A Better Transducer Holder.....by Ken Ziomek

For over a year I’ve been using my flexible arm transducer holder with good results. I used it initially for my Lowrance color sonar and then modified it slightly for my Humminbird Side Imaging unit. The assembly which is described in a post on this web site worked well and I know it was copied by some other NuCanoe owners with good results. After using it for over six months on my Side Imaging unit, I realized that there was one area in which an improvement was needed. When I fished very shallow water, I would raise the flex arm out of the water and rest it in my NuCanoe. When I returned it to the water, I found it was difficult to replace it with the transducer being straight and level in the water. My new design addresses that issue.

In this photo, you can see all of the individual components using CPVC pipe. While the CPVC worked, I ended up changing to copper pipe for a more rigid mount for the High Definition Side Imaging transducer that I’m using. As with the flex arm holder, I start out with a Ram-Mount one inch ball fastened to my apparatus board. I use a 6 inch Ram-Mount double arm with one end fastened to the one inch ball and the other end attached to a one inch ball with a 1/4 NPT (National Pipe Thread) hole. This is attached to male to male 1/4 NPT brass stub. This fits into a coupling sized for the plastic or copper pipe that will be used. The length of the pipe is determined by the placement of the one inch Ram ball on the apparatus board. The fittings are reversed on the other end to allow mounting of a bracket for the transducer. I made my bracket from a length of aluminum stock that is 2 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick.

To ensure that the arm remained in place, I fastened two pieces of deck planking (2 1/4 inches X 1 3/4 inches) to the NuCanoe gunnel. The spacing between the two pieces was based on the width of the copper pipe with one inch spiral wire wrap to shield the transducer cable. The pieces were held in place with well nuts and stainless steel screws.

With this design, I can lift and lower the transducer arm repeatedly and always have my Side Imaging transducer straight and level in the water.