HB Side Imaging/Skid Planer

[MoodyAllison]

I'm running a skid planer on my boat and I've got a side imaging hummingbird transducer. How has everyone mounted the transducer on this type of set up? I'm planning on changing mine this winter and need some ideas. Pics would be a great help!
Is everyone running their skid planer like Allison says to install it? I have seen alot of set ups with the planer/plate located dirrectly under the jack plate. Does that work as well as if it's mounted 3" above the pad (maybe it's 1", I can't remember)? Any suggestions would be of great assistance.

 

[MoodyAllison]

This is what I did on mine but I don't like it, as you can tell from the third pic the transducer has inerferance from the sides. I like the way the thought of the planer in theory but I'm defeating the purpose of it with a gaping hole in the middle.
My thoughts are to put a plate under the jack plate and bolt the transducer directly to it. However I still want the planer effect for coming out of the hole. I have a allison foil on the cav plate that made the biggest differance.
I want the boat to shoot out of the hole and still be able to have my side imaging......

 

[Allyfishing]

MoodyAllison, this is on my XB21 which comes with the skid planer already installed on the boat. The mount for the Lowrance Structure Scan transducer (which you can see between the ducer and the plate) is made by Allison for the guys who want to mount their ducer's to the underside of the plate.

If I remember correctly, Allison also makes one for the HB ducer as well and mounts similarly.

Hope this helps. I do know there are specific installation instruction to mount a skid planer on an XB02 or XB03 meaning the specific height above the pad and the specific distance the front edge is in relation to the pad but I don't have those instructions anymore. Bill at Allison can give you all those details. And the mount for the transducers can be ordered thru Bil as well.
Craig

 

[hullbilly]

I want the boat to shoot out of the hole and still be able to have my side imaging......

Try negative trim wedges. I'm almost 100% certain they will fulfill your holeshot needs without needing the skidplainer.

The only drawback for fishing, is that the skidplainer really helps coming off plane and with water coming over onto the back deck. A happy medium here may be a nice sized plate on the bottom of the jackplate. This would probably drastically reduce the shutdown issue and it would not effect your transducer.

I used trim wedges, the skidplainer, and a cavitation foil for drag racing. From my testing, the trim wedges improve holeshot the most.

Look very closely in between my the jackplate and clamp bracket for the silver looking wedges. Cures the xb2003 holeshot ailments.

 

[MoodyAllison]

Hullbilly, what trim set up are you running? I agree with the wedges but my trim seems to be extremly slow on my boat. I would like it to be faster but don't know where to start. I've heard people talk about using mercruiser pumps because of this but don't really know. Right now when my boat starts to break over it takes forever to get my motor back to nutral. I'm guessing that the only benefit in the wedges is to be able to get more negative trim out of the hole but if I can't get my motor back up quick enough I'd be defeating the purpose. Am I right in my thought process or am I missing something?
Also, your trim guage.... where can I get a mechanical set up like that? I don't have any kind of trim indicator and it's taken me over a year to get used to how the boat feels when running because I don't have a base line to go off of. I'm not rich either... I've got to plan out all of my wishes for this thing cause I've blown my......... on it over the past year getting the motor built and the lower unit.
Thanks for the pics Allyfishing! I'll get back with Bill and see if they have anything available. I spoke with him about the issue last summer and they didn't have the kit available for the HB yet.

 

[MoodyAllison]

Hullbilly, that's a clean rear end Ha, I am drooling over how clean your set up is. That's going to be my project befor summer getting mine cleaned up and looking neat! Thanks again!

 

[hullbilly]

Thanks for the compliments on the boat. I don't own it any longer, but I won a DSRA World Championship with that boat.

OK.....you are technically correct about slow trim with more negative trim capability. To have the best holeshot possible, you need the wedges with 24 volt up trim and preferably a mercruiser trim pump, but the regular pump on 24v would probably be sufficient.

The wedges are cheap from Bob's Machine Shop. For the 24v trim, you will need to add another solenoid to your boat strictly for 24v. Of course you'll have a little wiring project, but nothing major. Getting a new wire through the steering column is the trickiest part.

You really do need a mechanical trim gauge. However, they are ridiculously priced! You can actually make your own fairly easily. I've seen many homemade setups using a tire pressure gauge for the readout, some cable, and a could simple brackets for the motor end. Not sure, but I think they are around $400 from Stainless Marine.

If you are really interested in improving your holeshot and or ditching the skidplainer for the wedges, hit me up with a pm and we can discuss it on the phone. I know a lot about the xb2003 setup. It does take a little work and money, but IMO, well worth it.

In this pic you can see my mercruiser pump and if you look closely directly above the pump is my 24v trim solenoid. You'll have a wire that goes from the up side switch of your trim button to the solenoid. That opens the solenoid and allows your wire carrying 24v to flow through the solenoid and to the upside of your trim pump. You'll never see the boats real potential without this setup.