SLIDETRAX TRANSDUCER DEPLOYMENT ARM

[Kevin English]

Has anyone used the SlideTrax Transducer Deployment Arm for their Fishfinder???  Does it just hang over the side of the boat???  I was gonna pull my rudder and add a piece of sheet metal to attach my transducer on to (so it would be just forward of my rudder) - but this arm seems like it would be a lot simpler....

Any feedback on this?

Thanks,

Kevin 

[Chad Hoover]

The SlideTrax TDA does just hang over the side. I was very skeptical at first. I have used in on the side mount plate, but Jeff Little came up with a really cool way to mount it on the Johnny Bar and have a completely self-contained and portable depth finder. There is a feature on it in the upcoming issue of Kayak Angler Magazine. I am sure that Jeff can post a few photos up here as well.
Chad

[Ken Hartman]

I use this on my Commander 120 with no issues.  The arm is a bit short, per some other discussion groups, so the transducer may pop out of the water from time to time.  I used a short piece of PVC pipe and extended mine about 12", then after the transducer failed, decided to shorten it up to about 3" past the original arm.  The PVC also allowed a better fit to the Hummingbird's transducer, so that was another benefit.  I install mine on the yak using the outer screw holes, so it's not centered over the trax, but offset towards the water.  Holds up well and works awesome.

[Don Paradise]

I purchased one and mounted it on the right side of my Tarpon 140. This arm folds up into the yak. If I were to hit an underwater obstacle like a rock, it would not be good for the my transducer. It should fold up to the rear of the yak so that if you were to hit something, it will fold up away from whatever it hit.

I instead opted to mount my transducer inside my yak where it's safe from obstacles.

[Ryan Sadler]

You can always build your own out of PVC.  Here's my completely removable system for example.  I can send details if you need it.  All joints are glued together except the pivot point which allows the arm to be put in the up or down position and secured with a pin.  If you were worried about it hitting something you could make it so the transducer rests just below the surface of the water and above the bottom of the boat.  I only use my FF in open lake settings so not worried about it.

[Glenn Weber]

Is that your battery box behind there? Looks great. I was also thinking of getting the mount so I could take it off when I fish the river. 95% of my fishing is fly fishing so I am trying to make a snag free system. I really like the compactness. Nice Job

[Bill Lewis]

This is the system that I made for my New Ride135. I used a black cutting board that I bought at Target. Cut it down to the same size as the Harmony Side Board and then just purchased the deployment arm on Ebay for $20. The finder is a Humminbird 598 HD SI and I love it. It works great. The battery is in the center hatch in a waterproof box I bought at Walmart.

[Glenn Weber]

Well done. The battery box ? Did you make a hole in the hatch lid for your cable? Your Kayak is the same color as my ride 115.

[Bill Lewis]

the battery box is inside the Kayak under the center hatch. It is in a waterproof box and I use a small clip to hold it in place. Google "Palmetto kayak fishing blog" and the instructions are there along with alot of other how to stuff. That guys is really good about coming up with ideas for the Ride series.

[Glenn Weber]

Wow thanks for the tip. Great site. I visited it. It gave me some ideas to try.It is amazing looking and discussing things provide inspiration. Thanks again

[Don Hantzsche]

Check out the mad frog website http://madfroggear.com/