Bronze or plastic for transducers

[Goodxcharly]

All my boats have been plastic.3. I wouldn’t over think the issue as that is what the manufacture specs most of the time and I’m guessing they don’t want your boat to sink?
I wouldn’t worry about it.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by Goodxcharly

All my boats have been plastic.3. I wouldn’t over think the issue as that is what the manufacture specs most of the time and I’m guessing they don’t want your boat to sink?
I wouldn’t worry about it.

Manufacturers do a lot of shitty things and corner cutting so I wouldn't exactly use that as an endorsement. European manufacturers use DZR brass thruhulls and seacocks because the regs allow it and it reduces the initial price of the boat by <0.5%. Of course it now means all DZR brass seacocks and thruhulls must be replaced every 5 years something we know everyone does.

[chris in SG]

I just purchased an Airmar P19 plastic depth transducer, to replace the 20 year old one which died. Will be hauling out next month.

The instructions advise "Never use a fairing with a plastic housing. The protruding sensor would be vulnerable to damage from impact".

I was curious that it also advises "Use water-based anti-fouling made for transducers only". I've been using solvent based anti-fouling on the transducer for more than 10 years. I've never heard of anyone using water-based anti-fouling on plastic transducers. Are they being over-cautious?

[pjShap]

I had an Airmar DX900+ combined depth, speed temperature for a couple of years. Once calibrated it was very good. I used a plastic housing because it's a steel boat. Then the depth output died. Airmar admitted there were some design flaws. They do not yet offer that sensor. It uses an electromagnetic field to measure speed. I was attracted because they said it accurately measured leeway. I could never get that feature calibrated to trust it.

Now I have the combination ultrasonic speed. Too early to say how accurate it seems, but first impressions are that it's not as consistent as the electromagnetic sensor. I'm hoping it's less sensitive to fouling than the paddle wheels . Per Airmar recommendation I painted it with their sensor antifouling product.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by chris in SG

I just purchased an Airmar P19 plastic depth transducer, to replace the 20 year old one which died. Will be hauling out next month.

The instructions advise "Never use a fairing with a plastic housing. The protruding sensor would be vulnerable to damage from impact".

I was curious that it also advises "Use water-based anti-fouling made for transducers only". I've been using solvent based anti-fouling on the transducer for more than 10 years. I've never heard of anyone using water-based anti-fouling on plastic transducers. Are they being over-cautious?

Not being overly cautious, just following the manufacturers recommendations. Sometimes they know their product well and make these recommendations so you will get the best possible performance and life expectancy. I consider it a small price to pay. A small vial of transducer paint available here comes with an applicator brush and lasts seven or eight years.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by Colin Stone

I switched mine from plastic to bronze.

And a supplementary - how much water comes in past the internal tube flaps when the log transducer is pulled?? Mine is 1.1m underwater.

The flaps are great, I pull my transducer, give it a little scrub and reinsert it, probably two minutes total, and I may have a quart of water in the bilge. Certainly less than a half gallon.
The old units without the flap were like a fire hose so you had to insert the blanking plug while you scrubbed the transducer.

[Salva]

Same problem with this unit. The speed is incorrect and water temperature non existent. It functioned properly for the first year and then stopped. Unable to get service as the retailer has closed down. I understand that several other buyers have experienced problrms with the unit.