02-23-2003, 11:47 AM
[cool] I'm sure there are a lot of ways. I have been hanging electronics on my donut dinghies for about 20 years, and I have tried a whole bunch of different ways.
I have been using the same model as you just got for most of the last ten years or so. It is inexpensive, doesn't draw much juice from the battery and it provides the basic info I need to locate structure and determine the depth at which fish are suspending...or hanging on the bottom.
More expensive and higher wattage units also give temperature readings and water speed. Some will even show your lure, in real time, when you are jigging within the "cone" of vision. The little EAgle doesn't do any of these. Speed indicator is not important...obviously. You can monitor temps by hanging a cheap swimming pool thermometer over the side. And third, the real time lure display is nice...but costs about $250 more on most units. It also sucks small batteries dry fast.
If you will shoot me an email, or PM on this forum, I can send some writeups and diagrams to show you how I do it. In a nutshell, I mount the "skimmer" transducer on a piece of half inch PVC pipe, and then snap it into broom handle clamps on my wooden rod rack. I'll edit a pic in below. The transducer is the trickiest part. Everything else is simply a "lash down"
The display unit comes with a mounting bracket. It has 4 holes, for screwing into a suitable spot on the boat. Not recommended that you screw it into your tube. I just run 1/4 inch nylon cord through the mounting holes and tie it securely to a good visibility spot on the craft. By the way, what kind of craft do you have? Round, pontoon, U-boat or what?
The final consideration is a battery. The good news is that you do not need a big 12 volt deep cycle marine battery. I started out using small 12 volt motorcycle batteries, but didn't like the weight, the acid and the short life. I had to mount a special holding box to keep them upright and then carry them separate to my launch sites. I discovered the SLA (sealed lead acid) rechargeable batteries a few years ago and it has made life easier.
I use a 6 amphour SLA battery. That means your Eagle...which draws only about 1/2 amp per hour...will run up to 12 hours of continuous use. I have used them over a two day trip without running out of juice. With no worries about acid spillage, you can tuck the battery into any available pocket that you can reach with the electrical lead from the display unit.
You will have to decide if you want to leave the transducer cable intact, or cut and splice it to remove some of the excess length. If you are going to use it interchangeably on a boat, do not cut the cable. Roll up the excess and stash it in a pocket out of the way. If you are not handy with things electrical, don't attempt cutting and splicing. you can mess up your new unit and void the warranty.
Like I said. Let me know if you want some writeups and diagrams. I can attach the chapter from my book which deals with all kinds of add-ons, from rod racks to live baskets to sonar.
![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage0174804.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage0174804.jpg)
MY KENNEBEC...WITH SONAR DISPLAY ON LEFT FRONT, AND ROD RACK WITH TRANSDUCER PIPE IN THE MIDDLE. BATTERY IS IN A REAR POCKET.
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I have been using the same model as you just got for most of the last ten years or so. It is inexpensive, doesn't draw much juice from the battery and it provides the basic info I need to locate structure and determine the depth at which fish are suspending...or hanging on the bottom.
More expensive and higher wattage units also give temperature readings and water speed. Some will even show your lure, in real time, when you are jigging within the "cone" of vision. The little EAgle doesn't do any of these. Speed indicator is not important...obviously. You can monitor temps by hanging a cheap swimming pool thermometer over the side. And third, the real time lure display is nice...but costs about $250 more on most units. It also sucks small batteries dry fast.
If you will shoot me an email, or PM on this forum, I can send some writeups and diagrams to show you how I do it. In a nutshell, I mount the "skimmer" transducer on a piece of half inch PVC pipe, and then snap it into broom handle clamps on my wooden rod rack. I'll edit a pic in below. The transducer is the trickiest part. Everything else is simply a "lash down"
The display unit comes with a mounting bracket. It has 4 holes, for screwing into a suitable spot on the boat. Not recommended that you screw it into your tube. I just run 1/4 inch nylon cord through the mounting holes and tie it securely to a good visibility spot on the craft. By the way, what kind of craft do you have? Round, pontoon, U-boat or what?
The final consideration is a battery. The good news is that you do not need a big 12 volt deep cycle marine battery. I started out using small 12 volt motorcycle batteries, but didn't like the weight, the acid and the short life. I had to mount a special holding box to keep them upright and then carry them separate to my launch sites. I discovered the SLA (sealed lead acid) rechargeable batteries a few years ago and it has made life easier.
I use a 6 amphour SLA battery. That means your Eagle...which draws only about 1/2 amp per hour...will run up to 12 hours of continuous use. I have used them over a two day trip without running out of juice. With no worries about acid spillage, you can tuck the battery into any available pocket that you can reach with the electrical lead from the display unit.
You will have to decide if you want to leave the transducer cable intact, or cut and splice it to remove some of the excess length. If you are going to use it interchangeably on a boat, do not cut the cable. Roll up the excess and stash it in a pocket out of the way. If you are not handy with things electrical, don't attempt cutting and splicing. you can mess up your new unit and void the warranty.
Like I said. Let me know if you want some writeups and diagrams. I can attach the chapter from my book which deals with all kinds of add-ons, from rod racks to live baskets to sonar.
MY KENNEBEC...WITH SONAR DISPLAY ON LEFT FRONT, AND ROD RACK WITH TRANSDUCER PIPE IN THE MIDDLE. BATTERY IS IN A REAR POCKET.
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