Jaycar ultrasonic transducer construction fault?

[Ric]

I recently installed a Jaycar USAF kit. The transducer was already potted, so I did not have to do this myself.

Today, a month or so after installation, I unscrewed the transducer to check that it was fitting snugly with the hull. I was surprised to find a small rupture in the black plastic membrane on the bottom of the transducer. On closer examination, I realised that there was an empty gap of about 10mm under the membrane until the metal of the transducer.Is this how it is supposed to be constructed?

 

[Norman_E]

Absolutely not. It will do nothing unless the metal transducer has a solid connection to the hull. On mine, which I potted there is about 1mm of the potting compound between transducer and hull. Before you rip it all apart just check that your 10mm gap is not just the central recess in the transducer. If that is the case I suggest just filling it with something like epoxy putty.

 

[nigelmercier]

I'd contact Jaycar, this looks like a production error.

 

[Ric]

I'd contact Jaycar, this looks like a production error.

Yes, already emailed them. Photo of transducer attached, after I had peeled away the thin layer of ruptured potting compound. The white goo is a smear of vaseline which I had used to bed the face onto the GRP. As you can see, there is a big gap between the transducer and the face of the transducer. The transducer is not even straight in the pot.

 

[nigelmercier]

The transducer is not even straight in the pot.

Which is probably what caused the problem.