Should the plastic surface of my through hull depth transducer be painted with anti fouling or does that interfere with its proper functioning ?
through hull depth tranducer paint
- Thread starter swallowtail
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Through hull depth
You should paint your through hull transducers with anti fouling paint. If they are made from plastic, only use water based paint because paints with solvents will remove the plasticizers from the plastic transducer and make them brittle. That can lead to broken transducers and leaks or worse.
You should paint your through hull transducers with anti fouling paint. If they are made from plastic, only use water based paint because paints with solvents will remove the plasticizers from the plastic transducer and make them brittle. That can lead to broken transducers and leaks or worse.
You should not use regular bottom paint. The copper will reportedly affect the readings. There is a special paint made. Comes in a little plastic container, transducer paint. Page 273 of the West bible, it's 11 bucks for two ounces, which will last the life of the boat. Try to mooch some from someone. You need so little.
I used to use the special transducer paint but for years now I just paint with regular bottom paint. I have used both solvent-based and water-based bottom paint and I have not seen any problem with readings or with degradation of the plastic. So I no longer use the special transducer paint. YMMV.
S,
I have the original transducer on my 1980 C30 for the old time Datamarine depth gauge. I've not used this since my first Loran & two GPS's later. I installed my first epoxy'd/caulked in-hull trans. and recently with my new Garmin, have a newer in-hull one.
The old ones are still in place but do not interfere. All in the area just STBD of the fuel tank. It was an easy job, what with making a collar from a plastic milk jug. Used some latex caulk to hold this in place. Mixed the epoxy caulk made for the trans., poured it in carefully set the transducer being careful no air bubbles and Viola, beautiful bottom reads.
To find a spot, I took a plastic baggie filled with water. Put the sender in the bag up against the inside hull moving it around to ensure a good reading on your instrument. If your bottom finder is located elsewhere, have a friend call out the good spot or vice-versa.
I never have to worry about bottom paint or barnacles etc.
Just a suggestion pal.......
CR
I have the original transducer on my 1980 C30 for the old time Datamarine depth gauge. I've not used this since my first Loran & two GPS's later. I installed my first epoxy'd/caulked in-hull trans. and recently with my new Garmin, have a newer in-hull one.
The old ones are still in place but do not interfere. All in the area just STBD of the fuel tank. It was an easy job, what with making a collar from a plastic milk jug. Used some latex caulk to hold this in place. Mixed the epoxy caulk made for the trans., poured it in carefully set the transducer being careful no air bubbles and Viola, beautiful bottom reads.
To find a spot, I took a plastic baggie filled with water. Put the sender in the bag up against the inside hull moving it around to ensure a good reading on your instrument. If your bottom finder is located elsewhere, have a friend call out the good spot or vice-versa.
I never have to worry about bottom paint or barnacles etc.
Just a suggestion pal.......
CR
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