Mounting transducer on Minnkota Powerdrive

[Edwasa]

I am trying to determine the best way of attaching a transducer, for a Humminbird Legend 2000, to my Minnkota Powerdrive bow mount. I swapped the transom mount transducer for a trolling motor mount transducer, which clamps to the motor housing with a radiator clamp. There is no way to mount the unit forward of the drive shaft. The unit now gets interference from the Minnkota's drive shaft. (Unless the lake I was fishing this week is 600' deep.) Basspro Shops sells a bracket, to accomadate a transom mount type transducer, but the way it mounts would not allow me to fully retract the trolling motor. Does anyone have any experience with this situation?

[Steve Ernest]

Hello,
I ran into the same problem. The Way I solved it was this. I attached the transducer and tiewrapped the cable to the shaft as close to the motor housing as I could. That allows the motor to be fully retracted and the latch catches fine. This leaves the cable free hanging and it will get in the prop unless you have a way to keep the slack out of the transducer cable. The way to do that is to tiewrap one end of a bungie cord to the transducer cable and attach the other end to the coiled power cable going to the control head of the motor. This puts a small amount of tension on the cable when the motor is deployed thus keeping the cable free of the prop and allowing the motor to turn freely. When you pull the motor in, the tension on the bungie cable lets off so you don't keep tension on the cable all the time. Just when the motor is in the water when it is needed. It is the only way I have found that works well. Email me if you want a picture of what mine looks like if this is too confusing.
Good Fishin
Steve Ernest
sdernest@ecksor.net

[GU]

Mounting - tie wrap at base, cable through handle, tie wrap back to shaft about an inch down from head (top). Bottom tie tight, top one snug but so you can adjust cable length. You can drill a hole through the flat spot between the motor & shaft for a tie wrap if you want. Watch to not pinch cable at the latch the 1st few times you retract the motor.

I use a chunk of rubber conveyor belt between the motor & transducer but don't know if it is necessary. I see some interference at higher TM speeds. Deeper than around 20 ft & you may see interference from transom mounted transducer finder.

If the finder is wired to the trolling motor battery that may be the source - sop is different battery. Last but not least, look at acceptable reductions in sensitivity & adjust ASP settings.

Good Luck

[Greg Walters]

Edwasa,

Sounds like you are getting some RF interference from your trolling motor showing up on your Legend 2000. We have some troubleshooting tips on our (Humminbird) web site that help address this issue. Take a look at them and see if they fix your problem.


Greg Walters at Humminbird

[Toolman]

Ed,

Try a piece of rubber (old inner tube or other) between the TD and the motor. This will help insulate the TD from the motor. Also get some RF suppressors that clip over the TD cable (available at Radio Shaq). They seem to work well.

Tim