spotty]

i bought clearwater pro and finally found a classic transducer. Well to my dismay the ends are different. do you know which wires are for what. I don't have a problem using a soldering gun just a problem screwing it up because I don't know which wire where?

[Ray Esboldt]

Aqua,

I have an ice-ducer for the Clearwater Classic that you can have and try to get it to work. If you're going to be in the metro for a day or two and don't mind hiking over to East Metro, it's all yours.

Shoot me an email at bornofice at yahoo dot com if you're interested.

Sorry I didn't see your post sooner.

[spotty]

Big DS.... did you splice the cord yourself? If you did do you remember how the wires mated to the Zercom plug?