Fishhawk x4 installation - Help or Pointers

[f1sh-0n]

I am going to be installing my Fishhawk this weekend.  Any pointers or anything I should watch out for?  I installed my Humminbird 597 so I am assuming I should be able to install the X4. 

Edited July 25, 2013 by f1sh-0n

[fish-on]

If you installed your fish finder, The x4 is simple, Just follow the instructions.

[sammyslayer]

The hardest part is routing the wires.

Sent from my VS910 4G using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[blacksquirrel2]

if you keep losing signal change your plugs to resistors. I had trouble keeping wireless locked into the down speed and temp. Haven't had a problem since I switched to resistor spark plugs.

[CaptSpike]

Also make sure your transducer location is out of turbulence. I had planned on mounting mine on the side my kickers on but couldn't get a reading. Luckily I bought mine while out there fishing and mounted it to a piece of wood to get me thru till I got home to do the permanent mount. Would have sucked to have mounted it and find out it needed to move.

Spike

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

I have mounted several of these, on various boats. When mounting the readout, consider the ability to see it from cockpit as well as the helm.

As for transducer, twin inboards usually call for dead center at the bottom of the "V", while Outboards and I/O's can be better served with an outward mounting, towards one of the chines. Just like a FF, make sure there is nothing ahead of it that will cause disturbance in flow of water past it. 

[f1sh-0n]

First of all thanks for everyones input. Is the turbulence an issue due to the speed on top reading? I'm not as concerned with this reading as I much more trust my GPS than the paddle. The only reason I am asking is my boat isn't huge and there is only so many places I can't mount since I have the kicker installed on one side.

[CaptSpike]

My turbulance prevented the ducer from picking up the signal from the probe. Mine is mounted on the opposite side from my kicker. I also "cheated" the ducer up a bit so that it doesn't sit below the boat at all, no chance to damage it. I did it that way because I didn't care about the speed at the surface function. My FF had that function and as you said the gps is what I use for speed at the surface. Granted the GPS doesn't account to current at the surface but where I usually fish that isn't an issue.

 

Spike

[sammyslayer]

Mine is mounted between the kicker and main motor. Works fine no issues. I can use the probe on all three riggers with satisfactory results as well.

Sent from my VS910 4G using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sk8man]

I know this is a little off target  but it applies to placement of transducers  etc. and may offer ideas to others. When I bought my current boat new 12 years ago  I had a piece of plastic material (Cabela's I think) installed with 2 stainless screws to the transom in a general location where I intended to place my transducer (s) on the opposite side of where my kicker is mounted (i.e. away from turbulence). The piece is long enough to allow placement experimentation as well as installation of multiple transducers as over the years you replace depth finders with different brackets etc. This allows the careful drilling of holes but doesn't affect the transom in any manner so no matter what I decide to do there will always be only two holes in the transom (screws totally sealed  on installation). I have never had any problems with any of the installations using this. Here is a pic of it:

 

Edited July 29, 2013 by Sk8man

[CaptSpike]

I just updated my ducer mounting to stern savers. They glue on and you don't need to drill any holes. you can also get custom sizes. Prior to this I had made a lexan plate the mounted with holes thru the transome. When I removed it I just filled the holes with 5200 and put the screws back in sealing the spots for good. Or at least as long as I will care, lol.

Wish I had known about stren savers when first mounting the FF ducer. Not sure they were in bussiness yet. For those that like to DIY it is basically a piece of starboard or similar plastic that has 5/8 coarse threaded holes (6 of them) that do not break thru. The block is 5/8 thick (I believe or it could have been 1/2 I forget now but could measure again if needed). To mount you clean the area and scuff it up with light sand paper. Clean again. Fill the holes with 2 part epoxy, they claim theres is proprietary, but I'm sure any two part for water would be fine. They also had a little mounting tab that is stuck to the boat with double back tape and that helps center the block when putting it on the boat. Use tape (and their tab) to keep it in place over night and then mount your ducers.

Probably would have been better if you just googled stern saver, lol. But it doesn't show you the details if you wanted to make your own. i was under crunch time so I just purchased three and mount two side by side for the FF and the other one holds the X4 ducer.

 

Spike