Hobie revo ff install 2
- 1. FF Install – Hobie Revolution Eagle Cuda 242 Ferd Salomon The project was to install a Cuda 242 FF on my Hobie Revo. I had used the 8 AA battery power supply before when I rigged an FF on my Prowler, it had worked well and was cheap and easy. Assuming the batteries are healthy, the eight rechargeables should work fine. The Cuda pulled 170 mAh with the backlight off, 230 mAh with the backlight on. The AA’s are rated at 2300 mAh. Doing the simple math tells me that they will last between 10 and 13.5 hours. Eight (8) AA’s, with each rated at 1.2V put out about 9.6V, which is enough to run most FF’s. Depending on the unit, they will run on as little as 8 volts – I know they say they are 12 volt units, but the voltage regulator in the FF burns off the excess voltage. I have run all day on an 8 AA battery pack. You can find AA batteries that advertise themselves as putting out 1.5 volts each, in which case you can get 12 volts from 8 AA’s and maybe be more comfortable. If you are very fortunate, you can find a 10 battery holder and get plenty of volts…Now, if you plan to run a live bait well or buy a mongo FF with side scanning, color, GPS and enough power to see a whale carcass on the bottom 6,000 feet away, then the AA solution is not for you. Still with me? OK, let’s get our parts assembled. Parts needed: o ½” sheet of insulation foam Home Depot o 9V battery connector Radio Shack o AA battery holder Radio Shack o Rubber cork Home Depot o Waterproof cell phone bag Academy Sports o Marine Goop Academy Sports o RAM Mount ordered through Key Sailing
- 2. Step 1. I cut a piece of foam into the shape you see below, outlined the transducer and then cut out the outline. The marked lines on the foam block are so I can align it fore and aft accurately. In the Revo, I planned to mount the transducer behind the sail mast and in front of the drive unit. . Foam block with cutout to match shape of View looking aft - just aft of the sail mount and transducer, then glued in place with Goop forward of the Mirage drive well You can choose to mount it anywhere you want, but I wanted it out of the way of stuff I stored in the hatch and in front of any disturbed water coming off the drive. I sanded the area where the block was going to go and then glued it down with plenty of Marine Goop. Ideally, you want this to cure overnight before the next step. Step 2. This is probably the most critical step in the install. You want to glue the transducer into the well created in the foam block such that there are no air pockets between the transducer and the hull. Rember, the transducer faces forward, flat side facing aft. Check your instruction manual to make sure before proceeding. I warmed the tube of Goop in a coffee cup of warm water. This will make the Goop flow easier and greatly reduce the chance of air bubbles. Jam the tube into the well and fill it up with Goop. I think it is difficult to use too much… Press the transducer down into the well and hold it until the Goop sets up – about 5-10 minutes. Let it cure. What if you mess this up? No worries, it can be redone, just peel it off and try again. Transducer glued inside the cutout with lots of Goop – ensure there are no air bubbles in the 9V Battery connector – Radio Shack Goop
- 3. Step 3. Powering it up. Now we need to connect the FF power wire to our power source. I used heat shrink butt splices (22-18 AWG) and a 9V battery connector, Connect the red wire to the red wire, crimp well. Same for black to black. I did connect the included fuse in the red line. Use a heat gun or lighter to heat shrink the connectors. I used a big glob of Goop to make sure the connections were waterproof and then zip tied the wires into a convenient bundle. 9V connector connected to FF power wire with Battery pack placed inside waterproof bag – I heat shrink butt splices and Goop – fuse included. did file a groove in the yellow plastic top to fit Battery pack of 8 AA and battery holder from the wire… Radio Shack Step 4. Load the batteries into the holder, connect them to the battery connector and you should be good to go. I store them inside the yak inside a waterproof bag, but you can use a Pelcian box, a Tupperware or any waterproof container. I hang the battery bag inside the front hatch of the kayak so it does not lie on the bottom of the hull and stays out of the way. Battery bag hung up off the bottom of the hull – or you can hang it from a loop on the inside of Transducer cable coiled and stowed inside hull – the hull. note cables running up through cork
- 4. Important tip – there will be a lot of transducer cable left over – DO NOT CUT IT. Something about the cable length being tuned to the transducer or some other electronic explanation. I don’t know, but cutting the cable it not good. I had an anchor trolley bolt on the side of the yak – I replaced that bolt with a longer one – about 2” long. I coiled the cable up, put a plastic strap around it and secured it with another nut on the extra length bolt. OK, I also put a small nylon spacer in there, but that was not required. If you can’t picture it, here is how it goes: Hull – washer – nut - one end of strap - nylon spacer - other end of strap - nut. Step 5. Connecting the power plug to the control head unit. I ran the power plug up through the hull just behind where I mounted the FF RAM mount. This is the small 1” ball mount with a mounting plate that matches the Cuda mount. I would recommend mounting the RAM ball prior to drilling the hole for the power plug. I then drilled a hole large enough to snugly fit the cork. I used a black rubber cork from Home Depot, and drilled two holes in the plug to match the two wires in the plug. Using a knife or razor blade, cut a slit in each side of the cork so that you can slide the wires into the holes you just drilled in the cork. I sealed the cork with plenty of Goop. Make sure you leave enough length of wire to reach the head unit throughout the range of movement of the mount. Voila, you are done… RAM mount on gunwale. FF power and transducer cable run through rubber cork and Another view of FF mount location glued in place Good luck!