Removable, self-contained Sounder/GPS mount

[Kalgrm]

Inspired by Solatree's setup, I've done something similar but using magnets to hold my sounder unit in the cup holder, and the transducer mount to the side of the yak. Mine is a completely self-contained sounder and GPS mount, with the battery for the sounder inside the PVC tube. I remove the whole unit for transport and storage. There were no holes cut in the hull for this installation.


The whole sounder and GPS mount.

When seated in the yak, it's very easy to access the sounder and the GPS, enabling me to quickly mark the location of a school of fish while I'm trolling. The GPS is out of the way of my legs too - a good thing, because I have a habit of breaking things when there is a fish in the cockpit.


Front view of the unit in place


Rear view of the unit

Having the unit mounted like this lets me take note of the water temperature too, but I haven't found that aspect particularly useful yet. It's more important that I am able to completely remove the sounder and GPS and still use the yak as a pleasure craft with the kids. (It's an Outfitter, bought for the whole family, so I need it to retain its versatility when not in fishing mode.)

It is secured in the Hobie drink holder using a very strong pair of rare earth magnets, one Sikaflexed inside the hull and the other taped inside the base of tube, requiring about 5kg of lifting force to get the tube out of the holder. (It's leashed as well, just in case ... ) Note in the first picture the small magnets glued to the aluminium bar to hold the transducer to the side of the yak, where two of the big magnets shown below are mounted inside the hull. The bar is 25x2mm aluminium stock, rather than PVC.


One of the large magnets

The battery is a 14.8v, 2.5Ah Li-ion battery, constructed with four 18650 cells bought from DealExtreme.com. The cost was US$20, and I already had the charger. I have fished for 9 hours without draining it, but carry a second battery pack of the same specifications for the time I stay out more than 12 hours.


14.8v 4Ah Li-ion battery.

The recent addition of this GPS mount has "completed" the package, allowing me easy access to the GPS for marking schools I see on the sounder when trolling. It's constructed with the same 25mm aluminium bar and some 25mm aluminium tube, both bought from Bunnings, and a couple of pop-rivets. The Garmin GPS mount is a bike mount, which I had sitting in the shed.


The GPS mount

Cheers,
Graeme

[sunshiner]

G'day Graeme

While I have no direct need for this sort of setup I have to express my admiration for your solution. Very neat and tidy and well explained. I'd love to be able to create a battery as you've done. Is it easy?

And, dare I say it -- a very attractive method of holding things in place.

There are sure some talented people on this forum.

[FishoPhil]

Great work, I like it!
Thats a tidy little setup.
I like the way you have down it all without damaging or drilling into the hull, which is sometimes the easy way around things, but leaves ugly holes everywhere when not in use.
Well done!

[Kalgrm]

Thanks Phil and Sunshiner,

I'm glad you like the design and execution.

Making the battery pack was a breeze. Just solder wires onto the terminals in the configuration which produces a series (rather than cells in parallel) and solder a lead onto the appropriate terminals. Wrap the whole thing in electrical tape (many times) and it's complete.

I used the pack to exhaustion today - almost exactly 12 hours of power, including about 90 minutes of night-time use with the back-light on.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Scott]

Mate, that is a fantastic, a portable solution i can use in at least two of my yaks. i am sure I can adapt it to suit the stealth as well. Thanks heaps for that, i am going to shamelessly copy that.

Scott

[Kalgrm]

Mate, that is a fantastic, a portable solution i can use in at least two of my yaks. i am sure I can adapt it to suit the stealth as well. Thanks heaps for that, i am going to shamelessly copy that.

Scott

Go for it Scott! That's why I posted it here for general consumption - to help people overcome their own unique problems. I hadn't even thought it could solve the problem of "multiple yak accessory syndrome", but of course, it's a great answer for that application!

Cheers,
Graeme

[solatree]

Well done Graeme - love the development ! The magnets are a great idea.

One question though - what did you do with the "spare" transducer leader ? On my Humminbird, it says not to cut it, so I have it all coiled up and stored in the Hobie Bum bag on the back of the seat - what about you - could you store it inside the mount with the battery, or did you shorten it ?

Cheers

[Kalgrm]

Thanks Andrew,

The extra cable for the transducer is coiled up and secured with cable ties, then the whole coil sits inside the tube. The battery rests on it.

Cheers,
Graeme

[maccayak]

Question on the batteries? Do you untape them everytime you want to re charge or do you recharge in the loom? I like the idea a lot, thank you for sharing it. I was just about to install my sounder, I think I will copy your installation also. I like the magnets!

Regards Geoff

[Kalgrm]

G'day Geoff,

The battery is charged as a single unit, using a "smart charger" designed for a 14.8v Li-ion battery. Soldering the four battery cells together makes the pack a 14.8v battery.

Again, the original concept for installing the magnets on a yak wasn't mine, but I adapted an idea proposed by SSTupperware in this thread. He proposed using them to keep knives, pliers, etc. in place. I just took it a bit further.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Kalgrm]

A couple of shots to help explain some answers:


Inside the tube


The charger and both batteries

Cheers,
Graeme

[paddlefisher]

Had a setup on with the same principle on my last yak, if the industry could be persuaded in making a scupper hole in the cupholder the sounder could be fitted directly under the battery container.



My Wilderness systems "the Ride" had one big scupper, the sounder could be tilted through.



Easy to get the whole system out for, transport, charging , playing in the surf, rinsing with freshwater without disconnecting, and using it in several yaks.

PF

[maccayak]

Hi Kelgrm,

Have you used 75mm Storm Water or 80mm Sewer pipe. I am starting to get the gear together. Magnets have been ordered. Have also researched 18650 batteries, hardest part to get are the battery holders to suit.

Cheers Geoff

[Kalgrm]

G'day Geoff,

I used 90mm PVC pipe, which was the closest size I could get to the drink bottles which go in the Hobie holder.

I haven't used a battery holder - I've taped the battery cells together and soldered between them with wires to make it a single battery, charged as a single unit with the charger. The most difficult thing should be finding a charger for a 14.8v Li-ion battery.

Good luck with it.
Graeme

[spottymac]

Hi Graeme, I am looking at getting 4 x 18650 Li-ion 3.7 V battery, it comes with a charger but only dose two battery at a time,
You have used a Universal Smart Charger designed for the 14.8 V, which is a much better idea,
Do you know a place I can locate a charge the same as yours,