New 14' Ahab fishing set up with sonar Garmin 43dv

[Boardfit]

I've seen another sonar set up on utube on an Ahab but it took me a good bit of thinking to come up with this one. Everything is pvc and glued togeher. The unit is completely removable so I can still carry my board on my roof racks. I got my Ahab in the other day and I love it. Installing the transducer over on the side like I did makes the whole unit easily removable and I didn't have to drill any mounting holes. I posted this so maybe someone else would improve on my ideas and give me more. I never would have thought to put a fish finder on a board if I hadn't seen it on utube.

Now I just need to learn how to read sonar.

[Boardfit]

One more

[stoneaxe]

SWEET setup!

[Boardfit]

Thanks. I know someone can help me out on the battery and battery box. That's as quick as i could figure out something reasonable...but I know that there is a better battery box and attachment somewhere...

I used a 2" cross beneath the garmin so I could eventually put operating lights green and red coming out the front powered by 12v and the back opening is for future upgrades or attachments  that i haven't thought about yet.

[lucabrasi]

That is way cool. Rod holder inline to boot.
For what it's worth, and it looks like you beat them to it, Scotty is coming out with a transducer mount for paddleboards. I can't find the article but they showed it at OR a couple weeks ago I guess. Came in some email that I have since deleted. Looks damn near like that.
I have done the battery box. Then I got a battery holder for 8 AA batteries at radio shack. The holder has nine volt battery tabs on it. You get a nine volt clip with bare wires on it for a buck or so from radio shack also and hook it up to the finder. It would last for a few days that way using rechargeable AA batteries. I liked it that way much better but I don't run lights and my finder is black and white with no gps tho. Amazing how fish finders have come down in price and what even a hundred dollars will buy now over the last few years.
Those Ahabs just seem all bad ass. Every time I run across one I want one but I have only seen them online.

[Boardfit]

That is way cool. Rod holder inline to boot.
For what it's worth, and it looks like you beat them to it, Scotty is coming out with a transducer mount for paddleboards. I can't find the article but they showed it at OR a couple weeks ago I guess. Came in some email that I have since deleted. Looks damn near like that.
I have done the battery box. Then I got a battery holder for 8 AA batteries at radio shack. The holder has nine volt battery tabs on it. You get a nine volt clip with bare wires on it for a buck or so from radio shack also and hook it up to the finder. It would last for a few days that way using rechargeable AA batteries. I liked it that way much better but I don't run lights and my finder is black and white with no gps tho. Amazing how fish finders have come down in price and what even a hundred dollars will buy now over the last few years.
Those Ahabs just seem all bad ass. Every time I run across one I want one but I have only seen them online.

Thanks for the ideas. Yeah Bote has a special going on right now... $60 delivery if you buy from their website! I absolutely love mine. I wonder how long AA batteries would power my unit...says it ises 5w of power.

[lucabrasi]

I wonder how long AA batteries would power my unit...says it ises 5w of power.

Mine says 800 watts so I don't think we are looking at the same thing. I have a Piranhamax 170. I pulled the sheet up from online as I don't see anything on the unit itself.
Does yours have a long transducer cable? If so, did you cut it and splice it back together or is it just stuffed in the piping? They are so long and have wanted to cut but never knew how many wires, how small they were and all that.   

[Boardfit]

My box shows 500watts rms... so that was a typo on the manual where it said 5 watts...

I was afraid to cut and splice the wires due to signal degradation. I thought it would likely happen, so I just stuffed the wires in the battery box.

[Boardfit]

Here is the website link where it says power consumption is 5w.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-water/fishfindergpscombos/echomap-43dv/prod148124.html

I guess that is a typo?

[Boardfit]

Here is the website link where it says power consumption is 5w.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-water/fishfindergpscombos/echomap-43dv/prod148124.html

I guess that is a typo?

I went to a battery/load calculator site and it suggested that my unit was likely consuming 5 watts...  come to think of it...it would be extremely hot if it were consuming 500 watts.  I think I believe 5 watts. Now it does say that the transducer is 500watts.... so now I'm very confused.



What this guy says makes me believe 5 watts:
http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/554962-color-fish-findergps-power-consumption/