Transducer protection

B

bridma

New member
Did not get any input last time I asked the question. So thought I would try again before Nomad goes into the salt chuck for the season.

What protection (if any) can I give my external depth sounder transducer from getting clogged up with little critters and stuff. I anti-fouled the bottom of the boat but did not touch the transducer. The boat will be in the water for 8 to 9 months a year.
Will be launching soon, so hope I get some answers this time.

Cheers,
Martin.
 
ferret30":xbq5g5rt said:
I responded to your question a few days ago. Look at that thread!
Click to expand...

I do thank you for that input, but rather hoping for a more permanent solution than put a bag over it.
If there is a protection spray or paint that some of you use. A product name would be great.

Cheers,
Martin.
 
Hi Martin. There are paints available in the U S that aren't available here. I think a good couple or 3 coats of wax as used on the hull is the best. I use Colinite Fleetwax on the hull and have used it with good success on the trim tabs. It will do fine on the transducer also. Just scrub off as needed. George
 
MDR
Transducer Antifouling Paint
Model # 128225 | Manuf. # MDR-720
Above from West Marine.

Also, Aquaguard Transducer Antifouling Paint and Pettit offers one as well.
 
My boat lives in Puget Sound all the time; I don't even have a trailer so fighting off the slime and barnacles is a constant chore. My biggest hassle has been the trim tabs, they seem to be magnets for marine growth. I haven't found a solution for them but after my transducer, and the paddle wheel, got encrusted and I spent too much time leaning over the back cleaning them off I decided I had to do something. What has worked for me is to put a disposable latex glove over the transducer. It too is a bit of a hassle and you need to remember to pull it off before leaving the marina so as to not add to the trash. I've learned to tie a light cord to a finger and leave the cord hanging over the transom into the cockpit and when I do my final look around prior to casting off I'll see it and I can pull the glove off without reaching all the way over. I also put a few drops of some sort of cleaner into the glove before putting it on although I doubt this does much but since there is water in the glove I want it to be inhospitable to anything that lives. I've also put a penny in a finger since a penny is zinc and copper (mostly zinc--97.5%-- believe it or not, a nickel is mostly copper--75%) and I retrieve the penny for the next one and throw the glove away. The weird thing is that it looks like someone is under the boat trying to reach out.

Steve
 
Oly":12a1zxi5 said:
What has worked for me is to put a disposable latex glove over the transducer.
Click to expand...

That gave me another idea. What if you put a certain other latex item over it (use your imagination, available in a 12 pack), and zip tied it at the pivot. You could probably leave it on even when using the transducer, and just replace it when it gets gunked up.

Patent pending :)
 
ferret30":86598qy3 said:
Oly":86598qy3 said:
What has worked for me is to put a disposable latex glove over the transducer.
Click to expand...

That gave me another idea. What if you put a certain other latex item over it (use your imagination, available in a 12 pack), and zip tied it at the pivot. You could probably leave it on even when using the transducer, and just replace it when it gets gunked up.

Patent pending :)
Click to expand...
It will also keep your transducer from getting other boats pregnant. Bonus!
 
Martin:

Here in Texas where everything is bigger - including the barnacles - I found the WM transducer paint to be completely useless.

I had a Raymarine transducer and I routinely put two coats of Micron CSC bottom paint on it, twice a year four years running. It worked really well at stopping marine growth, did not affect transducer function, and did not harm the transducer casing at all.

As they say, your mileage may vary... :?
 
bridma":jyjp63aw said:
Did not get any input last time I asked the question. So thought I would try again before Nomad goes into the salt chuck for the season.

What protection (if any) can I give my external depth sounder transducer from getting clogged up with little critters and stuff. I anti-fouled the bottom of the boat but did not touch the transducer. The boat will be in the water for 8 to 9 months a year.
Will be launching soon, so hope I get some answers this time.

Cheers,
Martin.
Click to expand...

I use Turtle Wax (paste form) when I pull it out of the water.
The solvent in most antifouling paint will eat the plastic. :wink:
 
tsturm":9qpnji0j said:
bridma":9qpnji0j said:
Did not get any input last time I asked the question. So thought I would try again before Nomad goes into the salt chuck for the season.

What protection (if any) can I give my external depth sounder transducer from getting clogged up with little critters and stuff. I anti-fouled the bottom of the boat but did not touch the transducer. The boat will be in the water for 8 to 9 months a year.
Will be launching soon, so hope I get some answers this time.

Cheers,
Martin.
Click to expand...

I use Turtle Wax (paste form) when I pull it out of the water.
The solvent in most antifouling paint will eat the plastic. :wink:
Click to expand...

Would have thought that the bottom paint would harm the transducer housing, but it sure did not seem to. Just one man's experience.

It the boat gets hauled out frequently, it may not be a big deal. But it is a real problem for boats that spend months in the water at a time. So far we have heard about WM transducer paint (did not work for me in warm Texas waters), waxing the transducer (would that last for 3 or 4 months at a time?) and "rubberization" - now why didn't I think of that? :shock:
 
Thanks for all your input guys, great info and new ideas. I am going to try the 'waxing' idea first, with a top up a couple of times during the season. If it does not work, it will be fairly easy to clean off and try something else.

Martin.
 
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