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17-02-2013, 03:20
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#1
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Moderator

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Back in the Solent!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 36,128
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Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
I am inclined to use bronze transducer housings, although they are much more expensive. It seems to me that in case of grounding, or a misplaced lifting strap, a bronze-housed transducer will be much less to crack and leak or flood the boat.
Am I being paranoid here, or what do you guys think?
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17-02-2013, 03:30
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#2
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Moderator and Certifiable Refitter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: South of 43 S, Australia
Boat: C.L.O.D.
Posts: 21,910
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
I am inclined to use bronze transducer housings, although they are much more expensive. It seems to me that in case of grounding, or a misplaced lifting strap, a bronze-housed transducer will be much less to crack and leak or flood the boat.
Am I being paranoid here, or what do you guys think?
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Well, I think you are being a bit paranoid. The bronze housing is designed for wooden (carvel) hulls to withstand the pressures of the timber expanding.
Think of the ten of thousands (prolly 100's of 1,000's) of plastic housings take haven't caused a problem.
But I am also paranoid about strength at times so I can understand why you might go bronze
__________________
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangereous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. T.E. Lawrence
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17-02-2013, 03:42
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#3
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Moderator

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Back in the Solent!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 36,128
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
Hmm, well I don't want to go overboard with it. I'm not near the boat and can't remember whether the original transducer housings are bronze or plastic. If they're plastic then I don't think I will bother with bronze, which is special order and hundreds of dollars extra. But I have to order them tomorrow, so I won't have a chance to check
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17-02-2013, 05:16
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#4
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Senior Cruiser

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,598
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
transducers will work through a fiberglass hull without the need of a through hull fitting.
some epoxy putty and a tube for the sender unit mounted on the inside of the hull is all you need.
http://www.tomneale.com/tips13.html
http://www.dngoodchild.com/7752.htm
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17-02-2013, 05:24
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Singapore
Boat: Moody 376
Posts: 142
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
Our ancient Stowe depth sounder has a plastic fitting... I reckon they're fine as long as they're fitted well... you can glass over the locking nut to be super safe.
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17-02-2013, 05:44
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#6
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Dec 2007
Boat: Mahe 36, Helia 44 Evo, MY 37
Posts: 5,731
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
I am inclined to use bronze transducer housings, although they are much more expensive. It seems to me that in case of grounding, or a misplaced lifting strap, a bronze-housed transducer will be much less to crack and leak or flood the boat.
Am I being paranoid here, or what do you guys think?
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Chances are that you have an AIRMAR. They make transducers for everyone. They make them with impegnated fiberglass like the Maralon valves.
A lifing strap right on the senser will sometime just break to spin wheel, which has happend to me, but thats all.
Its important to mark your boat for the lift straps.
Plastic would be the way to go, so you have no bonding issues.
DST800 —Thru-Hull, Smart™ Sensor - Airmar Marine Transducers
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17-02-2013, 06:00
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Boat: 1974 Westsail 32
Posts: 406
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
The outside of the hull, no problem with plastic. It's a violent shift of cargo shearing off the inside that bothers me. Not likely, but being a good boy scout... My choice is bronze.
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18-02-2013, 03:25
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#8
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Moderator

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Back in the Solent!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 36,128
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
Quote:
Originally Posted by westsailwill
The outside of the hull, no problem with plastic. It's a violent shift of cargo shearing off the inside that bothers me. Not likely, but being a good boy scout... My choice is bronze.
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Not really any chance of that on my boat -- the transducers are under the sole in a separate mini-cofferdam, with no cargo around.
Hrm, sounding like plastic is ok. It will save me quite a bit of money.
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19-02-2013, 00:50
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Melbourne, australia
Boat: Joubert Koala 24
Posts: 114
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
I have plastic, and I have a spare. Both of them together cost less than a bronze one.
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19-02-2013, 01:45
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Punta Gorda, Florida
Boat: Cruisers Yachts 420 Express
Posts: 1,429
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
Quote:
Originally Posted by westsailwill
The outside of the hull, no problem with plastic. It's a violent shift of cargo shearing off the inside that bothers me. Not likely, but being a good boy scout... My choice is bronze.
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I think this is a myth, I have never heard of one of these breaking from shifting cargo or anything else.
On my last boat I replaced the Raymarine sounder and knot meter, when I upgraded the electronics....
I had to beat the old ones out with a 2 lbs hammer, since they were bedded with 5200.
They were still in one piece when they came out...
The are much stronger than you will imagine.
__________________
Tom Jeremiason
Punta Gorda, Florida
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21-01-2014, 11:38
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Florida
Boat: Creekmore 34
Posts: 161
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
I am in the process of a refit and plan on upgrading the thru hull transducer.
Definitely want a depth, but can't decide whether to get the Tri Data with Depth, Speed and water Temp/
In this day of age of GPS and back up GPS is a speedo really worth the hassles of cleaning the impeller etc.???
Any thougthts?
Thanks
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21-01-2014, 15:49
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Michigan/Bocas del Toro Panama
Boat: Corbin 39
Posts: 273
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
I'm in the plastic camp, but just to get the paranoia going. When watching the last around the world race on TV, I recall a transducer blew out on a 70 footer. They were coming off a wave, and it blew it right up into the boat. I think it must have been the threaded ring holding the paddle wheel in place that failed. I bet you get that same plastic ring with a bronze through-hull triducer.
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21-01-2014, 15:55
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Boat: Tartan 40
Posts: 2,520
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremiason
I think this is a myth, I have never heard of one of these breaking from shifting cargo or anything else.
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Actually, friends of ours had their boat sink underway in a pitching sea when a spare danforth anchor broke free in the bow locker and sheared off a plastic thru hull. But haven't heard of such an occurrence since and that was 25 years ago.
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21-01-2014, 16:06
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,824
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
I would forego the impeller for speed. With GPS, backup GPS and GPS built into everything from your radio to your depthfinder... who wants an impellor that's always stuck anyway?
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
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21-01-2014, 16:08
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,824
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Re: Plastic or Bronze Transducer Housings?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wotname
Well, I think you are being a bit paranoid. The bronze housing is designed for wooden (carvel) hulls to withstand the pressures of the timber expanding.
Think of the ten of thousands (prolly 100's of 1,000's) of plastic housings take haven't caused a problem.
But I am also paranoid about strength at times so I can understand why you might go bronze 
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So you approve of plastic thru hulls too? Just sayin'... it's the same thing really... transducer probably less stout... Not sayin' I dont approve of plastic transducers... just that most everyone disses plastic seavalves,, but this is no different....
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
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