Fish finder transducer storage?

[Catscratch]

Bought my first fish finder a couple of months ago. Mounted the transducer to a pontoon that's permanently afloat.

Is it good for a transducer to be forever under water with gunk and stuff growing on it?

Should I find a way to make it portable so I can store it in the shop between fishing?

Or, should I put it on a flip-up pole that stays on the boat but leaves it out of the water? Would the sun damage it?

 

[Bill]

I don’t know the answer to that. I would think the sun wouldn’t be good for it unless you covered it. My boats come out of the water for the winter. I clean the transducers and coat them with antifoul every season. Pettit makes a spray. I use prop speed brand which is a brush on goo. I Use it on the underwater lights also and never have any gunk stuck on them.

 

[Catscratch]

I may have to look into some of that coating goo stuff. I plan on taking it off the boat for winter. That'll give me time to clean it up and decide what to do with it in the summers.
Thanks!

 

[Kdog]

Leaving it underwater will not hurt it, but the growth on it will reduce the performance. I would figure out a way to pull it out 1-2 times per year to clean it.

 

[Catscratch]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like there's no need to mess with it to much other than maybe a painting and some cleaning.

Is there any reason to mount it to a rod that I could spin to gain some performance or fishaility?

 

[Telemark]

What kind of sonar is it? If it's downscan, I would consider taking it out of the water when not using it.

If it's CHIRP or traditional sonar, I would probably just wipe it off before going out fishing.

I assume it's not sidescan or forward looking.

Spinning it won't do anything for you. The shape of a normal sonar fish finder's vision is always a cone. It scans whatever is in the cone, which should be facing straight down. The chart is a record of time, not distance. The current signal is over to the right, usually separate from the chart.

 

[Catscratch]

It's nothing fancy, Lawrence Hook Reveal with Splitshot. It has CHIRP and Downscan.

That's what I do Telemark, just reach down and give it a quick rub before heading out.

 

[Telemark]

Sounds like you have it under control. Just wipe the algae off, and you are good to go. (Assuming this is fresh water)

 

[Catscratch]

Cool!

Next question... can a person upgrade a transducer to get better imaging?