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View Full Version : Fish Finder Position - open tinny



geoffmck
06-12-2009, 11:08 AM
I am just starting to set up my new tinny and am having pre hole drilling jitters.

I am thinking of installing my fishfinder on the side deck so it does not get in the way when moving around in the boat and does not interfere with the area where I want to install rod holders and horizontal rod rack. Attached is a pic of where I am thinking of putting it.

Has anyone else installed one here? Any issues or regrets?

Skusto
06-12-2009, 11:35 AM
alot of people have mounted them there seen them there a fair but my only issue with it there would be u could get alot of spray hitting the back of the sounder. but hard but in an open tinny to protect your electronics.

tunaticer
06-12-2009, 12:07 PM
I have mine mounted lower to avoid knocks from rods, paddles, landing nets mangroves and fish. I would ram mount it off the front end of your side pocket so you can adjust it for height and position to suit the boat on any day for any particular reason.

brisbane_boy
06-12-2009, 01:05 PM
You can get any welder to fabricate a splash plate behind your sounder, seen a few like that.

bdaearth
06-12-2009, 01:11 PM
I bought my boat second hand and that is where it is on mine and I haven't found it gets in the way or gets hit. The only thing with mine is the bloke who owned it before me and put it there has shorter legs than me so I would have put it about 2 inches farther to the front as it is right where I put my foot when driving.

krazyfisher
06-12-2009, 01:32 PM
i have mounted my on the inside on the gunnel on a ram mount so I can swivel it to be under the gunnel or just about where yours is now

mookyandlumpy
06-12-2009, 01:50 PM
i have a bench seat and put it on the seat on a ram amount aswell so you can turn it to face the front if you need and its out of the spray


if i didnt have a bench seat i would mount it to the vertical side of your gunnel not the top and mount it on a ram you could move it down when fishing , or crabbing , then up if you need when driving to the next spot

upstart
06-12-2009, 02:09 PM
Mine is up high like that and it gets in the way a bit. Particularly when up narrow mangrove gutters when I'm chasing crabs.

thephotoguru
06-12-2009, 04:04 PM
Thats where I put mine and I have been happy with it.

It is easy to view from there and that was the main reason for the placement.

I have bumped mine a couple of times but it just tilts or swivels out of the way.

If you can see it you will use it.

Cheers Eamon

Buddy Mania
06-12-2009, 05:45 PM
http://www.ram-mount.com.au/a/297.html

gr hilly
06-12-2009, 06:56 PM
ive got the same problem for 3 mths now, cant make my mind up so i just keep on looking at it in the box and know its not where it should be, im thinking more of making a plate to fix to my side pocket so i can swing it under the gunnel when fishing out of the way
tight lines hilly

shano
06-12-2009, 07:06 PM
this is what i have made for a few boats and also have it on mine! it is a side pocket that has a flat top at the back for the sounder to moun to!
these 2 pics are just after welding, the welds get sanded smooth!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/shane0o7/080920091480-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/shane0o7/080920091481-1.jpg

BREAMBOSS01
06-12-2009, 07:40 PM
gday, in my boat i have the wide gunnels and side pockets also. and when it was tiller steer we had a piece of aluminium angle iron siliconed to the front of the side pocket and screw the mounting bracket to that. the gunnels protect it from the spray and sun..

shano
06-12-2009, 09:53 PM
i will get up some pics of the other type i make also tomorrow.

geoffmck
08-12-2009, 05:18 PM
Anyone more comments?

Willo
08-12-2009, 06:04 PM
This is What I did with mine its a old pic, and the electric have changed a bit,But this set up works well for me
Willo

dreemon
08-12-2009, 06:11 PM
Heres a thread for more ideas ,

Mounting Sounder,radio and switches (http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=150168&highlight=blank+tinny)

Ninja
08-12-2009, 09:38 PM
I have a splash cover and it works well.

SCOTTYGC
08-12-2009, 09:38 PM
http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?p=880759#post880759

from the above link

Brogsy
09-12-2009, 08:38 PM
I bought a 4.2m Reel Mate a couple of months back with the extended side decks and the same side pockets. I tried three different locations.

First-On the extended side decks. Got in the way and although i protected the back with a small box it still just didn't work.

Second-I tried mounting it between the bench seat and the side pocket. It sat half on each however it copped alot of spray in the rougher water so i went back to the drawing board.

Third option-I have a 60L Esky that no matter what i do, fishing, crabbing or sitting on the water having a few beers its always there. So i built a small console that sits in the middle of my boat up against the bench seat. Its built so my esky slides in the base while the top section is angled back so its out of the spray and sits perfectly visable when driving. By housing my esky and all my electronics on this little box i didnt loose any additional space so in that regard its worked really well. The only problem is not being able to view the sounder from the front of the boat, however i imagine in any tinnie this would be hard to avoid the spray or getting it knocked around by crab pots and general fishing gear.

If your keem to see some photos let me know, its a different option to whats been discussed previously but it was easy to build, didn't cost much and it houses a stereo and VHF and a few switches and most importantly i didn't loose much any further space.

Just another option

Brogsy

gr hilly
09-12-2009, 08:56 PM
shano has got the rite spot good idea for the base to
tight lines hilly

shano
10-12-2009, 10:08 PM
cheers gr hilly,
here are the other ones i do! they fit into the gunnel and fixed by 2 stainless self tappers.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/shane0o7/IMG_6539.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/shane0o7/IMG_6540.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/shane0o7/IMG_6541.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/shane0o7/IMG_6544.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/shane0o7/IMG_6543.jpg

Sea-Dog
14-12-2009, 07:37 PM
I have mine on the side deck, and it doesn't suffer much from spray.

I suppose it depends on the boat.

Doesn't get in the way, but having said that - I don't go into narrow mangrove-lined drains either.

I did initially try mounting the sounder on a plate mounted on top of the front of the starboard pocket.

It just isn't workable. You have to bend down to see the thing and operate the controls.

Not ideal when you're supposed to be watching whats going on around you.

bigjimg
14-12-2009, 07:56 PM
Get a RAM bracket and fix it to the coaming rail then mount the sounder on the base plate of the RAM bracket.You can get them from Johnny Appleseed GPS.They are the ducks.Jim

Blusta
15-12-2009, 07:46 PM
I'm with tunaticer. I don't care how waterproof sounders are supposed to be, you will eventually have difficulty with salt water or salt air getting into connections if mounted on the top of the gunnel and exposed to the elements..

geoffmck
15-12-2009, 09:22 PM
I'm with tunaticer. I don't care how waterproof sounders are supposed to be, you will eventually have difficulty with salt water or salt air getting into connections if mounted on the top of the gunnel and exposed to the elements..

Thanks for the help guys, I have gone with the suggestion to mount out of the elements on the top (outside) of my right hand side pocket. I have made up a bracket from some aluminium angle which I have bolted to the side pocket with 2 1/4 screws so if does not work out, no real damage done.

It is a little less user friendly down there but I can see the whole screen ok from my driving position so it should work ok. I'll post some pics when I fininsh tidying up the wiring.

Mike Delisser
15-12-2009, 11:04 PM
That sounder you have won't have a prob with spray or salt air if you mount it on the gunnel, I've had 2 very wet boats since 99 and mounted Humminbirds there on both with no probs at all.

geoffmck
16-12-2009, 05:30 AM
Mounting it up there was my first preference and I may still do it if I find it awkward to use down where it is now. I am hoilding off mounting my GPS yet until I am sure. As I said earlier, if I move it I have ony drilled 2 holes and I can live with that. Thanks for the input.

2_kilo_killer
17-12-2009, 07:05 PM
krazyfisher, any chance of a few pics as i'm thinking of doing what youve done (by the sound of it). and to support this post, more pics would be great as i'm in the same position.

cheers all
col

Damned67
17-12-2009, 10:27 PM
The top unit is my sounder.. the bottom unit is my GPS. I had to move my GPS as it was not getting any signal there.

bilby
21-12-2009, 08:01 PM
Hi mate,
I made a little side console out of marine ply and covered it in marine carpet. I mounted the sounder on the top, which comes about flush with the top of the boat gunnels. I screwed the console to the cross ribs and the console doubles as my switch block, rod holder for my het, and a dry spot to run all my wiring into.
Cheers

MyEscape
27-12-2009, 04:54 AM
I've recently installed my sounder/GPS on a ram mount off the side of the gunnel. Works a treat as you are closer to the screen and can see more detail.

Wish I had done this when I bought the boat 18 months ago. THe better you can see it, the more use you can get out of your sounder. The sounder mount on the side pockets of tinnies is too far away . Having it on the gunnel, or off the side of it reduces the distance to it by half.

Steve

2_kilo_killer
31-01-2010, 02:34 PM
hi myescape, any chance of a few pics, v interested
cheers
col

pig75
31-01-2010, 03:27 PM
This is my ram mount

2_kilo_killer
11-09-2010, 05:18 PM
i have a bench seat and put it on the seat on a ram amount aswell so you can turn it to face the front if you need and its out of the spray


if i didnt have a bench seat i would mount it to the vertical side of your gunnel not the top and mount it on a ram you could move it down when fishing , or crabbing , then up if you need when driving to the next spot


Hi Mooky n lumpy,

i know this thread is a tad old but do u have any pics of your setup as i'm just about to purchase a sounder and v interested in the ram mount inside the gunnel idea or the bench seat

cheers
col aka 2kk

bearessentials
13-09-2010, 05:25 PM
heres a pic of my consol for my sounder, gps etc.. first upload of a pic so fingers crossed...

purnong
13-09-2010, 07:18 PM
Heres what I did with mine, The Ram mount works really well

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk52/purnong_2008/Picture031.jpg

Scott79
26-09-2010, 10:12 PM
This thread seems to come around pretty regularly, but a good reference if nothing else.
This is what I did to mount sounder / switch panel etc. Bottom section was always going to house the VHF, but I never got around to it...

Scott.