At the advice of good NCKA friends and after some "fun" in NorCal fog I decided to upgrade my old Lowrance X4 Fishfiinder to a newer one with GPS. In March I snagged an Elite 4 HDI at the Fred Hall Fishing show and it's taken me this long to finally get it installed.  I'd say I'm a busy man but the truth is I'm weenie about this sort of thing and I procrastinated.   

WELL IT'S FINALLY DONE.  I finished the install last night and did a few touch-ups today.  I got lots of advice from folks on this board which I really appreciate.  I followed some of it, but made a few judgement calls on my own, and as always it required a little improvisation.     I'm really not very handy when it comes to this sort of thing so I feel a sense of accomplishment.  I powered it up in the garage last night and it works!! and I'm elated!  I hope to give it an OTW test this week in HUMBOLDT!!   I took a few pix along the way to post here.  Please indulge me.   

OUT WITH THE OLD: After a little elbow grease with a putty knife I managed to get the old X4 transducer and wiring out. I salvaged all the parts and it is still functional.  The first thing I discovered is that the new transducer is much larger than the older one.



THE TRANSDUCER: I decided to go with a "through the hull" goop transducer solution, even though many on this board advised otherwise.  The main reason for my decision - I had done it before.  That's maybe not the best reason, but it's the one I claim.

FIRST PROBLEM: The larger HDI transducer would not fit in the spot I had envisioned.    I have the little Hobie Mirage Sport and I'd mounted my old transducer between the pedal drive and the mast, forward of the pedals. 

THE SOLUTION: I considered several options, including moving it forward of the mast but that's where I'd planned to put the battery in a dry bag. Scratch that idea.  My solution was to put it AFT of the pedals right below the "tackle box" hatch.  I did a quick clearance check and it fits just fine with my small tackle box.  My only concern is possible cavitation from the pedals.  That will have to wait until an OTW test run.



Next I needed to make a transducer foam block, copying what I'd learned from the old hobie install kit.  It turns out that the rubber from a "knee protector" ($5 at Home Depot) did the trick, and it helped protect my knees while I worked in the garage.





I glued that into the spot and let it sit for about 3 hours, weighted down with a can of paint.



THE SCREEN: A few weeks earlier I managed to get a ram ball mount that would fit into the "screen" unit so, luckily I could use old ram ball mount hardware from my previous FF install.  (YAY!)   

I HATE DRILLING HOLES:  After the foam block had set, I laid out all the wiring and set about enlarging and drilling the holes needed for the new unit.  (I drilled holes in my hobie!  )  I used the hobie kit to put the right fitting in the holes.  After a little fretting and some work with a file -- here is what the final install looks like on the "screen" unit.



And here is what it looks like for transport without the screen unit.



MAKING A REAL MESS:  After a test run on the electronics (which worked! yay) it was time to goop down the transducer.  I just followed the same steps that the previous hobie kit advised.  I filled the block with about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of goop and then plunged the transducer into it.  Then let that sit overnight.



Here's a final shot that shows the clearance from the tackle box.



THE BATTERY:  This morning I used cable ties to tidy up the cables and take a few shots of the "battery" solution I am using (A 12 volt 6 amp hour battery recommended by a friend at OEX).  I also put the silicone dielectric grease on all the connectors.







One last final check with the battery installed --- AND IT STILL WORKED -- WOO HOO!   



STORAGE BETWEEN TRIPS: I've taken all the hardware off and am headed to the store to buy a tupperware thing to store the battery, Lowrance screen unit, and ram ball hardware between trips. 

I'm going to let the kayak sit one more night to let the goop cure as long as possible, then tomorrow morning it's up on the roof of the Prius for the long drive to HUMBOLDT for an OTW test!   

I'm stoked about this -- so thanks for reading this far -- and watch for the black prius with a yellow hobie northbound tomorrow.  Humboldt County NCKA friends, seeeeeee you soon!   

Dave 

i just did mine yesterday but instead my revo has the built in Lowrance transducer cover

Wow,  Great Job!

What type of glue did you use for the foam block and what type of goop did you use?  i am looking to do the same as you.

thanks,
Jimmy

Thanks! Very helpful, I Will be installing my Lowrance FF in the next few weeks 

So far, so good.  But nice to know I can go with other options.  Oddly -- I'm up in NorCal today on a short trip.  Had the Hobie out on Stone Lagoon and got two nice "steelies" I think .. will try to post those pictures later.

Does anyone just re glue the unit every 6 months?

These days I just make a "levee" with Duct Seal and sit my transducer in a bath of water. No issues whatsoever.

Huh?  Pics?  more words?

Duct Seal is a thick, sticky putty that never really hardens. Basically I form the Duct Seal into a donut shape, plop it down on the hull, and smoosh/schmeer the bottom down to make a good watertight seal against the hull. This makes a little "bathtub" which will hold water. Drop the transducer into the "bath", smear the duct seal up over the transducer a bit to hold it in place, and pour a little water into the "bath". That's it. You're done.

If you need to make any adjustments on the water, it's easy since the stuff never hardens.

Sometimes the transducer pulls loose during transit, but it literally takes seconds to reshape the "bath", plop in the transducer, dribble in some water, and go.