Building the Ultrasonic Antifouling Kit from Jaycar
- Thread starter Norman_E
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nigelmercier
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Looks like we have someone from Jaycar on the forum now, great stuff. Perhaps he can sort out the nonsense that causes the pack of epoxy to take the weight of the kit into the next delivery band ...
Champagne Murphy
Active member
HELP!!
After reading the thread I invested in one of these but at the testing stage I get between 0.2 and 0.3v rather than 5v. I've checked all the solder joints and they look OK. IC and the fuse are out and I've tested my 12v bench supply using a multimeter.
Any ideas?
After reading the thread I invested in one of these but at the testing stage I get between 0.2 and 0.3v rather than 5v. I've checked all the solder joints and they look OK. IC and the fuse are out and I've tested my 12v bench supply using a multimeter.
Any ideas?
Norman_E
Well-known member
I just looked back over this thread, as it is now about a year since I started it. At 260 odd posts and 37,800 views it has to be one of the most popular ever.
What strikes me most is the number of people who have built or are building the kits, which should give a pretty good body of experience with this comparatively new technology. The other thing is the way people have helped one another.
My own units are still working away with the boat still in the water, where it will remain all winter. When I go back to Marmaris in the spring I hope to see the hull still looking clean.
CM I know your problem is sorted. Please give us an update when you have finished the kit and installed it in your boat.
What strikes me most is the number of people who have built or are building the kits, which should give a pretty good body of experience with this comparatively new technology. The other thing is the way people have helped one another.
My own units are still working away with the boat still in the water, where it will remain all winter. When I go back to Marmaris in the spring I hope to see the hull still looking clean.
CM I know your problem is sorted. Please give us an update when you have finished the kit and installed it in your boat.
nigelmercier
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- Live in Kent, boat in Canary Islands
If the 5V rail is low, and assuming you cannot get it correct with VR1.
Make sure that D3 is the right way round, there should be about 11.3V on the cathode (the junction with the 100R resistor, see attached).
Make sure that the components local to the regulator are correct, and not shorted.
Otherwise it could be a faulty TL499A regulator.
Norman_E
Well-known member
Nigel, As I said CM had his problem sorted. I won't say what it was, but it was simply fixed.
haydude
New member
First results
I thought to publish the first results for comments. These are not significant yet, but interesting.
The boat is a Bavaria 42 Cruiser, she was antifouled in Spain in June 2010 where she remained until April 2011. In May 2011 she arrived in the UK. In June 2011 I installed two Jaycar kits, one transducer in the bilge in front of the engine just to starboard of centreline, the second transducer in the bilge in the forward cabin, to port of centreline. The boat was then lifted in October 2011 and here are the pictures.
The boat was badly fouled, having spent 10 months in the Med. It is interesting that she is clear of fouling in correspondence of the internal structure (see longitudinal and transversal lines), which means the ultrasounds work best there, where the hull is more rigid, or where more sound is carried by beams and stringers.
I would have expected that without Ultrasonic Antifouling the fouling would have been more uniform. It is encouraging that in correspondence of the internal structure lines she was totally free of fouling which means that Ultrasounds must have helped to clean, in the four months between June and October, the fouling that built up there before May 2011.
I thought to publish the first results for comments. These are not significant yet, but interesting.
The boat is a Bavaria 42 Cruiser, she was antifouled in Spain in June 2010 where she remained until April 2011. In May 2011 she arrived in the UK. In June 2011 I installed two Jaycar kits, one transducer in the bilge in front of the engine just to starboard of centreline, the second transducer in the bilge in the forward cabin, to port of centreline. The boat was then lifted in October 2011 and here are the pictures.
The boat was badly fouled, having spent 10 months in the Med. It is interesting that she is clear of fouling in correspondence of the internal structure (see longitudinal and transversal lines), which means the ultrasounds work best there, where the hull is more rigid, or where more sound is carried by beams and stringers.
I would have expected that without Ultrasonic Antifouling the fouling would have been more uniform. It is encouraging that in correspondence of the internal structure lines she was totally free of fouling which means that Ultrasounds must have helped to clean, in the four months between June and October, the fouling that built up there before May 2011.
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Norman_E
Well-known member
What an interesting result. I did not think that it would clear existing fouling. The real test has to be next year, after you have cleaned the hull. Are you going to give it a coat of anti-fouling paint?
haydude
New member
Indeed, done with two coats of International Micron Extra.
nigelmercier
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Just a heads-up on the JayCar kit. This article is going to appear in a UK magazine sometime in 2012, so hopefully there will be a kit available in the UK.
I still haven't got round to building the kits I bought for testing, much less my redesigned model with two transducers. Perhaps over the winter ...
I still haven't got round to building the kits I bought for testing, much less my redesigned model with two transducers. Perhaps over the winter ...
Plamen
New member
multiple kits on board
As I have 4 kits left, I decided to install them all 4, two on each side fore and aft . I know for my boat it might be a “overkill”, but the costs even for 4 are still joke, compared to annual antifouling.
Running all 4 at once, would ruine my batteries (even with my 5A solar panel) and maybe delaminate the hull
... if all 4 come to their peak-resonance at the same time
By a programmable logic device, quad-timer (Siemens LOGO) I will run the 4 kits wrap-around the clock, 2 hours one after another, with overlapping time between each two of maybe 30 min.
I hope to gain more ultrasonic efficiency with the overlapping, and also I will be covered, should one (or two) of the systems fail while unattended.
The Siemens LOGO isn’t expensive (Ebay 70-100 EUR) and I can share the quad-timer program for free if somebody would be interested but less experienced with it. Easy reprogramable for 2 or 3 kits, also different time- and overlapping-intervals.
Don’t be fooled by the picture, the LOGO will be 12V version, not 24V. It’s a very reliable device and marine environment approved too. No power loss problems, the program will just restart with power return.
BTW I decided not to go the “trough the wall” with the transducer cable, just left the cable gland within the flange body, almost full covered by the PU resin. It’s at least same save and strong, but more easy cable position, when installing went narrow & tight.
I also find out, that my PU resin, produced Dec-2010, has expired Dec-2011. Turned out not to be an issue, just warmed up the pack on the heating radiator, and the resin mixed easy and cured very well.
Regards
Plamen
As I have 4 kits left, I decided to install them all 4, two on each side fore and aft . I know for my boat it might be a “overkill”, but the costs even for 4 are still joke, compared to annual antifouling.
Running all 4 at once, would ruine my batteries (even with my 5A solar panel) and maybe delaminate the hull
... if all 4 come to their peak-resonance at the same time By a programmable logic device, quad-timer (Siemens LOGO) I will run the 4 kits wrap-around the clock, 2 hours one after another, with overlapping time between each two of maybe 30 min.
I hope to gain more ultrasonic efficiency with the overlapping, and also I will be covered, should one (or two) of the systems fail while unattended.
The Siemens LOGO isn’t expensive (Ebay 70-100 EUR) and I can share the quad-timer program for free if somebody would be interested but less experienced with it. Easy reprogramable for 2 or 3 kits, also different time- and overlapping-intervals.
Don’t be fooled by the picture, the LOGO will be 12V version, not 24V. It’s a very reliable device and marine environment approved too. No power loss problems, the program will just restart with power return.
BTW I decided not to go the “trough the wall” with the transducer cable, just left the cable gland within the flange body, almost full covered by the PU resin. It’s at least same save and strong, but more easy cable position, when installing went narrow & tight.
I also find out, that my PU resin, produced Dec-2010, has expired Dec-2011. Turned out not to be an issue, just warmed up the pack on the heating radiator, and the resin mixed easy and cured very well.
Regards
Plamen
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SolentPhill
New member
I know someone who is after one if you want sell one.
Norman_E
Well-known member
The article that I wrote has appeared in PBO, August 2011, pages 54-57.
affinite
Well-known member
Does anyone know if they work ?
Any completed field trials yet ?
Any completed field trials yet ?
Plamen
New member
transducer "seen" working
Putted in a bucket with water, half- to 1/3 submersed, the transducer can be “seen” working. Decent waves builds up the surface, I feel even the “clicks” are better heard when submersed.
The felt effect of vibration is, however, too decent for my taste.
I hope, the transmitted energy would be enough to scarce the beasts off my hull bottom.
Now I am already sorry that I didn’t encapsulated the transducers with appropriate epoxy, instead of the relatively week PU resin.
Unfortunately, I am too far away from field tests, I could install them in May and observe what happened in late October.
Will post results anyway…
Regards, Plamen
Putted in a bucket with water, half- to 1/3 submersed, the transducer can be “seen” working. Decent waves builds up the surface, I feel even the “clicks” are better heard when submersed.
The felt effect of vibration is, however, too decent for my taste.
I hope, the transmitted energy would be enough to scarce the beasts off my hull bottom.
Now I am already sorry that I didn’t encapsulated the transducers with appropriate epoxy, instead of the relatively week PU resin.
Unfortunately, I am too far away from field tests, I could install them in May and observe what happened in late October.
Will post results anyway…
Regards, Plamen
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Plamen
New member
Question re. encapsulating PU resin
Question re. encapsulating PU resin
Does anybody have an idea, why the kit designer chose the (relatively) week PU resin for encapsulating the transducer?
In my opinion, a more hard (epoxy) encapsulating material, with adequate electrical protection, would help the ultrasonic energy to penetrate the hull structure. Whilst the week PU resin seems to prevent this.
BTW, the kit is easy to assembly, and seems electrically well protected too.
When adjusting the 5 VDC, (with IC2 not in place as required) I forgot to take out the fuse F1, which melted in few seconds.
No damages to the PCB or components, however. Well done, Jaycar!!
Regards, Plamen
Question re. encapsulating PU resin
Does anybody have an idea, why the kit designer chose the (relatively) week PU resin for encapsulating the transducer?
In my opinion, a more hard (epoxy) encapsulating material, with adequate electrical protection, would help the ultrasonic energy to penetrate the hull structure. Whilst the week PU resin seems to prevent this.
BTW, the kit is easy to assembly, and seems electrically well protected too.
When adjusting the 5 VDC, (with IC2 not in place as required) I forgot to take out the fuse F1, which melted in few seconds.
No damages to the PCB or components, however. Well done, Jaycar!!
Regards, Plamen
nimbusgb
Active member
Epoxy resin shrinks by 1% to 3% as it cures. It may well crush or damage the transducer as it cures ?
Plamen
New member
Epoxy resin RS 199-1424 has shrinkage of less than 1%.
The resin thickness is all over less than 20mm,
with 1% shrinkage this is less than 0,2mm.
IMHO I don't believe this can damage transducer or anything else inside the resin.
nigelmercier
RIP
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2007
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- Live in Kent, boat in Canary Islands
The encapsulation is a safety thing, and to keep moisture away from the high voltages; it doesn't affect the performance.
Plamen
New member
thanks... I realize very well, the 800V must be safely encapsulated...
But do you agree, harder epoxy resin would also electrically protect, but help the ultrasonic energy to better penetrate the hull??