12-18-2003, 04:11 AM
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Just thought I'd share the conversion of my Lowrance X98 from boat to ice. Hopefully this may help others with their conversions and better ideas may come out on conversions done by others for ice fishing. [/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]I hand to go out and buy the following:[/size][/font] [ul] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]New power cable [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]New 20 deg Lowrance Skimmer transducer though there were some interesting options available talking to the Lowrance technician on the phone. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Marine 12 volt socket and adapter plug. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Various crimp on style connectors and 14 gauge wire. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Plastic Ammo & Dry Box [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]1-1/2 mounting ball for existing R-A-M arm on sonar[/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Stainless bolts and nylock nuts[/size][/font][/li][/ul]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Things I had already:[/size][/font] [ul] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]12 volt Cabela's battery. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]R-A-M mounting system used on boat. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Cabela's 12 volt battery [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Lowrance X98df sonar & gimble bracket[/size][/font][/li][/ul] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The first pic is what the unit looks like attached to the ammo box minus the transducer bracket. Notice the 12 volt power plug. I wanted a way to keep thing as dry and clean as possible. The R-A-M mounting system is the same as the boat's so it was easiest to buy a ball to mount to the ammo box and use the R-A-M arm I already had.[/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The second picture shows how the battery is stored and wired to the 12 volt socket. Also I cut all the transducer material, which BTW was 3/4 sch 40 PVC pipe, to not only fit but also keeps the battery from sliding around while transporting. Everything, except the sonar unit itself, fit snuggly into the ammo box. If I was to do it again I might of bought a larger ammo box so the sonar unit might have fit also.[/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Picture 3 shows the transducer bracket assembled with the transducer attached with a stainless hose clamp. The transducer bracket was designed to span the ice hole and hang the transducer into the hole. When I first tried it out the bracket did not hang straight down because of the weight of the transducer offsetting the center of gravity. I fixed this by adding lead to the inside of the PVC pipe holding the transducer. 3 ozs of lead got the center of gravitiy back on center so the transducer bracket hangs straight down. I used UV resistant nylon ties to hold the transducer cable in place.[/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The fourth pic shows a close up of the 12 volt socket and adapter mounted to the side of the ammo box. This supplies the power from the battery to the sonar unit.[/size][/font][/center] [left][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]This is what I came up with but if you have a killer idea that you came up, how about sharing?[/size][/font][/left]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]I hand to go out and buy the following:[/size][/font] [ul] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]New power cable [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]New 20 deg Lowrance Skimmer transducer though there were some interesting options available talking to the Lowrance technician on the phone. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Marine 12 volt socket and adapter plug. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Various crimp on style connectors and 14 gauge wire. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Plastic Ammo & Dry Box [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]1-1/2 mounting ball for existing R-A-M arm on sonar[/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Stainless bolts and nylock nuts[/size][/font][/li][/ul]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Things I had already:[/size][/font] [ul] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]12 volt Cabela's battery. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]R-A-M mounting system used on boat. [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Cabela's 12 volt battery [/size][/font] [li][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Lowrance X98df sonar & gimble bracket[/size][/font][/li][/ul] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The first pic is what the unit looks like attached to the ammo box minus the transducer bracket. Notice the 12 volt power plug. I wanted a way to keep thing as dry and clean as possible. The R-A-M mounting system is the same as the boat's so it was easiest to buy a ball to mount to the ammo box and use the R-A-M arm I already had.[/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The second picture shows how the battery is stored and wired to the 12 volt socket. Also I cut all the transducer material, which BTW was 3/4 sch 40 PVC pipe, to not only fit but also keeps the battery from sliding around while transporting. Everything, except the sonar unit itself, fit snuggly into the ammo box. If I was to do it again I might of bought a larger ammo box so the sonar unit might have fit also.[/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Picture 3 shows the transducer bracket assembled with the transducer attached with a stainless hose clamp. The transducer bracket was designed to span the ice hole and hang the transducer into the hole. When I first tried it out the bracket did not hang straight down because of the weight of the transducer offsetting the center of gravity. I fixed this by adding lead to the inside of the PVC pipe holding the transducer. 3 ozs of lead got the center of gravitiy back on center so the transducer bracket hangs straight down. I used UV resistant nylon ties to hold the transducer cable in place.[/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The fourth pic shows a close up of the 12 volt socket and adapter mounted to the side of the ammo box. This supplies the power from the battery to the sonar unit.[/size][/font][/center] [left][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]This is what I came up with but if you have a killer idea that you came up, how about sharing?[/size][/font][/left]
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