How to build a transducer mounting board FREE?

[ib18]

I have not found this anywhere, so I decided to post it to share with others. I used an extra dirty chopping board wife was going to throw away to build a transducer mounting board for FREE. No holes on my boat transom. Just epoxy the board to the boat transom and mount everything on the chopping board. Now, I can mount my Raymarine Dragfly 7 fish finder and GPS combo, GARMIN GPS498 map and depth sounder, Hummingbird 200 DX onto my chopping board.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I tried that and I had trouble finding an adhesive that would stay stuck to the cutting board material. I tried epoxy, 3M 5200, but nothing would stick for long. I didn't watch the whole video - 21 minutes was too long for me - but I'd be interested in knowing what adhesive you used and how long it has held up.

 

[jbcurt00]

Yep, w no thru bolts or engine transom clamp, several have tried using all sorts of adhesives to stick the cutting board (or other UHMW/HDPE/Starboard/Kingboard) material w very little success long term.

How long ago did you install it and how many times have you launched the boat since?

Good luck, hope it stays well stuck.......

 

[dingbat]

Good luck, hope it stays well stuck.......

Yep...a cutting board full of sensors flying over the back of the boat and hitting someone would hurt......

Not to mention that nasty old board isn't getting permanently glue to any of my hulls....lol

 

[Scott Danforth]

Nothing sticks to HDPE (starboard) or UHMW, so good luck. First good run the board will come off, hit the prop and get torn from the boat and the transducer wire will get wound around the prop shaft

 

[fishrdan]

The only hope to get the HDPE to stick is to heavily scuff the back side with 24 or 30 grit sandpaper and shoot for a mechanical bond...

I did something similar and used 2-3 screws to keep the starboard fixed to the hull, slathered it up with 5200 and haven't had problems, but it's screwed to the hull and covering several old ducer holes.

 

[ib18]

I tried that and I had trouble finding an adhesive that would stay stuck to the cutting board material. I tried epoxy, 3M 5200, but nothing would stick for long. I didn't watch the whole video - 21 minutes was too long for me - but I'd be interested in knowing what adhesive you used and how long it has held up.

Sorry, was busy power wash my deck yesterday. Too much fishing, and too little time to do real work - LOL. My deck was turning into green deck - LOL. Had to power wash it and repaint and re-stain to return it to the original glory. I was debating how to glue the chopping board to the boat transom after I posted the part 1 video. I had 2 issues: (1) I know the gravity will drag the board down before it is cured and hardened whether it is epoxy or 3M 5200. It needs some kind of support for the first 24 hours. (2) I want to mount multiple transducers (3 - LOL) for my old Hummingbird 200 DX, Garmin GPSMap 498 and Raymarine dragonfly 7 GPS/FF combo. So, it will have to support the weight of all 3 transducers and the 1/2 inch thickness may not be enough. So, I think I will cut another 9"x4" board and glue them together to make a 1 inch thickness mounting board. The goal is to make as few holes as possible into my transom. So, I probably will have to screw 2 holes (instead of 6 holes) into the transom to lock the 2 boards in and avoid losing everything in the first outing - LOL,

or mount everything inside of my fiberglass boat - Second option.

 

[ib18]

The only hope to get the HDPE to stick is to heavily scuff the back side with 24 or 30 grit sandpaper and shoot for a mechanical bond...

I did something similar and used 2-3 screws to keep the starboard fixed to the hull, slathered it up with 5200 and haven't had problems, but it's screwed to the hull and covering several old ducer holes.

I have a second option, because my boat is fiberglass. So, I am gluing all my transducers inside hull, so all transducers will shoot through the boat hull. This is probably the approach I will take without messing around with my transom. The boat transom looks very nice now after I patched up all the old holes and don't feel like putting holes in them again - LOL.

 

[ib18]

Yep...a cutting board full of sensors flying over the back of the boat and hitting someone would hurt......

Not to mention that nasty old board isn't getting permanently glue to any of my hulls....lol

Ya, nasty old chopping board - that's why it is not getting any love so I can use it for fishing - lol

 

[ib18]

Nothing sticks to HDPE (starboard) or UHMW, so good luck. First good run the board will come off, hit the prop and get torn from the boat and the transducer wire will get wound around the prop shaft

That's what I was afraid of.

 

[JASinIL2006]

No Title

Here's another option that would still allow external attachment of your transducers. It might more of a hassle than it's worth, but I'll let you decide.

This would still require putting a couple of screws into the transom (see illustration) but with much less chance of water intrusion. One piece of HDPE is screwed to the boat; the screws and back side of the HDPE are covered in 5200. A second piece of HDPE is then screwed to the first, again after the screws and back face are covered in 5200. Then, transducers can be screwed into the layers of HDPE, and as long as the screws don't penetrate both layers, there is very little chance water will intrude.

If you use new cutting board and round off the edges of the outermost piece of HDPE with a router, it won't even look bad. Before I rebuilt my transom (when my boat was new to me, and I was scared to put holes in it), I did this and it worked well. After I rebuilt, I decided it was overkill and I just drilled into the transom, applied 5200 and screwed my 'ducer directly to the transom. If that worries you, though, this will work.

 

[dingbat]

Here's another option that would still allow external attachment of your transducers.

You got me scratching my head. Why two use pieces? My prefabbed, HDPE 3/4" transducer mounting plate was less than $20 with shipping. The stainless steel mounting screws came with it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

or, we can do like I did when I redid my transom. I did a field of chopped matt / PB for screwing transducers into, the trim tabs into, etc. so my screws go thru the fiberglass, into non-wood. then I sealed them.

 

[JASinIL2006]

You got me scratching my head. Why two use pieces? My prefabbed, HDPE 3/4" transducer mounting plate was less than $20 with shipping. The stainless steel mounting screws came with it.

My thinking at the time was that the second layer decreased the chance of any water getting to the transom. Referring to the illustration, with a single layer of HDPE, water would only have to find it's way down the screws, through the HDPE and into the transom. The second layer of HDPE and the 5200 seals the heads of the transom-penetrating screws; it would be nearly impossible for water to ever get near the screws that penetrate the transom.

Hey, I said it was overkill... but if it makes OP feel better about putting holes in the transom, what's the harm?

 

[ib18]

You got me scratching my head. Why two use pieces? My prefabbed, HDPE 3/4" transducer mounting plate was less than $20 with shipping. The stainless steel mounting screws came with it.

lol, $20 here, and $20 there, every year I have to buy new lures (snakeheads - one bite and the lure is useless) and new rods (lose them overboard when I was tired and not careful), because I lose them too fast, so my fishing expenses do add up very quickly - LOL
I will suck up to (1) any free method for boating and fishing and (2) get rid of my overcrowded garage.

Thanks for the $20 board tip and I did see it. That's where the idea came from, because they don't like anything from my dirty chopping board in my garage and I got a lot of used stainless screws in my tool box.

 

[ib18]

My thinking at the time was that the second layer decreased the chance of any water getting to the transom. Referring to the illustration, with a single layer of HDPE, water would only have to find it's way down the screws, through the HDPE and into the transom. The second layer of HDPE and the 5200 seals the heads of the transom-penetrating screws; it would be nearly impossible for water to ever get near the screws that penetrate the transom.

Hey, I said it was overkill... but if it makes OP feel better about putting holes in the transom, what's the harm?

Yes, that will be what I do should I change my mind of mounting in the hull. My other thing is I want the flexibility of the Raymarine Dragonfly 7 to be used for my canoe so hate to mount it permanently on my wellcraft forever.

 

[dingbat]

My thinking at the time was that the second layer decreased the chance of any water getting to the transom. Referring to the illustration, with a single layer of HDPE, water would only have to find it's way down the screws, through the HDPE and into the transom. The second layer of HDPE and the 5200 seals the heads of the transom-penetrating screws; it would be nearly impossible for water to ever get near the screws that penetrate the transom.

I've installed a sensor mounting board on the three boats I've owned and helped install 4 or 5 more.

Each time, I drilled oversized holes in the transom then filled them in with MarineTex. Wait for it to dry then drill your mounting holes in the MarineTex. No need to seal anything at that point. Install the mounting screws and go fishing. Just as easy to remove

My trims tabs where installed the same way.

 

[dingbat]

I have to buy new lures (snakeheads - one bite and the lure is useless) and new rods (lose them overboard when I was tired and not careful), because I lose them too fast, so my fishing expenses do add up very quickly - LOL

As a custom rod builder, I need more customers like yourself.....lol.

I've lost or broken two rods in the past 25 years. The lost rod was an El-cheapo that was left on the engine cover while the guy while the guy reached into the cooler to get a drink. I got "don't leave..." out of my mouth before a fish took it overboard.

The broken rod was slammed in a car door. Fortunately, nothing more that the tip was damaged. A quick repair put it back in service

 

[JASinIL2006]

I've installed a sensor mounting board on the three boats I've owned and helped install 4 or 5 more.

Each time, I drilled oversized holes in the transom then filled them in with MarineTex. Wait for it to dry then drill your mounting holes in the MarineTex. No need to seal anything at that point. Install the mounting screws and go fishing. Just as easy to remove

My trims tabs where installed the same way.

That's how I'd do it if I were mounting one now, too.