Turning on equipment overwinter

[Peter]

Is it a good idea to turn on boat equipment radar, vhf etc at regular times over winter to "warm" up the electronics and check if still working after a period of non use. Although from work, the biggest potential for electronic/control eq failure was repeated turning off/on.
Same question applies to the regular starting of the engine.
If yes any reccomeded intervals

 

[NormanS]

Is it a good idea to turn on boat equipment radar, vhf etc at regular times over winter to "warm" up the electronics and check if still working after a period of non use. Although from work, the biggest potential for electronic/control eq failure was repeated turning off/on.
Same question applies to the regular starting of the engine.
If yes any reccomeded intervals

Without any scientific knowledge, my answers are yes, and no. Yes to warming up electronics, radar etc, and since I winterise my engine, no to that.

 

[RichardS]

My belief is that an engine which is not specifically winterised, like, for example, the cars in my garage, are best run around once a month or two. However, just starting the engine and running it for a few minutes does more harm that good as everything has to be fully brought up to temperature which requires a run at some revs for at least 15 minutes. If it's going to be run at idle for 5 minutes, I suggest that it's better to do nothing other than keep the battery topped-up.

Richard

 

[johnalison]

I have never felt the need to run electrical or electronic gear in the winter. In the past I would take most of it home but now I run a dehumidifier and I imagine that damp rather than disuse is a problem. Radar, at least the older systems, has moving parts. I have sometimes wondered if rubber belts etc could cope with cold weather, but on the basis that plenty of boats sail or work through frozen conditions, I have chosen not to worry about it. More important, I think, is to make sure that any exposed contacts are protected if equipment is removed.

 

[Momac]

Although from work, the biggest potential for electronic/control eq failure was repeated turning off/on.

At the office we are requested to switch computers off at the end of the day. It doesn't seem to do them any harm.

 

[Concerto]

The best thing you can do to ensure the items continue to work is the ensure any plugs are pulled out and refitted a number of times to reduce any corrosion or dirt build up. Any contact that is never moved can eventually stop an item working. Some marine electronics use gold plated contacts, so these need to be done less frequently.

 

[jwilson]

If working on the boat when laid up I normally run up electronics for an hour or two, assuming shorepower is on. Warms up the instrument/plotter etc casings a bit, may help keep them dry internally, and reassures me that they still work. On my present boat I have had three "waterproof" in-cockpit items expire definitely due to water ingress: two Garmin 3005 chart plotters, since replaced for another make, and one Raymarine ST60 Tridata, repaired by the people in Wareham as RM would only sell me a new i70.