Storing electronics

[Eric Wettschreck]

What do you guys do with the fancy electronics on your boat when it's not in use?

Do you remove the stuff or keep it hooked up?

I recently did a really cool upgrade on my electronics and got a chartplotter and depth finder. I don't have a cover for my boat. Right now it's sitting in the driveway getting rained on and I'm wondering what to do. I'm not worried about theft, and I know they are waterproof......but.......I'd hate to see them ruined. I can take them off and put em in the garage. If I do this then the electrical connections are exposed and could corrode.

Decisions decisions.

What do yous guys do???

[riverrat56]

Wait a second, you have a depthfinder now?

We always had tons of sucess without one....

[PerchJerker]

I leave mine on my boat all the time unless I'm worried about them being stolen.

I don't really worry about the connections corroding when left open but you can hit them with a shot of WD-40 or a dab of dielectric grease.

I usually put my screen covers on the units when the boat is sitting in the sun and not being used, but not always.

The biggest concern I have is theft. The second biggest concern is having the units "trapped" in a warm, wet, environment - having them out in the open air is better for them.

[Stizo]

Boilerguy,

You may not be worried about theft now but your opinion will change after you've had your electronic$ stolen! It only takes you a few seconds to disconnect the unit from its cables and mounts and it only takes a thief the same amount of time. Check E Bay, you'll see bunches of expensive head units for sale without a transducer or GPS Receiver module. Why take the chance?

Stizo

[solbes]

I leave my boat up at our lake on a covered lift. It's very near a county road, so all of the electronics and rods are locked up. Not that it's especially hard to break the storage locks, but at least it would take a little extra effort. My tackle box also comes off the boat and is stored in a locked building.

Some of my neighbors have had some theft, so we lock everything we can. The only thing I've had stolen in the last 5 years up there was a fairly new splitting maul. Why someone would risk getting caught for something that was $20 new is beyond me.

As far as the connections, I don't worry about corrosion. But sometimes those pins on the sonar get bent. Hopefully I won't break them in the future.

[Northlander]

If your not worried about theft than just put the plastic face cover on tight and get a auger powerhead cover and put that over it. They make covers for them and I think I sw them at Cabelas and maybe Marine General.

[harvey lee]

Eric, if you would like a free auger powerhead cover, let me know and I will search for one in the shed and send it to you.

Sounds like with the electronics upgrade in the boat, Justine will now really catch the fish.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

If your not worried about theft than just put the plastic face cover on tight and get a auger powerhead cover and put that over it. They make covers for them and I think I sw them at Cabelas and maybe Marine General.

Why an auger powerhead cover? What I'm I missing here?

[PerchJerker]

Cabelas has some nice looking neoprene covers but I'd strongly recommend against them, they trap in moisture and create condensation. I used one for a little while, then pitched it in the trash. I like to let my electronics air dry, not have moisture build up and be trapped around them.

[Sandmannd]

I take mine off and keep them in the truck. If I could get my boat in the garage, I would leave them on, but until then, they get taken off.

[wplatehunter]

I take mine off, and store them in hard carrying cases. For the money we spend on them I do not want them stolen.