NASA log paddle wheel problem

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surekandoo

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Just inspected my NASA log paddle wheel and found that once again the magnet has rusted and split the plastic. The same thing happened last year and prevented the paddle from turning.

Is this a common problem, or am I on the receiving end of a faulty batch with poor or inadequate encapsulation of the magnet in the plastic?
 
My NASA log has never worked correctly, even with the adjustment set at the max value, the log has always read about 1 knot low as checked with GPS.
 
Yes a very common problem. You can purchase a replacement from NASA Marine :

http://www.nasamarine.com/proddetail.php?prod=15_Paddlewheel

My log hasn't worked this past 2 years, even with a new paddle wheel. It works OK out of its housing if you flick or blow on it, but not in the water! I have to rely on the chart plotter, although that doesn't show me the distance traveled!

Geoff
 
Appledore said:
Yes a very common problem. You can purchase a replacement from NASA Marine :

http://www.nasamarine.com/proddetail.php?prod=15_Paddlewheel

My log hasn't worked this past 2 years, even with a new paddle wheel. It works OK out of its housing if you flick or blow on it, but not in the water! I have to rely on the chart plotter, although that doesn't show me the distance traveled!

Geoff
Click to expand...

Mine's doing that. I discovered some rust on the end of the magnet just before I launched a few days ago and ground it off as it was preventing the wheel from turning when inserted into the housing. I thought that had solved it but after launching the log still didn't work. Last season it worked some times and not others.

To be fair it is 18 years old (not the wheel which was new last year).
 
I'm not a fan of any NASA kit featuring moving parts, but to be fair I had a boat with a Smiths paddlewheel log and that was nothing but a pain.

In that case it stayed structurally intact, but collected weed and / or wee beasties and never read correctly.

Same goes for boats I've known with Sumlogs, which were cable driven by a tiny propellor.

I cannot understand why a decent modern trail log isn't available now, that for longer trips and a GPS is perfect rather than a paddlewheel job which is not accurate enough for navigation and requires a nasty big hole in the hull...
 
Dipper said:
Mine's doing that. I discovered some rust on the end of the magnet just before I launched a few days ago and ground it off as it was preventing the wheel from turning when inserted into the housing. I thought that had solved it but after launching the log still didn't work. Last season it worked some times and not others.

To be fair it is 18 years old (not the wheel which was new last year).
Click to expand...

I've recently been able to obtain 2 complete transducers with wheels, and cables. One is brand new. I intend to try them both out when I can to see if either works. It's all very strange that they just appear to stop working in water. The display unit, of course, registers just as it should!
 
I have to agree with Seajet that paddle wheel logs are always a pain. I removed mine "Smiths" about 12 years ago. I hate having things on board that do not work. A GPS is so much cheaper and more accurate. In my case it was mostly weed that caused problems. olewill
 
William_H said:
I have to agree with Seajet that paddle wheel logs are always a pain. I removed mine "Smiths" about 12 years ago. I hate having things on board that do not work. A GPS is so much cheaper and more accurate. In my case it was mostly weed that caused problems. olewill
Click to expand...

+2.I removed the wiring to mine about a week ago because the thing was erratic & I can't see the point of it when you have got GPS!
 
I found there was a loose flap of antifouling paint in the tube that sometimes fouled the impeller.

(Memo to self: tell the man I pay to do the antifouling to be more careful next time.)
 
I change mine every year as part of "routine maintenance". To be honest though, my clipper duet has worked faultlessly for 5 years. I replace the impeller on the log and calibrate it when back in the water and maybe adjust it towards the end of the season when growth on the hull puts it out a bit. You have to clean the goop out of the impeller every now and then but I've had to do that on every boat I've sailed. Once cleaned it seems to work fine.

+1 for having the effect of the tide when compared to the gps SOG
 
aslabend said:
I change mine every year as part of "routine maintenance". To be honest though, my clipper duet has worked faultlessly for 5 years. I replace the impeller on the log and calibrate it when back in the water and maybe adjust it towards the end of the season when growth on the hull puts it out a bit. You have to clean the goop out of the impeller every now and then but I've had to do that on every boat I've sailed. Once cleaned it seems to work fine.

+1 for having the effect of the tide when compared to the gps SOG
Click to expand...

Mine was clean when I inspected it last week. However I confess I forgot to withdraw it before the boatyard lifted the boat out and pressure washed the hull last autumn. I also forgot to withdraw it when the boat was winterised and put to bed. :( So maybe I must bear some responsibility for the subsequent corrosion.

It's down on the list of jobs I MUST DO at the end of this season.
 
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