Fishfinder mounting...

[Dogpound]

Have to agree the hobie wiring fitting with the plug assortment is worth it and the way to go.   
Those batteries at home depot are a great deal,  they are usually back where the fluorescent ballasts and fixtures are.  As for a charger try harbor freight they have some decent 12v charger/tenders for cheap. 

[RG]

great info to help thanks guys--hopefully makes an easy install. My FF comes in a few days and can't wait.

Have you received your unit Lopezcador? Started the install yet? I still havent purchased a battery.. Been busy..Ive looked around a little.. haven't found a good price yet. I'm looking to spend around 30-40 tops for a battery and charger..Also trying to figure out a battery box I can make for cheap. Still need to order that Hobie through hull mount kit as well.
   

RG: Best deal on a battery is Home Depot 12volt 7amp  $18.00

Cool thanks.
Ill go over to Home Depot tomorrow and get one. Do they happen to have chargers there as well? Was wanting one with an indicator light that tells you when the battery is fully charged. I guess some chargers don't have that..

[Dogpound]

I don't know if they have chargers for the SLA batteries, my guess is not but harbor freight will or Grainger is another option for possible cheap chargers.  I would think you could find one with indicator lights.

[Shogunofthecity]

Im with Dogpound on this one as well.  I recommend the Harbor Freight battery tender/charger.  Its the way to go to preserve the life of the battery, and you can just leave it on the charger till you need it without damage.  I think I paid $5 for mine, works like a champ. 

[lopezcador]

Hey Dogpound, got the unit-looks awesome. Thanks for the heads up on the great deal. As for install ,right now I am down south working and won be up in Los Osos for 2- weeks were my FnD is. But in the mean time with all this great sharing of info it's time for a Home Depot or Harbor freight and get some the gear needed for the install. Keep the threads coming guys I am really grateful. Hey what about putting the Battery in the back of the Yak to get it out of the way,??? More room for the poles up front w/ the transducer already up front--or Can the transducer go in the back --Just wondering

[RG]

Got the battery at Home Depot.. Its by the electric gate section, not where the majority of the batteries are. Do yourself a favor and get the SKU number off of the website and take it into the store with you if you decide to get the battery they offer. Even the one on the website is a different brand than the one they had at the store.. Same price though. Gonna head down to arroyo and grab a couple wheels and a trickle charger in the next couple days here.. Gonna make the pvc version cart the Palmetto kayak guy designed. Picking this kayak up by the handles in the middle and carrying it by myself is hard on the back!

Heres a link
www.homedepot.com/p/Mighty-Mule-12-Volt-Battery-for-Automatic-Gate-Opener-FM150/100016474

 

[RHYAK]

Gonna make the pvc version cart the Palmetto kayak guy designed.

Pictures???

[RG]

Gonna make the pvc version cart the Palmetto kayak guy designed.

Pictures???

Here's a few.. This guy has a ride 135 as well and says the cart fit the hull style well, can be quickly broken down to be stored in the front hatch and is pretty sturdy. Only costs around "33 dollars" to make...I'm guessing around 50$..  

















Full DIY instructions:
http://palmettokayakfishing.blogspot.com/2011/04/diy-bulletproof-kayak-cart-build.html

[surfbrewer]

RG - I made that cart from the Palmetto instructions and it is great! Cheap and works good, even on the Ride hull. It's not great in soft sand though.

[RG]

RG - I made that cart from the Palmetto instructions and it is great! Cheap and works good, even on the Ride hull. It's not great in soft sand though.

Ive got everything put together except for the wheels.. Going to have to drive to Santa Maria to pick them up ...
Ill post pics of the finished product as soon as its completed
 

[RG]

Well..
I managed to go out and use the cart that I made down at coleman beach..and had the fish finder hooked up as well..

Fishfinder:

I havent received the hobie thru hull kit yet, so I am using just a rubber stopper that I carved to suit my wires. I was getting a lot of surface clutter on the ff and what seemed like a ton of debris floating in the water and wasnt sure if it was actual debris or if the xducer is not installed properly..I was getting temp and depth readings that seemed accurate though. If someone has a good configuration for the elite4 hdi for use in the ocean let me know and I will try and configure it accordingly.. The old fishfinder I used to have was nothing like this new one. I did catch a few perch and tried to let them swim around under my yak and it seemed to kinda produce a bit of an arch.. 

Cart:
Its hard to get this thing under the kayak properly while holding a 90 pound kayak up off the ground. I was thinking at least maybe a longer handle of 4-5 feet to get it into position unless anyone knows a different method to get it done more easily..? I like to place it in the middle of the kayak at its balance point. Is this the wrong way to do it?  I was struggling with it quite a bit. Maybe I could attach it to the yak with the back end up the yak still sitting in the truck bed?
 Also with the rope I used to lash it down it popped off of the kayak once and i had to reattach it all over again.. I think I may need to use a tie down strap instead. Once i had it on there and as long as I was on hard ground and the wheels didn't hit anything throwing the alignment off (I hit a stupid rock and it twisted the cart), it worked *pretty good. Storing the cart on the kayak made the kayak feel somewhat sluggish in the water, especially going into the current. I will try to avoid storing it on my kayak in the future.

Any advice is appreciated

   
RG

[Dippin-tip']

What about rearranging your PVC to go through the scupper holes in the rear tankwell. Thats how I made mine and it works awesome, I didn't want to deal with straps. Plus putting it on is easy, just turn your kayak on its side and slide the cart in, keep pressure on the cart and just roll the kayak back over.

Also the wheels from harbor freight are a good deal, I got each wheel for like 5 bucks.

[billydog]

you really need the tie down strap, fixing your wheels In the center is what I do but when I load it up in the truck I move it back. as most know I fish windmills and such its a long walk for home made carts. when im stoked I run my yak down the trail  took a few adjustments but its all good ill post some pics of my carts   

[RG]

Gonna make the pvc version cart the Palmetto kayak guy designed.

Pictures???

Here's a few.. This guy has a ride 135 as well and says the cart fit the hull style well, can be quickly broken down to be stored in the front hatch and is pretty sturdy. Only costs around "33 dollars" to make...I'm guessing around 50$.. 














Full DIY instructions:
http://palmettokayakfishing.blogspot.com/2011/04/diy-bulletproof-kayak-cart-build.html

I think I figured out why this cart is so squirrely on the ride hull.. As originally designed, the width between the two padded arms is a little to far apart and they seem to sit on the inside curves of the pontoons of the hull instead of in the flat areas between them.... Its hard to explain, so I made a couple of crude photoshop images for a better explanation.. Do you think moving the arms in toward the middle more would work better?? I would think it would sit better and not want to move to one side or the other.. The only way to find out is to cut some new pvc and switch around  a few measurements to bring the padded arms closer together by about 1-2 inches.. Heres the pics:

This is how the arms currently rest on the hull:



This is what I think could make a better fit:




 .................

[surfbrewer]

RG, if you can get them to sit flush like you suggest in your drawing it will work better. Just don't go too narrow and it should work great.