Transducer wire attachment help

C

Coach T

New member
Hello all. I am planning to install a garmin intelliducer over the next few days. I plan to use a "stern saver" for the transducer installation so I will not screw into the hull "using 4200" Any suggestions on attaching the wire for the transducer? I plan to run the wire into the splash-well drain and down to the transducer. I do not want to use screws into the hull so any suggestions would be appreciated. i feel that I only need two or three contact points. My thoughts were to use zip tie squares (at least I think that is the name). I have used them in the interior with two part epoxy and they have worked great. My concern is that the plastic may deteriorate in the open and will be difficult to reattach new squares.
As always thanks in advance.
Coach
 
Coach T":uvzkk6qx said:
Hello all. I am planning to install a garmin intelliducer over the next few days. I plan to use a "stern saver" for the transducer installation so I will not screw into the hull "using 4200" Any suggestions on attaching the wire for the transducer? I plan to run the wire into the splash-well drain and down to the transducer. I do not want to use screws into the hull so any suggestions would be appreciated. i feel that I only need two or three contact points. My thoughts were to use zip tie squares (at least I think that is the name). I have used them in the interior with two part epoxy and they have worked great. My concern is that the plastic may deteriorate in the open and will be difficult to reattach new squares.
As always thanks in advance.
Coach
Click to expand...

I used the Weldmount AT3 nylon wire tie mounts and the 2-part weldmount epoxy to attach them to the hull. Then I run a zip-tie through them. If the zip-tie eventually fails, it's easy to run another on through. The wire tie mounts are made out of nylon which won't last forever due to UV exposure but these seem pretty tough and are likely to last longer than I hold the boat. If need be, they could be replaced (but you might lose some gel coat getting them off). They also make some aluminum wire tie mounts and I'd bet those would mount well with their epoxy (as the stainless standoffs do) - but you'd best call them to confirm that. I've also used their stainless standoffs to mount starboard on my boat. That's another option instead of the transom saver.
 
I used the same Weld Mount wire tie mounts as above, only I glued them to the inside of the MiniJacker mount that holds my secondary engine (stbd side of transom). It worked out that none of them had to be glued to the hull that way, and the wire runs up and over the transom in an unnoticeable, out of the way spot, and then in through the boot with the motor cables.

Side note: I considered mounting the Starboard block I have my transducers on with Weld Mount stainless studs, but after doing some tests I felt that the gelcoat might give way (I mounted one Weld Mount to a gelcoated scrap of fiberglass, another one to a bare section of fiberglass, and then had a regular fastener/angle bracket for comparison, and then I took a hammer to them.... not totally scientific). Anyway, the one mounted to gelcoat failed first because the gelcoat came off the underlying fiberglass (stayed glued to the WM stud).

Maybe it would hold a transducer, but I decided not to try it. If I had gone with the WM studs for that, I think I would have ground off three circles of gelcoat and then glued the WM studs to the fiberglass substrate. Instead, I overdrilled/back-cut/filled four holes and then filled them with thickened epoxy; then I tapped the holes and used bronze machine screws to fasten the Starboard to the transom. The WM's might have worked, but I decided that the way I ended up doing it would cause me the least "second thoughts" over the long run.

Anyway, the WM wire tie backers glued to the aluminum Mini Jacker have worked fine for the transducer cable securement.
 
I was able to get by with the couple of existing screws and loops well ABOVE waterline. I still used sealant on them but don't really worry about such small holes without loads on the fasteners. I have used the black (all weather) adhesive squares on other parts of the boat exterior and they have stayed put quite well. It would be very cheap to test and just don't leave much slack in the wire to allow entanglement.

I too recently used a Sternsaver to re-mount our transducer and they work really well. Second one I have used and I think it's a good product.


Greg
 
I have always had a aversion to running the transducer wire over the transom. It is so easy to stop on the wires, bang something into them. I use the Cable Clam. Yes, I do have to drill the hole, then do a little routing on the larger hole, for the wire and fitting to go through, and a little epoxy potting on the areas where the 3 screws for the cable Clam screws attach.

I do use small screws, to hold the black (better UV resistance) to hold the cable in place. Quick drill, a little epoxy, and then screw in place. If you do all of the epoxy work at one time, it only takes a few minutes more.

As usually there are many ways to do a job.
 
thataway":18ag3dp2 said:
I have always had a aversion to running the transducer wire over the transom. It is so easy to stop on the wires, bang something into them. I use the Cable Clam. Yes, I do have to drill the hole, then do a little routing on the larger hole, for the wire and fitting to go through, and a little epoxy potting on the areas where the 3 screws for the cable Clam screws attach.

I do use small screws, to hold the black (better UV resistance) to hold the cable in place. Quick drill, a little epoxy, and then screw in place. If you do all of the epoxy work at one time, it only takes a few minutes more.

As usually there are many ways to do a job.
Click to expand...

I too used a cable clam and routed the cable through the transom. I just found it easier to use the weldmount cable tie mounts to route the cable to the through hole and that avoided any additional screw holes (especially below the water line).

BTW - weldmount epoxy will bond to aluminum so the aluminum cable tie mounts will work just fine.
 
Back
Top