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MOP
05-13-2005, 07:40 PM
My new transom shield came with a Mercathode but no controller, some say don't bother being I trailer. I figured it can't hurt having it operational, any thoughts?

Phil

penbroke
05-13-2005, 09:19 PM
'Don't see how it could hurt. You will be leaving her in the water for a few days here and there I expect.

Must be getting close??

Frank

Donzigo
05-14-2005, 10:14 AM
No problems to have it operational. BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT, IMHO, you would be just as far ahead if you burn your money. I haven't ever had one that prevented galvanic reactions. Maybe others have had better experiences.

MOP
05-14-2005, 12:45 PM
No problems to have it operational. BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT, IMHO, you would be just as far ahead if you burn your money. I haven't ever had one that prevented galvanic reactions. Maybe others have had better experiences.

Richard I have heard that, some say it is not so much the unit but hot docks! Years back we had a cable go bad in the ground about 10 feet from the docks, about 6 lower units bit the dust you could see the gears inside when we hauled them.

Phil

Pismo
05-14-2005, 01:24 PM
Salt - do it, Fresh - forget it.

MOP
05-14-2005, 04:59 PM
Qoute: Salt - do it, Fresh - forget it.

Actually I do not agree, I do run in both S/F. but the only drive pitting I have experienced with both my Donzis was in fresh water, it seems that the fresh water has the problem also. Everyone I spoke to after the 2003 1K run crabbed about the drive getting pitted while up in the sacred fresh water, I do not get it here in my bay go figure. I waxed the Doo Doo out of my drive for the 2004 run and only got a few. Maybe I am not being totally fair, I never leave my boat in when I am home but at an event it usually stays wet for a few days to a week.

Phil

Formula Jr
05-14-2005, 06:42 PM
Use magnesium anodes for fresh and salt, they can be hard to find though. And ground wire the units together. I agree that all the really bad damage comes from "Hot Docks" as you say.

Pismo
05-15-2005, 09:27 AM
Once again, how dare I say something tough about salt water. I will run and sit my boat in "sacred" clean fresh water for 10+ years without a worry with or without Mercathode. Good luck trying that with salt. Those "pits" are usually calcium deposits on top of the paint, BTW, very common in lakes. Since clean fresh water barely conducts it would be very hard to get galvanic corrosion in a week. Your implying that fresh water is harder on a boat than salt is absolute nonsense.

DONZI
05-15-2005, 07:22 PM
Zinc's 101-
http://www.boatzincsdirect.com/our_zincs/didyaknow.cfm

MOP
05-16-2005, 12:00 AM
Once again, how dare I say something tough about salt water. I will run and sit my boat in "sacred" clean fresh water for 10+ years without a worry with or without Mercathode. Good luck trying that with salt. Those "pits" are usually calcium deposits on top of the paint, BTW, very common in lakes. Since clean fresh water barely conducts it would be very hard to get galvanic corrosion in a week. Your implying that fresh water is harder on a boat than salt is absolute nonsense.


Pismo sorry no intent you just got me thinking about the problem a few of us had at first 1K run, we had little dinky pits that went right through to the aluminum on the the whole drive. It is probably unique to the area, could be that every ship going or coming to the Great Lakes runs through there day and night. As far as salt never an argument there, I have been fighting it all of my life it is a bugger you have to work at it fresh water is a ton kinder!

I know about the zinc thing I was the one who tracked down the magnesium supplier in NJ, I may bring our shop Galvanometer up up to 1K this year.

Phil