Painting the depth transducer

[timjet]

I'll be putting 3 coats of hard bottom paint on my boat this week. I don't think I should paint the depth transducer with the same paint. Suggestions?

 

[capt jerry]

they have* differnt paint for that,or dont paint it at all,

 

[jleonard]

I don't know what "the book" says, but I always dab some thinned bottom paint on my tranducers.

 

[Codger2]

timjet wrote:I don't think I should paint the depth transducer with the same paint.

The owner's manual will agree with you. Don't paint it!

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[coyote454]

Tim, I'm with Capt. Jerry and Seahorse II on this one. *I'd be very reluctant to put anything on a transducer (at least on the bottom side which sends out the signal). Bottom paint normally has copper in it and it would seem any metal in the paint would really mess up the signal.

If jleonard has had good luck by thinning the mixture, it must be very thin to avoid interference. I'd suggest not painting it and having a diver check it when he does the normal bottom cleaning.


Beautiful boat, by the way!


Mike
Brookings, Oregon


-- Edited by coyote454 on Friday 4th of February 2011 12:42:16 AM

 

[timjet]

II did some checking and it seems that some bottom paint contains stuff that can damage the plastic parts of a transducer or speed impelled. There is a special purpose paint for this application.

 

[Phil Fill]

I paint over the Eagle two transducers with Pettit Trinidad which is a hard drying epoxy.* It would seem if you did not paint over the transducer then it would be covered with sea growth.**


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As for speed most GPS give the speed. *


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[Capn Chuck]

If you use bottom paint on your depth transducer, you won't get any growth, but you won't get accurate depth reading either. Transducer paint only sort of works. If you have removable transducers, take them out when the boat is at the dock and clean them once a month at least. If they are not removable, someone will have to go under the boat and clean them. There is no magic paint or coating to keep growth down the will not adversely affect the transducer. Chuck

 

[koliver]

My TDs are inside the hull. the outside is coated with many layers (years and years of buildup) and yet they work fine. When I used to have a working TD out in the water, I always painted it with the current year's antifouling, and I always had good readings.

 

[timjet]

Capn Chuck wrote:
If you have removable transducers, take them out when the boat is at the dock and clean them once a month at least. If they are not removable, someone will have to go under the boat and clean them. There is no magic paint or coating to keep growth down the will not adversely affect the transducer. Chuck

I do have removable transducers, but I'm a little nervous removing them. Besides I do like to keep a dry bilge and it's a real bear to dry it out when it gets wet.*

I did find this special purpose paint for transducers:*http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SiteSearch?Ns=Most%20Popular|0


http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SiteSearch?Ns=Most Popular|0When I hauled the boat there was no growth on either transducer. I don't know what the PO used if anything. Looks like bottom paint. The speed log didn't work, but I found it not electrically connected so I'm hopeful that it will now work.


I'm going to call Interlux and see what they say. They've been very helpful in the past.


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