Transducer Question

[TS30]

So I have a question about transducers on fish finders for the ice, I figured someone here has been through this before. I have a Pirahnamax 160 Portable fishfinder that I bought a couple years ago for fly fishing on my pontoon simply to show depths and structure. I was never able to make this work on my pontoon the way I wanted initially, and then haven't fished my toon as much as I used to anyway. So this thing has gone unused for a couple years now. I want to start using it on the ice. I know there are better options out there, but I already have this, so I want to use it before going off and buying another toy.

I know they make an ice specific transducer for this model. But do I really need it? If I'm simply wanting to know the depth of the water and see if fish are present, will the regular transducer work for that? Or do I have to buy the ice transducer? What benefits does the ice transducer give me over the standard?

Thanks for any insight you can give me on this.
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[whipper-snapper]

The regular transducer will work just fine for showing depth and fish.

I know some guys to use a plastic bottle and run the cord through the bottom and the cap so it floats in the hole like a regular ice-ducer.
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[sandbergmc]

Look for a setting called "Fast Track" or call mfg to see if it has that feature. I show the fish coming into the sonar to the right of the finder screen. Very Cool feature.
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[TS30]

Thanks, guys!

Any insight on exactly what the ice transducer offers that the regular transducer does not? I can't seem to figure out what the differences are in my online searching and reading the specs on each.
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[badbob]

The ice ducer hangs straighter is about all, I'll find out if you can use an ice transducer in a boat this summer.
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[Kent]

An ice transducer is self leveling. The advantage of that is that it can be removed from the ice hole while landing a fish and then just dropped back in the hole and you are good to go again.
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[whipper-snapper]

Here's a video to help with your fish finder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYA8WQuH2uE
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[TS30]

I appreciate these replies and also the PM I got. I did a little google-time this afternoon and saw a post on an ice-fishing forum with suggestions how to do it. See attached to see what I did. I'll give this a go Wednesday. A couple bucks at Home Depot and about ten minutes at home and I think I've got almost exactly straight up and down. Hopefully this works as well as I'm envisioning. Beats the heck out of $100 for the ice transducer!

Thanks again, everyone!
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