Topic: low temperatures and transducer storage

[gooral]

Hi.

Just wondering can I keep transducer out on the boat for entire winter (well Irish one - I guess temperatures lower than -15C/5F will not occur too often with most of nights just around -5c/23F). I already noticed cable getting quite stiff at the last launch @ -3C/26F (+ I keep boat in back garden my dog would deal with it in mater of minutes so i have to remove it and place on the bench as only unit (597ci hd di) bracket is fixed to the boat. I guess it will get covered by ice on some stage and wondering should i remove it from the boat or not?
For both transducer and cable itself sake.

(i can try to cover transducer somehow as i do with bracket - simply put surgical glove over it to make sure that no water may enter connectors).
would it work?

[Humminbird_Greg]

I believe that we storage test the transducer down to at least -20C, so you should not have to remove the transducer.  However I have seen pictures or transducers and cables that dogs and other animals have had a go at – with disastrous results for the transducer (one of my son’s dogs at the seat and gas line off of my ATV a few years back), so you may want to remove the expensive transducer for that reason alone.

[gooral]

ok -20 doesn't happen in Ireland at all i guess so thank you. And i just got an idea.
Instead of removing transducer (brittle cable at frost may snap) i may do some sort of box for it so my dog won't get through (out of beer crate or something).

[Humminbird_Greg]

Don't forget to protect the cable as well gooral!

[sonar2000]

Not to sound too negative but as a precaution.........take extra care at removing connectors to units as these are not of the best quality available and you dont want to damage them and render the unit inoperable. See other post and threads on these connectors...
Chuck

[gooral]

dog won't reach any further that half of the boat (it is on the trailer) so I'm up to using metal bucket or something to make sure that it will be covered.
most of cables are gonna be inside boat (apart from this 20-40cm from gunwale to transducer but i hope to cover it with this bucket).
 Connectors are fitted to bracket and i'm using surgical glove to protect them from the top so make sure they are excess cable will be coiled somewhere under one of benches.

[Gattlin]

 I know it's an old topic but it bears consideration on my part. Here in Mn  -20 F is a normal occasion in dead of winter. But what about those -40 stretches we get up here. Last winter was mild by MN standards the next one may not be. -40 anyone? Heck I saw -52 in hmmm  1998.

[sonar2000]

The HB units have low and high ranges so to be safe in winter I would remove the unit if it is not in a controlled storage..

Chuck.
 

[Humminbird_Greg]

I know it's an old topic but it bears consideration on my part. Here in Mn  -20 F is a normal occasion in dead of winter. But what about those -40 stretches we get up here. Last winter was mild by MN standards the next one may not be. -40 anyone? Heck I saw -52 in hmmm  1998.

Gattlin, was this the actual temperature or was this with a wind chill factored in?
If this was the actual temperature I would think about storing my boat indoors.

[Gattlin]

 Those are ambient temps with out wind chill. From the second or third week in Dec to the last week of Jan it gets just down right frigid. The year I saw -52 there was frost on the nail heads that held the paneling on the wall. The moisture in the corners of your eyes will actually start to feel like it's gelling. So I'll pull the transducers off this fall b/4 winter storage I just got lucky last year I believe.  The boat never sets outside unless it's in use. But the winter storage is not heated. Good thing I didn't run the transducer cable with the power because I ran the power separatly under the floor away from the harness and that would have been a pain to remove.