A Maintenace tip for transducers/ almost NF

[Old Ironmaker]

I don't know if I read it here or another forum but someone passed on some info that may help boaters. While trailering the boat transducers should be protected from scratches incurred by road debris that will effect the signal to your unit. Simply cover the transducer with a sock to prevent scratches. Sounds logical to me. An easy and cheap way to keep them clean. A right hand sock for starboard and a left sock for the other side. Apparently Humminbirds are more prone to scratching of which I have one.

 

edit: It was Steve here on the thread about Humminbird vs, Lorance. Thanks Steve.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Old Ironmaker

[fishdawg]

Neoprene reel covers also work well.

[wkrp]

I use a piece of styrofoam with a rubber band to hold it on.

[Jds63]

Thanks !

[kickingfrog]

And don't let anyone tell you different, wool is the only way to go, never cotton.

[cram]

Never thought of this. Thanks for the tip!

[BillM]

Great tip, although I can't say I've ever had a transducer destroyed by road debris, even after 200+kms on the Sultan Rd. Every little bit helps I guess.

[Terry]

Great tip, although I can't say I've ever had a transducer destroyed by road debris, even after 200+kms on the Sultan Rd. Every little bit helps I guess.

Yup. It can't hurt but I too have never seen a ducer hurt from transporting it

[Steve]

you will find that the debris on the road will never destroy your transducer....just slightly weaken the power of the transducer over time...

 

so after a few years, you think everything is working properly....but one day you think to yourself "gee, I don't see my rigger balls like I used to on this finder..." and attribute it to blow back or something else....

 

than one day you have a friend who has the same, or similar unit to you, but brand new. You say hey, can I throw my head unit on your boat and all of a sudden your unit is marking tons more than what it marked on your boat.....

 

transducer is the culprit...its only operating at 60% of its strength.....

 

not easy to notice unless you fish in a way that marks a constant...like rigger balls.

[Terry]

Yet I believe

You would have to see marks on the ducer for it to do damage

Years ago the high power units would heat up and the ceramics would come

Off the glue. Then driving down the road would make it rattle around and do more damage.

 

But the newer units don't heat up like they use to

[grimsbylander]

Next time I see a sock floating in the lake, I'll know exactly why. God knows I'll never remember to take it off!

[BillM]

Next time I see a sock floating in the lake, I'll know exactly why. God knows I'll never remember to take it off!

 

LOL!

[Sinker]

I find transducers have a lifetime. Every few years they need to be replaced for the best performance. You really notice it icefishing. I think getting banged around in a sleigh behind a snowmobile or quad on the ice is especially hard on them, so I keep mine in a piece of foam to help protect it.

 

 

S.

[kickingfrog]

Next time I see a sock floating in the lake, I'll know exactly why. God knows I'll never remember to take it off!

 

 

Better than finding a baitbucket...

[Steve]

Sinker, transducers absolutely have a lifetime...i'd wager anything older than four/five years (or much less with heavy towing) would be a transducers max.

 

And definitely lowrance transducers seem to lose their power quicker than hbird transducers.

 

A good friend of mine just had to replace his transducer on this hds7. He bought it the first year they came out....what was that, about four/five years ago?

[Sinker]

Yup, I have replaced many of them, both lowrance and birds. I guess it depends how much you use them. I use mine year round, and I think icefishing is when they take the most beating. Bouncing in the sleigh doing 40km/h down the lake wrecks gear!

 

S.

[KraTToR]

Next time I see a sock floating in the lake, I'll know exactly why. God knows I'll never remember to take it off!

Ditto!

[NANUK]

Transducers do wear out, I get that ,

But with all today's technology, why can't they make a transducer with a waterproof connector above the water line, let's say 4 feet above the ducer,

Fishing the ducer Wire through the boat bulkheads etc is the hardest part and a PITA.

[Old Ironmaker]

It's funny I posted the exact same thread on a mostly American forum and was told I was nuts. Transducers don't loose accuracy. OK then that's that. Oh, and Donald Trump is going to be the greatest Prez since Georgie Washington.

[G.mech]

Transducers do wear out, I get that ,

But with all today's technology, why can't they make a transducer with a waterproof connector above the water line, let's say 4 feet above the ducer,

Fishing the ducer Wire through the boat bulkheads etc is the hardest part and a PITA.

 

Amen to that! I understand that the Airmar transducers last way longer but are they really worth the extra money?

[Old Ironmaker]

I was always told never to cut a transducer wire. I am now told it is done all the time on digital units not analogue and can be rewired if you have good solder skills. I don't know if they exist but it would be nice to be able to have a transducer that plugs in just like on the main unit. I know I don't want to fish in a new line, what a pain it was on my Star Craft with the live wells to bypass. I was ready to drill holes in them.

 

Off topic because this is my thread so there. I had the lakeside windows and doors open and put a spring jacket on and headed out. I went down the road 300 meters to a pals. When I got out of the truck it felt like I fell through the ice. North wind blowing like mad and it was -10C. What a difference wind can make, especially in the spring. The boys headed out on Lake O without me a few days ago and only lasted an hour on the lake because of the cold wind and not dressed for it, you can always take clothes off but can't put them on if you don't bring it. Serves then right for not taking me.

[BassMan11]

So hold on a minute...... if I buy a $300 Helix 5 with down imaging I am going to have to purchase a $175 transducer every 5 years to make sure it working to its best ability? Yikes... glad I don't have the $300 structure scan unit.

[Smokercrafty]

I find transducers have a lifetime. Every few years they need to be replaced for the best performance. You really notice it icefishing. I think getting banged around in a sleigh behind a snowmobile or quad on the ice is especially hard on them, so I keep mine in a piece of foam to help protect it.

 

 

S.

 

X2..... I've constructed mine in such a way that it fits in an old pill container, housed in foam.

Here I thought I was the only one....

[NANUK]

 

Amen to that! I understand that the Airmar transducers last way longer but are they really worth the extra money?

 

Airmar don't cost that much more if you compare them to Lowrance duel frequency transducer.

Airmar is a much better product IMO

[G.mech]

Transducers do wear out, I get that ,

But with all today's technology, why can't they make a transducer with a waterproof connector above the water line, let's say 4 feet above the ducer,

Fishing the ducer Wire through the boat bulkheads etc is the hardest part and a PITA.

 

I was doing some research on this and Airmar makes a junction box that you can mount near the back of the boat that will do the job, I am definitely doing this on my next change. The part number is Airmar 33-035-BOX

 

http://faq.airmar.com/index.php?action=artikel&cat=1&id=45&artlang=en