# Where to mount depth finder/fish locator on tiller boat?



## GrandpaMike (Apr 21, 2018)

Hello again and happy Saturday! 

Should be the first warm Saturday of the year and I'm looking forward to making some progress on the boat today.

I bought a used fish locator. I don't expect it to actually find fish, but I do want to know depth and see if there is any structure on the bottom and it will do that.

In any boat I've been in, it was extremely useful to see the depth while under power to know where we were on topo maps or to avoid shallow surprises.

With a tiller motor, where is a good place to mount the display? The cable length is going to limit me from going too far forward. The transducer mounting block is in the stern on the port side.

Trolling motor will be bow mounted, but control pedal is wireless, so no cable length restriction on that control.

Driver's seat will be on the starboard side of the furthest bench to the stern in the photo. There is a little shelf on the port, stern with the electrical switches and this is where the power is for the unit. Initially planned to mount it there but would be looking backward to see it.

Maybe that's OK, but it seems awkward.

Thoughts?






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## Weldorthemagnificent (Apr 21, 2018)

That’s where I mounted mine. You do have to look back to see it but I don’t find it bothersome. Plus it’s out of the way. 


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## jasper60103 (Apr 21, 2018)

I have a tiller setup as well.
I mounted mine right on the driver's seat, port side.
Its easy to view while underway.


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## GrandpaMike (Apr 21, 2018)

Weldorthemagnificent said:


> That’s where I mounted mine. You do have to look back to see it but I don’t find it bothersome. Plus it’s out of the way.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you! Maybe it won't be bad there after all. I like that it will be out of the way. I appreciate it!

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## GrandpaMike (Apr 21, 2018)

jasper60103 said:


> I have a tiller setup as well.
> I mounted mine right on the driver's seat, port side.
> Its easy to view while underway.


That was the other place I was considering. Any issues with dock lines or anything catching on it there? Thanks!

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## water bouy (Apr 21, 2018)

Mine is also on the left side of the bench. They get bumped around no matter where they end up. 
Is that a 16 ft Lund?


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## Weldorthemagnificent (Apr 21, 2018)

I have seen guys make a board with a couple legs that “saddle” the bench seat. That way you can move it to suit. 


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## gatorglenn (Apr 21, 2018)

GrandpaMike said:


> Hello again and happy Saturday!
> 
> Should be the first warm Saturday of the year and I'm looking forward to making some progress on the boat today.
> 
> ...


 I would put it beside the cup holder on port side, of the back bench. Or in front of the driver on starboard side, on the middle seat.


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## GrandpaMike (Apr 21, 2018)

water bouy said:


> Mine is also on the left side of the bench. They get bumped around no matter where they end up.
> Is that a 16 ft Lund?


Yes it is. Impressive that you can tell from that photo. I ended up mounting it on the bench this afternoon. I think it's going to work out fine there. I appreciate everyone's input!



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## GrandpaMike (Apr 21, 2018)

gatorglenn said:


> GrandpaMike said:
> 
> 
> > Hello again and happy Saturday!
> ...


Thank you! I untied the cables and they would not reach the starboard side without splicing the power wire. So I went with the port side bench.

Thanks again!


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## GrandpaMike (Apr 21, 2018)

Weldorthemagnificent said:


> I have seen guys make a board with a couple legs that “saddle” the bench seat. That way you can move it to suit.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


My son in law suggested something like that too. We kicked the idea around a bit but finally decided to mount it to the bench. Interestingly, I found three screw holes in the bench in the same spot already, so it appears there was one there before.

Thanks again!
-Mike-

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## Gobbi-M1 (Apr 21, 2018)

GrandpaMike said:


> Hello again and happy Saturday!
> 
> Should be the first warm Saturday of the year and I'm looking forward to making some progress on the boat today.
> 
> ...







Since I sit on the right side of the boat as I’m on the tiller, I mounted mine off to the right rail. I also added Hobie H-Rails though. So it is mounted with hobie h-rail ram mount. It’s on there sturdy and can be moved and adjusted.



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## Gobbi-M1 (Apr 21, 2018)

GrandpaMike said:


> Hello again and happy Saturday!
> 
> Should be the first warm Saturday of the year and I'm looking forward to making some progress on the boat today.
> 
> ...







Here is another shot from the side. 



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## jtf (Apr 22, 2018)

A mounting rail...Yes! Something to look into. Does it screw into gunnel, mine are round.


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## GrandpaMike (Apr 22, 2018)

Gobbi-M1 said:


> GrandpaMike said:
> 
> 
> > Hello again and happy Saturday!
> ...


That rail is really nice! I've never seen those before. Nice setup!

-Mike-

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## Gobbi-M1 (Apr 22, 2018)

GrandpaMike said:


> Gobbi-M1 said:
> 
> 
> > GrandpaMike said:
> ...


Thanks, 
They’re stock components for Hobie Kayaks, the Pro Angler 12 or 14 in particular. But I ordered some for my Klamath 14’ tinny. I think they look clean and good functionality. 

Marcos


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## Gobbi-M1 (Apr 22, 2018)

jtf said:


> A mounting rail...Yes! Something to look into. Does it screw into gunnel, mine are round.


Mine are, but mine have a flat top along the top side of gunnel. If you are able to drill holes top and bottom, it still should work with rounded gunnel because you can tighten from top and bottom until no movement. Aside from that not sure how secure they’d be.

Marcos


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## jtf (Apr 23, 2018)

This is a mount that would work for both my boats. Portable with an articulated arm. Unfortunately, the factory rep only covers the Helix 5 without mentioning the mount. 

Anybody know who makes it? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E--A6r2OSdA


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## LDUBS (Apr 23, 2018)

jtf said:


> This is a mount that would work for both my boats. Portable with an articulated arm. Unfortunately, the factory rep only covers the Helix 5 without mentioning the mount.
> 
> Anybody know who makes it?
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E--A6r2OSdA



Looks like one made by BalZout. At $175, it isn't exactly an economy model.


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## jtf (Apr 23, 2018)

Yeah, don't want to spend a 1/4 of what the unit cost for a mount. There aren't any big box outdoor stores in two hours of here, it's hard to compare with pictures or would chance ordering one.

Looks like Ram makes a swing-away adjustable for about $60. My tiller handle requires left hand operation (Tohotsu), so the unit needs to be to my right and out of the way. Maybe on the floor or the top of a rib below the gunnel?

I like those Hobie rails if they put the unit inside the gunnel. Do they offer a shorty rail?

My bow trolling motor has a lead for electronics hook up but that will put it too forward to see from the tiller.


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## Gobbi-M1 (Apr 23, 2018)

jtf said:


> Yeah, don't want to spend a 1/4 of what the unit cost for a mount. There aren't any big box outdoor stores in two hours of here, it's hard to compare with pictures or would chance ordering one.
> 
> Looks like Ram makes a swing-away adjustable for about $60. My tiller handle is on the left too, so the unit needs to be to my right and out of the way if possible without turning around.
> 
> I like those Hobie rails if they don't put the unit out over the gunnel. Do they offer a shorty rail?


Yup, they make them in 9 inch, 21 inch or the longer ones in 41 inch I believe. Amazon carries the 9 and 21’s. I ordered the longer ones from Austin Kayak online. 

And yes, Ram Mounts makes various mounts that would work and they are easily adjustable and can swing away easily as well.


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## Weldorthemagnificent (Apr 23, 2018)

I can’t help but think that if a guy wanted a swing away mount for his depth finder that some sort of hardware store bracketry could be cobbled together and it could be pinned in the oarlock on the cheap. 


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## jtf (Apr 23, 2018)

If it would mount to the face of the rear seat box on the right, it could be pulled up to view and maybe be out of the way when moving around the boat or landing a fish. I have a few more mods to finish to get the hull snag proof as possible.


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## Weldorthemagnificent (Apr 23, 2018)

You can get magnetic mounts for cell phone. I have one on an arm that’s adjustable. It suction cups to the window but I’m sure it could be screwed. Works good and holds a plus size iPhone with a case even when driving the truck on the farm. 


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## Weldorthemagnificent (Apr 23, 2018)

I’m just spitballing ideas here, you got me thinking. 


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## Doc Arroyo (Apr 27, 2018)

I had an old Lowrance left without a mount. My solution was a Scotty rod holder socket mounted to the gunnel, a Scotty table and some aluminum angles. It is up where I can see it, ot of the way, and easily moved.


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## LDUBS (Apr 27, 2018)

Just tossing another idea. If you are decent at fabricating, you could make an articulated arm. I made one once to hold my lathe dust collection hood. Worked neat cause I could move it around as needed. I don't have a pic of the one I made. It is long gone. Here is a generic pic from Google.

Edit: forgot the pic.


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## LDUBS (Apr 27, 2018)

Doc Arroyo said:


> I had an old Lowrance left without a mount. My solution was a Scotty rod holder socket mounted to the gunnel, a Scotty table and some aluminum angles. It is up where I can see it, ot of the way, and easily moved.




Neat and clean. I like it.


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## GrandpaMike (Apr 27, 2018)

LDUBS said:


> Doc Arroyo said:
> 
> 
> > I had an old Lowrance left without a mount. My solution was a Scotty rod holder socket mounted to the gunnel, a Scotty table and some aluminum angles. It is up where I can see it, ot of the way, and easily moved.
> ...


Wow! There are some great fabricators here! Thanks for all the ideas.

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## Captain Morgan (Apr 28, 2018)




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## oakchas (May 24, 2018)

I got a flag pole holder. The kind that mounts a flag pole to the house. They're aluminum. I then got a 1" dowel and inserted it into the rod holder, covered it with 1" ID pvc pipe. I can keep the sonar in view while piloting the tiller steer motor. You can make any length you want, any angles you want... See my post on 1966 mirrocraft (last page) for more details.









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## Brian121804 (May 24, 2018)

Late to the party, but here's mine.

I pieced together some scrap plywood, 
stained it with some old deck stain I had laying around,
& mounted my tachometer & depth finder to it.

There's enough cable to move it anywhere in the boat I need it.
It generally lives on the port side shelf, or on the center bench.

Pay no attention to the mess of cable on the floor, that's since been cleaned up.


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## GrandpaMike (Jun 20, 2018)

More good ideas! I had purchased a used trolling motor. A Minnkota bow mount with a wireless foot pedal and installed it. It ran fine on the donor boat but never ran on mine. The motor itself is fine, it's the electronics that failed. I finally took it to a Fixit clinic and three electronics guys tried to help me. After an hour and a half they declared the main circuit board to be dead. RIP.

It is old enough that you cannot but the part so I ordered a Motor Guide Xi3 that should arrive today. If/when I upgrade my fish finder to any Lowrance model with GPS, it will interact with it, so at that point making the fish finder a little more mobile in the boat would be nice. 

New fish finder is down the road a bit, but nice to have these other ideas for planning. 

Thanks!

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