Share Your Innovations
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It was a dark and stormy night, (really, thanks to the first big storm of the season). At times like this I like to go to the shop and futz around. I tinker with things and sometimes come up with an idea or two on how to make the things I use work better. I call on my inner-Macgyver. We all have a little MacGyver in us. You remember the TV show where the guy saves the world every week with duct tape and a swiss army knife.
Anyway, as I was tinkering with my new Hobie Livewell I thought it might be fun to ask everyone to share some of the cool ideas and mods that they have come up with over the years. I remember reading of a few great innovations in this forum. A couple that come to mind are: Adding a weight to the bottom of the Hobie peddles so they remain upright all the time. A video camera mounted on a short mast attached to a stern mounted bait tank to record the day's events. I am sure our community has come up with dozens of simple but wonderful ideas that help make the kayak fishing experience better and more fun. If you have one of those ideas, post it in this thread and share it with the rest of us. I'll go first. We all know that we should leash our gear when out on the water. Sometimes, however, there is just no good place to clip a leash to a rod. With this problem in mind, I came up with an easy-to-make connection loop that can be installed on just about any kind of gear we carry on our kayaks. The thing takes a couple minutes to make and the materials cost less than a quarter. Behold the LEASH LOOP! All you need to make one of these is a four inch piece of coated wire leader, a similar size piece of shock cord, a crimp sleeve and a crimper. Attachment 1687 Cut a 4" piece of the leader. Tie the shock cord so that you have a suitable size band that will stretch to fit around your rod, (or whatever else you want to use this thing for). Make sure that when the shock cord contracts, it fits tightly around your rod. After trimming the shock cord be sure to burn the end so the nylon does not fray. Attachment 1688 Thread the leader through the crimping sleeve, loop the leader around the shock cord and thread it back through the sleeve. Tighten this loop so it is snug against the shock cord. Make a larger loop with the other end of the leader and thread that end through the sleeve. Crimp the sleeve and trim the excess leader. Attachment 1689 And you are done. Attachment 1690 Slide the shock cord ring over your rod. Attachment 1691 GO FISHING! BTW, as shown in the photo above, the Leash Loop can also double as a place to hook your lure to keep it out of the way when not in use. I have a couple other simple projects that I will post soon. If you have something to share, let us see it. Bob |
Cool idea, I just clip my leash to a zip tie below the first guide and above the reel (Same zip tie that I use when I go LR fishing). The zip tie serves as a rod holder on the LR boats (loops on the fish sack hooks by the bait tanks) and a leash clip for my Kayak.
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Innovations
You might want to do something like this to keep kelp polyps, grass and crap out of the intake tube of your new bait tank. I used pure silver wire bought from a bead shop so it won't corrode. Not as simple as a screen, but I like the way it looks and works. I know it won't fall off.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j.../Retrofit5.jpg Also, be careful of the collar around the outflow tube. It can come loose if your not careful. Wayne |
Homemade Gear Leash
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I have not been happy with the leashes that I have found for sale. The ones using shock cord are too heavy and the cord exerts too much pressure when stretched. The ones that work well are kind of expensive. In today's class, I will show you how to make one at home for almost nothing.
Like most people, I have a bunch of old cell phone car chargers hanging around. Every new phone I get seems to require a different plug and therefore a new car charger. For this project we will be putting the curly cables from those old charges to a new use. Start by cutting both ends off an old cable. If you don't have one, you can use a phone handset cable, ($5 at Home Depot). Attachment 1694 Plastic snap clips that are easy to use are hard to find. I found something usable at REI, ($2 for a pair of clips). These clips have to be modified a bit. Spread the clip apart and pull the strap attach point out. Slide a 3/4" piece of shrink wrap over the cord and then thread the cord through the hole in the snap clip. Slide a large crimp sleeve over the end of the cord and pull the end of the cord as far through the sleeve as you can. You may have to trim some of the cord material in order to get it to fit into the sleeve. Trim the cord so it is flush with the end of the sleeve Attachment 1695 Take a sheet metal screw and screw it into the open end of the sleeve leaving about 1/16" gap between the screw head and the sleeve. Crimp the sleeve over the screw threads. Attachment 1697 Spread the clip again and pull the cord so that the sleeve slides into the clip body and the screw head seats itself in place. Attachment 1696 Crimp the bottom of the sleeve around the cord. Slide the shrink wrap as far as you can up toward the screw and heat to shrink the material. The final result will look like this. Attachment 1698 I like this leash better than any I have seen in stores. It stretches to over seven feet and recoils out of the way. Perfect for rods. You could make shorter ones for things like gaffs, pliers or Hobie Mirage drives that are used in more confined areas. Bob |
Cool stuff.
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OK.....Mr. and Mrs. Sea Bass the time is almost upon us so I will share a little.
These are (2) of the finest improvised Kayak Fishing tools I have used. The first is a New Silent Kelp Clip for those WSB missions that take you into the spaghetti. This clip takes up No room at all, nor does it make any metallic sound. Its very easy to use, Just grab 2 or 3 single strands of kelp and Cuff it. Tie the other end to your kayak. It will not slip do to wind or current, and you do not have to pile 25 lbs. of salad on your Kayak to anchor. -A joint venture between Me and Elbie. ----------------------- Item #2 is a De- Hooking Tool for your Sabiki Rig. Hold it by the Cork End and use the hook end to grab the line in front of your hooked Mackerel. Just lift and it will invert the hook letting the Mackerel fall off. Never again will you have to deal with pliers, or your bare hand around those nasty hooks. This thing work like magic. Yes, it floats. -I first started using a piece of coat hanger, and making 2 tight loops and a short shaft with the hooked end. I would wear it on my finger like a ring. I gave away a bunch of them at the launch every time somebody would ask..What the hell is that ? ..I gave them one.:) -This type you see here is the 2nd generation version that has been improved upon by Rick Robinson. Its a Brass Rod (no rust) and a Champagne Cork. He now operates a factory in China and sells them by the gross.:p:p:p http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D720/ry%3D480/ |
I added a nut protector/gimbal-type device to my hatch. It gives you a sturdy place to plant the rod butt on extended fights. The positioning on this one was a little off and it left the rod in a slightly awkward position. My next one will have an extension that will move it farther back towards me. On launch and landing I just turn the hatch around and its out of the way.
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...03_Medium_.jpg I make my own leashes. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...04_Medium_.jpg I use hollow nylon strap (blue stuff on left), thin bungee cord (black) and brass snap hooks. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...03_Medium_.jpg You cut the bungee cord about 50-70% the length of the strap (depends on the thickness and pliability of the strap). I unfold a coat hanger, bend back an inch at one end of the hanger, slip it through the strap, double the bungee around the hook and pull it back through. You gather the strap onto the bungee and secure both ends. The strap end is fed through the swivel of the snap hook, folded over onto itself, and sewn into place with nylon thread. It takes a little time and you need to have good sewing needles (upholstery or leather needles work well). I have been able to knock out five or six in an evening I use SS rings (split or solid) as the leash attachment point for my rods. They are held on with big, UV resistant zip ties. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...02_Medium_.jpg If you run electrical wires or cables the length of your yak, you might want to route them along the underside of the deck, to keep the bottom of the yak clear for rod storage. I used short sections of aluminum angle or C channel attached to the underside of the deck. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...04_Medium_.jpg The aluminum channel also served as a backer for the RAM tube rod holders mounted on the deck above. This provided greater strength for the RAM mount and also gave me an attachment point for cable routing. I riveted nylon cable hangers to the lips on the C channel. For easy wiring changes, you should cut the nylon cable hangers at the base of the loop. It will hold the wires securely, but you can still bend it back and pull them out. The rigors of use in a kayak can cause battery terminals to fail. They are prone to corrosion and repeatedly connecting and disconnecting can put a lot of mechanical strain on them. To avoid this, I permanently attach a wire harness to the battery. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...06_Medium_.jpg I use waterproof trailer plugs like these http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...04_Medium_.jpg I crimp terminal lugs to one end and then attach them to the battery. Once attached, the terminals and lugs are heavily coated with dielectric grease and then taped over with electrical tape. The harness never comes off the battery after that. The other side of the plug is attached to the buss bars for the electrical distribution system. The plugs are much more durable than the battery terminals. My battery charger has a similar plug attached to the leads. This allows me to easily pull the battery and hook it up to the charger. |
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Makes life sooo much easier. I just do a rough wire to the terminals, sealed by marine goop. Do this with new wires and and new battery, before salt water has a chance to corrode it. Very durable, low maintenance, works. Di-electric grease is good on the connection ends too. For the newbies, dgax65 is one of the innovative masters. If you have it on your yak, most likely it was inspired by dgax65. Look up his old posts before you rig up a yak. I'll say it again...:notworthy: |
OK I'll bite....
I hoopnet a bunch and I made some gadgets for my FND for hoop netting.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/9712/hoopgear.jpg Here's the general rig: http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7255/riggedt.jpg It consists of a lobster box in the rear, pedestal for electronics up front and a lighted boom with a block for pulling up the nets. Here's the box it's held in by the straps of the seat and the clips.http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/3840/backhold.jpg It doubles as a net rack, here it is with one of my folding nets I made for it. (my nets are smaller then the Danielson and Promars but taller which makes them easier to pull from a kayak) http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7058/rack3.jpg and it's got more then enough room to store a limit of bugs or for that matter my hoop floats. http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2714/hatch.jpg The boom is pretty simple: It has a custom block that I made on the end. http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1533/pulleyf.jpg http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/8090/boom2.jpg It's lighted with red LEDS for sorting lobstershttp://img193.imageshack.us/img193/2087/red111.jpg Wiyth the red light you can see the bugs but it does not effect your night vision The little pedestal gives me a place for my spot and GPS and or fishfinder. http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/3673/consolezs.jpg The block lines up right with the edge of the yak so you can pull as hard as you want and it doesn't try to pull you over. http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1190/bowr.jpg The Boom also pulls out of it's holder so you can store it under the deck when your not pulling nets. The pedestal itself comes out by just pulling a few nuts at the base, and a bolt. http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/9084/conremove.jpg I have a small pedestal that sits on the main hatch for fishing. I just switch out the rear storage for an oversized bait tank I made and I'm good for fishing Sardines all day for halibut in the bay.http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/241/baitank.jpg The FND is no longer my Kayak of choice for most fishing unless I'm fishing local and want to carry a ton of bait but it's great for hooping. I've Hooped this setup for three years now and it's good enough for what I want to do with it. I can't think of anything I'd add or change on it. It just makes hooping so much easier, and because of that I can hoop longer when the hooping is slow..... Jim |
Cheap Tricks
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Cheap Tricks (No, not the 70’s rock ’n’ roll band) I enjoy kayak fishing not only for the thrill of catching fish while seated six inches off the ocean in the middle of nowhere, but also for the many creative ways of outfitting the kayak and creating kayak-related fishing gear. Saving a few bucks doesn’t hurt either. A few that work for me: Attachment 1699<O:p></O:p> 1 - Fishfinder (Eagle) plug protection: A 3/8” screw protector cover, available in the parts bins at Home Depot or Lowe’s, for around $.50. For use on those days when you don’t attach your fishfinder or if you store your yak outside. Attachment 1700<O:p></O:p> 2 - Reel Covers: Rather than pay eight bucks and up for a reel cover, which I’ll probably lose anyway, I make my own for about $1.25 from one of those soda/beer can neoprene insulators, and a piece of Velcro strap. Can coolers about $1 at Walmart and a pack of the Velcro straps for a few bucks from Walmart, Home Depot, etc. These insulated can “koozies” seem to fit calcuttas, lunas, and small avets pretty well and can help eliminate a lot of future “boat rash” on the reel. 3 - Sacrificial Wear Strips: Several layers of duct tape strips on the keel of your yak, and some transparent packing tape strips on the critical areas of that nice gold baitcaster you just got. They’ll need to be replaced every few trips. Attachment 1701<O:p></O:p> 4 - Rod Cork Grip Protection: I spray the cork grips on my inshore rods with Scotchguard, the type for outdoor goods like tents and such. Helps make the grips easier to clean and prevents blood and grime from getting ground into the cork. Will take overnight to dry but doesn’t seem to discolor the cork. <O:p>Attachment 1702</O:p> 5 - Paddle Leash: Can’t seem to figure out why someone would spend big bucks on some super light, high-end paddle, just to save a few ounces of weight, and then tether it to the yak with a 10 ounce wet leash. I make mine from some thin poly rope – weighs next to nothing and doesn’t stay wet. |
Jim Day takes the tittle as KING OF ALL KAYAK MODIFICATION. :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
He should have his own shown on TLC or the Discovery Channel - American Kayak. He could be the Paul Sr., Paul Jr. and Vinnie all wrapped into one. Nice work. |
12 volt portable fits in the sail mount with a RAM wedge mount. 5 amp 12 volt has about 20 hours run time between charging. extra transducer cable coiled inside case as well as an in line fuse. transducer arm is starboard.
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/IMG_2169.JPG |
Interesting...Andy, with the transducer directly in the water are you getting that much better of a signal vs through the haul...??? en
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Here is the one that I like the most from my short time as a kayak fiddler, or is it fidgiter? I wanted to use my rear scuppers for intake and exhaust for my bait tank. This is just a focus on the exhaust which is also used to control the water level (infinitely adjustable) and empty the tank. I took an ordinary PVC compression fitting for 1/2 inch pipe. Here is one cut in half (normally has a fitting on both ends.
http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/u...w/PC180286.jpg And here it is unscrewed. http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/u...w/PC180287.jpg Here it is modified and attached to the bottom of the tank (originally the connected end looked just like the bottom in the photo. http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/u...P2110011-1.jpg The modification was to cut one of the screw on ends in two (careful to leave threads on both end), which made a nut for the bottom of the tank and kept the cap for the seal inside. Here is approximately where I made the cut. http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/u...w/PC180288.jpg I then screwed the smaller "nut" piece down the threads just far enough to allow the cap to still function when attached. I cut a 1 3/8 inch hole in the bottom of my tank where it would have access to a scupper with the tank installed. The 1 3/8 hole was tight enough that I needed to screw the fitting into the tank, but I also gooped the nut. Now all I had to do was add a piece of PVC pipe through the cap and fitting and tighten the cap. Here it is from the inside in the up/full position. http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/u...0902110003.jpg And here it is in the down/low position. http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/u...P2110008-1.jpg I ended up cutting the compression fitting in two, to use the other end on my next tank, so here it is now. http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/u...w/PB030247.jpg A couple of use things I have noticed are that I need to leave the cap fairly loose to allow easy water level adjustment, or tighten it to transport my bait. And simply unscrewing the cap and removing the pipe quickly drains the tank. Also, rubbing the PVC pipe with candle wax helps out. |
My innovations?
Ultimate Bait Tank Battery Box Shortened Sabiki Rod Where's my royalties!? :the_finger: |
Brian
Don't forget your greatest engineering feat - the combination rod holder/evaporative cooling system/roll bar. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...16_Medium_.jpg That thing was super bitchin' :you_rock: |
For coilcord, try the 99cent stores. Sometimes they have it, sometimes they don't
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Bump
Come on guys, you have to have some more good stuff to share. Bob |
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Iceman,
That's a nice setup. Did the adjustable tracks come on your kayak or did you add them? Where does your bait tank go when using these rod holders? It would be nice if the two outside tubes could be angled out a bit for wider separation when tolling. Is this possible? Bob |
Bob,
The tracks are built into the new Tarpons, the SlideTrax system. I came across somebody using these off road handlebar hardware to make an accessory bar up front. The bar can be moved along the length of the track to accommodate the bait tank in front. The rail mount rod holders can be adjusted to point out as well. |
By popular demand, this device which was introduced in another post is being added to this thread.
Enjoy Bob Permanent Wet Transducer Installation <HR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff; COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Today's project was to come up with a way to permanently install a new Fish Finder Transducer using the wet method. I would like to take credit for this idea but truth be told, I found a post from a guy in Australia who came up with this idea a year or two ago. I have modified the original installation a bit. You will need a 3" piece of drain pipe or a 3" adapter, some sort of cap that will screw or clamp to the top of the adapter, some goop, a few stainless screws and a fish finder with transducer. I used a rubber cap a threaded 3" adapter. You could also use a threaded cap but I thought the rubber cap would provide a better water seal. The first step is to attach the "well" to the hull of the kayak. I shaved the bottom of the adapter a bit to make it fit the contour of the hull and gooped it to the plastic making sure there would be no leaks once the well was filled with water. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...4&d=1262293914 Next came mounting the transducer to the cap. I sliced an X in the rubber that would expand large enough to allow the transducer plug to fit through. You could also drill a hole but that would mean a larger waterproof patch later. In the middle of the X I drilled a hole large enough for the cable to slide through without distorting the rubber. Using the transom mount that came with the transducer, I attached the transducer to the inside of the cap making sure that everything would fit inside the well when the cap was installed. I marked the top of the cap to show the direction the front of the transducer was pointing and gooped the area where the cable passed through to make it water tight. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...5&d=1262293914 After the goop cured, I filled the well with water, slid the cap with transducer over the top and tightened the hose clamp. The completed installation is below. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/a...6&d=1262293914 If all goes according to plan, I should be able to fill the well with water once and forget about it. No more constantly checking the foam ring to make sure the water has not spilled, dried up or drained away. Since I store and transport my kayak upside down It is very important that this thing does not leak. We will see. I have not yet tested this installation on the water but hope to go to La Jolla on New Years Day. If you see me out there, please feel free to paddle on over and check this installation out. I have a couple concerns beyond whether this thing will remain water tight. Will the fact that there is about an inch of water between the transducer and the hull have any effect? Since the temperature sensor is inside the well, it will probably not give a very accurate reading. The water in the well will have to stabilize with the ocean water. That could take some time. It will almost certainly not be able to detect subtle changes in the water temperature as I peddle from one place to another. All things considered, this is not a very big deal. See you out there. Bob UPDATE: I have tested this setup a couple times and it works perfectly. It has been stored upsided down for a couple weeks now and no leaks have appeared. The issue with the temperature not responding immediately is real. It typically takes about a half hour for the reading to stabilize with the ocean water. As for performance, the fish finder works perfectly, much better than my previous installation although I am sure that part of the improvement is due to the fact that my new FF has better resolution than the old one. <!-- / message --><!-- attachments --> |
drop shot loop
When I use a drop-shot rig in the bay I like to use a two oz. torpedo sinker. I used to take it off of the snap swivel every time a location change was called for. It would be removed to prevent it from swinging and damaging the rod or getting tangled with other rods. Now I use a washer from a garden hose that is zip tied to the threaded area of the reelseat. The sinker slides in and out very easy and the washer is not in the way
A drinking water bottle with a loop on it and a wide mouth make a great holder for keyes and a cellphone. Put the loop through one of your seat straps and it will be withen easy reach. The water bottle can be used to rinse sand off of your yak when you come in. Last, put your kayak dolly on the trunk of your and secure it down with the wheels up so that you can roll your yak up to the roof racks rather than lifting it. |
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Bob |
Downrigger crate
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Not sure if this is an innovation, but my take on adding a downrigger to a crate. I already had a downrigger from my fishing boat (which is used less and less). I didn't want a permanent installation until I see how much I actually use it. I had some leftover cutting boards which bolted on either side of the crate with mounting base on the outside. I was lucky enough to find a crate with a metal ring around the top, so it pretty strong.
Attachment 1884 Attachment 1885 Next I needed a way to lock the crate down. I used some U-bolts and pvc and have go into the rod holders behind the seat. They are angled in and do a nice job keeping it down. The one end is not glued shut so I can take it off when I want to. Attachment 1886 Attachment 1887 I really enjoy seeing all the different ideas on this forum. Thanks. |
I would love to hear how the downrigger affects the handling of your yak. I was considering the same thing for trout fishing up in Idaho, and was concerned about the drag. Do you peddle or paddle?
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Andy- That is SICK:cheers1:
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In Hatch Gear Holder
Simple solution to keep gear in the bow from sliding around. Goop, padeyes and bungee. Held up for over a year.
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...k_Mods_007.jpg |
Hey senojmj, what size pvc did you use to put inside the flush mount?
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Ed, that is some Amazing Goop!
BTW made this post a sticky too much good stuff, Thanks Bob for lighting the fire! |
Power Button for Bait Tank
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Ever had the problem of rusted out on/off switches due to the salt water? I would like the credit for this but it was not my innovation, but works like a charm!
Using an air button and an air switch like they use in spas, I installed the air switch inside the battery box that powers my bait tank and the button on deck at an easy reach. The way this works is the button sends a pulse down the tube to the switch and triggers the power. No worries about salt water corroding this plastic button! Looks neat too! Two years later, still working like new! |
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water pick up thru tank scupper. This is a similar variation of the Hobie tank set up.
cut down a 90 male 1" thread to 3/4 hose elbow so it fits in the channel flush, the screw splits the opening in half to keep debri out. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/IMG_2357.JPG http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/IMG_2356.JPG Easily changed out to most kayaks.....skanky after rain bay water:rolleyes: http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/IMG_2350.JPG Simple way of getting that thru hull set up with out drilling those big holes. A little forward momentum is all it takes to prime/ 6 volt kept prime and worked well. |
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If you have a Hobie Livewell or any other bait tank fed from the bottom of the tank through a scupper hole, you have probably run into the problem of your bait tank draining when you turn the pump off, (or your battery dies). Here is a simple solution that problem.
You will need a quick disconnect fitting, (female hose thread to male pipe thread), a female to male threaded El fitting and a short piece of plastic hose. I used the quick disconnect fitting because I had one laying around but you could probably make this using all threaded fittings and even a solid piece of PVC pipe. Attachment 1936 Assemble the parts as shown in the photo above and attach the quick disconnect fitting to the output of the pump and you are done. Attachment 1937 If you want to make the water in the tank circulate to simulate a current for your bait to swim against, position the hose on the bottom of the tank. If you want to keep the tank from draining when the pump is turned off, twist the fitting so the hose points vertically. When in this position, the water in the tank will not drain below the top of the input or drain pipe, (whichever is lower). Have fun. Bob |
question
I have a question about running a FF and bait tank from the same 12V battery for you innovators... Can I just switch the wiring of the bilge pump without affecting the FF?
Or.... has anybody used the computer fan speed control with success? |
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You could probably put some sort of a rheostat in line to the pump motor to reduce the voltage but I have never tried that solution. Bob |
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With the 12 volt battery , the run time will be shorter than with a 6 volt
Here's a stand up bar mounted on the Trax rail |
Question on wet installation of transducer
dsafety,
my being a novice to the sport is going to show here. I bought my kayak with the transducer already installed on the inside of the hull. If I were to switch to a wet installation like you did, in theory I could obtain a better reading? The water is permanently sealed in with the transducer? Not sure what my transducer was glued down with. I have heard the bubbles in the adhesive could interfere with readings. Another novice (read: dumb) question: Does it matter where inside the kayak it is mounted? Currently it is just under the seat behind a scupper hole on the starboard side. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Jeff |
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