# Looking For Homemade Ice Transducer Ideas



## GeeEmm (May 7, 2004)

Looking for ideas, photos, videos, etc., for rigging standard transducers for ice use. Thanks!

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## Cobra (Jan 19, 2000)

Don't have any pics but used a 3 stick type tip-up frame to hold my open water portables transducer after the old Green Box died towards the end of a season. Just bolted the transducer where the spool went, taped the cable to the top and it actually worked fairly well.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

I've seen the set up that Cobra mentioned if you need to keep the transducer staight. I use a piece of styrofoam/swim noodle, it floats in the hole and lets the transducer hang straight down. 

Cobra - What happened to your "Little Green Box"?


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## me223656 (Dec 20, 2009)

I have an eagle portable unit. I think its the fishmark 320. I put a piece of threaded rod thru the carry handle and bent it 90 degrees. Then another 90 degree bend about 7 inches down. Thats where the transducer goes. My trans had a suction mount. I unbolted it and slid it on the threaded rod with a wing nut for adjustment. Now i just fold the rod over the unit for storage so its all in one. I would post a pic but its all packed up. By the way that unit is real cheap and works amazing. I use it over my fl-18 all the time in water under 25 ft. 

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## me223656 (Dec 20, 2009)

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## me223656 (Dec 20, 2009)

I also dont have to drill two holes to fish. The threaded rod saits at the edge of your hole out of the way

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## Cobra (Jan 19, 2000)

2 holes? Thing sits right up against the side of the hole, little difference compared to modern designed systems. Cheap and easy. Actually easier to get out of the way if you need to, nice, tall handle


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## GeeEmm (May 7, 2004)

Good stuff! Thanks. Any others?

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## swaprat (Oct 1, 2011)

why not get aluminum in flat stock 12 inch or more and a 90 degree angle stock 12inch long. they sell the stuff at tractor supply and lowes / homedepot. the flat stock has to fit the transducer bracket in with so it screws to it might be 2-3 inch wide then the angle stock is drilled and screwed in the center so it un-folds like a tee shape mostly better at the top of the flat stock if you got 12 inch long flat stock. if fishing up north go 24 inch flat stock for thicker ice. mite have a problem sinking a 2x4 cause wood floats but not all the denser the wood grain is packed is when the wood sinks. so pine is bad for this btw just fold up and throw in the bucket when ready to leave. any ways wish ya luck i see if i can get a pick of this idea later.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

GeeEmm said:


> Looking for ideas, photos, videos, etc., for rigging standard transducers for ice use. Thanks!
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Try searching this forum, it's been covered a few times.


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

I would suggest not doing anything that would stop you from getting the T-ducer below the ice especially in thick ice. If you do not get it below the ice you'll get terrible interference from bouncing pings.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

METTLEFISH said:


> I would suggest not doing anything that would stop you from getting the T-ducer below the ice especially in thick ice. If you do not get it below the ice you'll get terrible interference from bouncing pings.













:lol: :lol: 
You may be related to world famous "celebrities" mettle, but you are sorely mistaken about your conceptual view of Sonar operation.
I ran a shop in the 80's that serviced all kinds of communications electronics including marine VHFs and _*Sonars*_; I have, in the past - personally used an 8° 192KHz puck on Muskegon Lake's 24-26" of ice sounding THRU it using nothing more than salt water on the very white bubble filled surface perch fishing near the Milwaukee Clipper in 72 FOW to acoustically couple the transceiver to the bottom below.
Searching with my machine instead of burning up all my gas punching hole after hole after hole...I prefer to scout and drill.

This was done using a Lowrance X70A (which is going on 15 years old, was USA made and is still owned, operated & enjoyed by my BIL) putting out 3 KW of PTP power. 
I also ran an LMS332c for 4 years on the same type portable setup I fabricated myself which I am running today, with the exception of a Humminbird 798ci is perched atop the stand using a 12v 12 ah battery - I used 2- 7amp SLa's in parallel with the X-70A (on a different box of course) and since the LMS332c only offered 2.4 KW PTP one 7 ah SLA battery lasted much longer, but I did have to be _more_ conservative with the CCFL back light.
The HB 798ci will run all day and then some using the CCFL backlight at what ever level I choose and it transmits 4 KW PTP power.
If you're having interference issues, you must be running a 400 watt antique that is all glory and no guts, like my first Ray Jefferson, which would often lose the bottom beyond 22 FOW (we called them ray junkerson at the shop for a very good reason).
The Lowrance LRG1510A I breifly owned had no problems, except it ate $6 a roll (my cost) chart paper.
The UHMW articulating arm I have my XDCR mounted to rarely gets fully submerged, it reduces ice build up if I am hole hopping often as I may do when the temps plummet and the Arctic Armor becomes my "shanty".
Often only the "face of the XDCR gets wet enough to be acoustically coupled to the water column.
I ran an 8° puck on the X70A, a 20° skimmer on the LMS443c and I am running a 20°/60 dual beam puck on the HB 798ci.
I can sit in the midst pf a pile of guys with the garden variety dime store Vexilar & blind a dozen guys so badly no level of interference reject will clear out the over spray I am giving them at no extra charge.
Sorry to disagree mettle- but your statement is utterly and completely FALSE. You might know your Daredevles quite well - but I used to service this stuff and actually have a bit of knowledge on the subject - as well as have been using them for over a quarter century.
I'm no hall of famer, but I'll be glad to share information with almost anybody.
































Here's a HB P-Max 150 my Step Son & I built a few seasons ago from aluminum too.



















Please if you're going to report this post to myself & the other staff about what a bad man I am, I'll be sure to read it when I get back up around 3:30AM; in the mean time please enjoy the salad bar and have yourself a nice night.



GeeEmm - there are really a LOT of ideas and images posted in prior posts, just spend some time searching the ice fishing forum and learning the flexibility of the search tool as far as date queries.
You'll find a lot of great inexpensive ideas. I think there's even a thread having "Red-Nexilar" out there - funny as hell, but innovative as well

Robert


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

Robert doesn't even carry a rod on the ice any more. He stuns the fish when they swim into the cone of death from his high powered sonar. Then he picks them up when they float to the surface. 

The rednexilar was a good thread. Iceshanty.com also has some good threads for converting a softwater sonar to use on the ice.


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## swaprat (Oct 1, 2011)

sfw1960 said:


> Here's a HB P-Max 150 my Step Son & I built a few seasons ago from aluminum too.
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i realy like that box robert i will have to by some diamond plate and a pan break lol's and bend a few up now that i got the idea lol's took sheet metal fab in college for h.v.a.c. so not to worry lol's. maybe make it for a car sized boat battery so i can run the hole sled too. j/k


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

Check out this thread.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272720&highlight=rednexilar


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## swaprat (Oct 1, 2011)

I bougth one of these maybe will work for you that and a tee bracket like in this guys first picture. 
http://clamoutdoors.com/ice_fishing/fishing-acc/tackle-storage/gear-storage-flasher-bag-new.html



BradU20 said:


> Look familiar? Thanks for the idea sea nympho
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Btw thanks for that link I got some bullet proof lexan type stuff I may use for one of these.


Quack Wacker said:


> looks like my pictures fell off, so I will repost them for people.
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