Water based Transducer paint

You can use water based transducer paint with out harming the surface of your ducer.
Transducer Paint

Key Benefits & Features:
Improve your depth sounder performance. This water based antifouling tranducer paint resists marine growth yet does not attack the transducer face like some solvent based botom paints. A brush is in the cap for easy application. Black. 2oz.

 

Uhhhhhhhhhh don't keep it in the water

 

Make sure you get several coats of it on the face, and plenty of the regular stuff on the rest of the unit (any part that's not rubber) to prevent bridging.

Paul

 

MDR is the ticket works well with no ill effects on the transducer.

 

BoKat, does the manufacturer say not to paint the ducer with bottom paint? That would make sense. Ducer paint the guys talk about works fine, been useing it forever and never had a prob.

 

Mix powder pepper into the paint.

 

The manual says not to paint - it does not differentiate between the MDR paint mentioned/transducer paint/bottom paint. I will try the MDR paint and be very careful with what it touches. Thanks for the help. What is powder pepper?

(This post edited by BoKat on 01/04/2006)

 

Hot stuff

Cayenne pepper powder, mix it with the t.d., paint supposed to stop the growth..Supposed to work good in bottom paint also.

(This post edited by happyhrs on 01/04/2006)

 

I am probably wrong but I believe years ago there where things mixed in the bottom paints that were said could affect your signal. I believe those paints were also toxic to the environment are not used anymore.
I also noticed with a recent transducer installation they mentioned not to paint. This I cannot understand as it would get covered by barnacles in the right conditions. Anyway for years I always used the little bottle of MDR painted the entire transducer top, bottom and wheel and never had a problem so I stick with it. I just can't stand the little brush that comes with it.

(This post edited by MIKE TUNA on 01/04/2006)

 

Use a Cup

Tuna Mike,

I pour the MDR ducer paint into a cup and use a 1 inch brush to apply the paint. Goes on easier, smoother, and covers better.

 

MIKE TUNA wrote:
I am probably wrong but I believe years ago there where things mixed in the bottom paints that were said could affect your signal. I believe those paints were also toxic to the environment are not used anymore.
Most bottom paints (even today) contain copper. There is actually legislation being proposed in California right now to ban the use of copper in bottom paint. I'm not an electrical engineer, but it does make total sense that painting the bottom of a transducer with a paint that contains copper would indeed mess up the signal quite a bit.

Prior to the late 1980's all bottom paint was TIN-BASED. That stuff worked so much better than this copper stuff we have now except it was too toxic so Congress banned it. I know for a fact that painting a transducer with that tin stuff really messed things up too!

(This post edited by DoctorFish on 01/06/2006)

 

The copper in the bottom paint doesn't affect the signal at all. Far too thin, even in multiple coats. The problem is the reaction between the solvent base and the face of the transducer.

Paul