Z7 and Humminbird side imaging transducer?

[Scott Randolph]

Anyone with a Z7 have Humminbird side imaging? If so, where did you locate the transducer on the back to prevent the sponsons from blocking the side imaging signal? Even with a jack plate it looks like the transducer would still be between the sponsons. Should it go somewhere on the step hull? If so where? Just looking at it, it looks like it would take 2 transducers with their L/R Y cable to make this work.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Scott,



You can wait for Greg to chime in or you can search some recent posts. Transducer placement has been a big topic.



TOXIC

 

[Scott Randolph]

Thanks TOXIC. I am just concerned that with the unusual RPS transom and the sponsons on the side that the Z series, especially the Z7 is a unique situation and looking for people with the specific combination of a Z7 and working Humminbird SI to give me ideas of where they put the transducer. I hope Greg has advise but he may well not know the specifics of the Z7 transom.

 

[Jim B]

I have non RPS z7 and i mounted mine to the bottom fo the jackplate and it works just fine there. I also used the y cable and glued a 2d trnasducer in the bilge for high speed running.



Here is a pic of where mine is mounted. If you want i will take a wider pic of the boat.

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Where Jim B mounted his CSi may be the ideal spot for yours as well Scott. I would not know without looking at pics of your boat

 

[Jeffry Skidmore]

I mounted mine on the first step down just to the right of the drain plug. '96 TF170. I don't have a jack plate. My buddy has a jack plate on his Bullet 21, and he bought a "holeshot plate" that has a built in SI transducer mounting with a sheild in front of it to protect the 'ducer. He got his thru the "friend of a friend's friend" so I haven't been able track that down. Having posted that, I will say that he rlocated his from the side of the jack plate, and the difference in clarity of image was over the top. So, if I had a jack plate, without a doubt that's how I would do it, and how i will do it next time.

 

[C Shiner]

Check out this link: http://www.bbcboards.net/zerothread?id=655601

 

[Scott Randolph]

To be clear, I don't own the boat yet. Planning to order in January and currently deciding how I want it rigged. First I notice looking at pictures of transducer installations that the boats with jack plates, many cover up the tunnel in the RPS transom negating the purpose of it to let the wave under the boat purge off when planing. So I am reconsidering getting the jack plate.



But it looks like most are mounting the transducer in basically the same place jack plate or not. This is a picture I found on the internet showing the Z7 RPS transom. The red line is the lowest point of the sponsons and the blue line is the left right view of the transducer under the sponsons mounted where most are recommending it. I take it the difference between the red and blue lines is proving to be enough to prevent echo back off the sponsons.

 

[C Shiner]

 

[C Shiner]

 

[C Shiner]

The transducer would be located below the red line and just left of the temp probe if mounted on the face of the JP per your picture.

 

[Jeffry Skidmore]

If you're ordering new, and rigging from scratch, my advice would be to get the jackplate and mount it either on the side of JP where Chaz suggested or go ahead and spend the extra $200-$400 for a hole-shot plate with transducer mount. As I said in my previous post, the image clarity is exponetially clearer, trans. is protected, and no issues with blockage of signal. My intention when I upgrade to a longer(bigger) boat is to do that.

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Scott,

Yes the difference between the red and blue lines looks like the difference between getting an echo reading off of the sponsons. You did not state which Si unit you were getting so we don

 

[Baja 252]

I have a 2010 Z7 with a 6" Bob's Hydraulic jackplate w/a holeshot plate. The bottom of the plate does hang down just a hair below the top of RPS notch.



I have my LSS transducer (Lowrance) is mounted on the side of the jackplate with a bracket from Scap. As you see in the photo I also needed his wedge to get the transducer level when the boat is idling in gear. This wedge also puts the transducer lower. I would say it's at or just below the red line in your photo.



It all works perfectly, no interference issues at all even with the engine trim and jackplate all the way down.

 

[Scott Randolph]

Great picture Baja. I hadn't seen a picture from under a jack plate. Pictures from behind it looks like the big boxed jack plates covered the RPS tunnel. I see now that it doesn't.