My portable FF/DF

I fish from two different small boats, one a 17' aluminum canoe and the other a 10' jon. I bought a Humminbird Helix 5 DI/GPS and did not want to mount it permanently to either so I built a portable unit. The box is a plastic "ammo can" from Harbor Freight, the battery is a 7 AH Gel Cell purchased at a local electronic store (similar items at Lowe's HIW). I mounted a short Ram mount to the top of the box, drilled one hole for the power cable and mounted the transducer with tie-wraps in a block of packing foam. In use the transducer trails along very nicely while paddling the canoe or while on a trolling motor on the jon. I charge the battery with a2 amp trickle charger and have used the FF/DF for over 6 hours with no degradation at all.

Pictures below. (sorry for the dust as I quit fishing when the temperature dropped below 40º )

Attachment 326924

Attachment 326925

Attachment 326926

That’s a pretty clever setup!

Our minds must be connected somehow. I did basically the same thing on my kayak. I used a thick piece of foam in the bottom with a rectangle cut out that fit the battery to prevent it from sliding around in the hard plastic case. Good job :fish

Attachment 326958
Attachment 326959

:ThumbsUp

Rickie

That's slick, ya otta try it on the ice!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by moecarama

That's slick, ya otta try it on the ice!

---

I don't fish when the air temperature is below 40, so l sure as heck don't ice fish. I did when I was much younger and lived in New England, but now I'm a warm weather fan.

Would like to do something like this for our pontoon boat - it's my folks boat, and they don't want anything permanent mounted on the front end... could you show how you hook the transducer to the TM when using on your Jon boat? Or explain it - thanks!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clint

I fish from two different small boats, one a 17' aluminum canoe and the other a 10' jon. I bought a Humminbird Helix 5 DI/GPS and did not want to mount it permanently to either so I built a portable unit. The box is a plastic "ammo can" from Harbor Freight, the battery is a 7 AH Gel Cell purchased at a local electronic store (similar items at Lowe's HIW). I mounted a short Ram mount to the top of the box, drilled one hole for the power cable and mounted the transducer with tie-wraps in a block of packing foam. In use the transducer trails along very nicely while paddling the canoe or while on a trolling motor on the jon. I charge the battery with a2 amp trickle charger and have used the FF/DF for over 6 hours with no degradation at all.

Pictures below. (sorry for the dust as I quit fishing when the temperature dropped below 40º )

Attachment 326924

Attachment 326925

Attachment 326926

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wannagofishin

Would like to do something like this for our pontoon boat - it's my folks boat, and they don't want anything permanent mounted on the front end... could you show how you hook the transducer to the TM when using on your Jon boat? Or explain it - thanks!!

---

I don't attach it at all. I just hang it over the side. It will not work at anything faster than trolling motor speed, but that is all I power my jon with. You might make a shaft attached to a C Clamp with the transducer mounted on the end. But, again, that would not work at cruising speed.

You might want to give Rickie of Podunk Ideas (rnvinc) a holler and see if he can come up with a movable mount. He is a wizard with that sort of thing. Check his website (below) to see some of the mounts he makes. He maybe able to modify one he already has. Look at the Da Ducer mount.

Podunk Ideas

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clint

I don't attach it at all. I just hang it over the side. It will not work at anything faster than trolling motor speed, but that is all I power my jon with. You might make a shaft attached to a C Clamp with the transducer mounted on the end. But, again, that would not work at cruising speed.

You might want to give Rickie of Podunk Ideas (rnvinc) a holler and see if he can come up with a movable mount. He is a wizard with that sort of thing. Check his website (below) to see some of the mounts he makes. He maybe able to modify one he already has. Look at the Da Ducer mount.

Podunk Ideas

---

so does the transducer float on the water then? I guess I'm confused as to how it works with it just hanging over the side?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wannagofishin

so does the transducer float on the water then? I guess I'm confused as to how it works with it just hanging over the side?

---

Yes the transducer just floats on the surface of the water. Refer to the last picture to see the transducer is encased in a block of black foam taken from a shipping box (clothes washer) and held in place with two tie-wraps. I cut the foam to fit tightly around the transducer.

This is the second unit of this type I have built, and in the first I attached the transducer cable to the Styrofoam block in which I mounted the transducer. See the pictures of the first unit's transducer float below. The DF is a Bottom Line brand (no longer made) and the transducer is very small. Pictures are top and bottom.

Attachment 327568

Attachment 327569

noggin power!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by need2befishin

Our minds must be connected somehow. I did basically the same thing on my kayak. I used a thick piece of foam in the bottom with a rectangle cut out that fit the battery to prevent it from sliding around in the hard plastic case. Good job :fish

Attachment 326958
Attachment 326959

---

do you just cut the plug end of the T/M and strip the wires, add clips, and plug into the battery terminals?

Yes, striped wires and I just used the solder type ends that fit the battery terminals. Think they call them "spade" connectors.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rnvinc

:ThumbsUp

Rickie

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cane Pole

noggin power!

---

I consider both these high praise from two of my favorite "tinkerers" !!

Would the Helix 5 base fit on the ammo can, or do you have to use a RAM mount?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wannagofishin

Would the Helix 5 base fit on the ammo can, or do you have to use a RAM mount?

---

Look at the first picture in the thread. I used a Ram Mount so I could adjust the head anyway I wanted, but the HB mount would fit directly to the top of the fake ammo can. I am sure it would fit on the end of the top and the weight of the battery would still keep the can upright. You would then have to move the can around to see the face of the screen. The Ram Mount just makes it easier to move the head rather than the can.