hobie tank repairs
 

yesterday i had two serious fails . first i filled the tank with macs , and while they were slashing around to the brims capacity, broke my connection where i had by passed my failed switch. i notice the the macs were getting sleepy eyed and quiet. :notworthy: . so i release them , did a temporary fix , and back in business. at end of day when i went to unplug battery , pulled wire out of socket. is it time to rewire the tank? tank is more than a couple years old. any input would be appreciated. having the bait tank is great , but it always seems like something is always going wrong .first switch , thens its batteries , then clogs with pump. now wiring issues .:ack2: . as far as clogs with intake and sea grass, i did discover something pretty good. i bought a screen from home depot that has rubber on edges , i believe used for sink replacement . i trimmed the rubber a little , and placed behind black nipple of intake tube. it does make it more restrictive , but not enough to hinder flow. keeps grass out. one problem solved, for now. thanks again for any suggestions or help with wire issues. when i trimmed back wire to reconnect , i noticed it looks corroded under insulation and some what brittle. is that normal?

Had the same problem with my hobie tank at the switch, had to scrape off the clear insulation and re-solder the corroded terminal switch had failed then marine gooped the heck out of it.

I'm going to try your suggestion about the intake as I am tired of it sucking up EVERY piece of eel grass in the ocean!!! You would think that a tank that cost $200 would be made a little better with a little more thought about it's potential for pulling in foreign material (eel grass)!:mad:

look for small package
 

there will be 2 screen replacements .about the size of a penny. i trimmed almost all the rubber on edges of screen and gently pressed it into the intake tube after removing the black nipple. replace black nipple and you are done. after a few launching and landings some sand will collect on screen, but not enough to stop flow . a few good pumps with peddles to get flow going to prime the tank is all that is needed. gallons per minute flow rate is reduced , but nothing that affects bait. one thing is for sure . grass is not going up inside. :cheers1: . been using for about 4 outings . so far , so good.

I've been using a drain plug screen for sinks. These are also sold in pairs. The Nylon type work best. Simply put it on like a condom and zip tie the top. Because of the screen it's difficult to plug the in-take tube. IF something does get caught, moving around usually dislodges the debris..

Used to get clogged in the kelp until I began using this solution.

Awesome idea...is that found at Home Depot? Does it restrict flow a bunch?

About a year ago I got tired of the connections and switch issues. Completely eliminated the switch and rewired the tank. At the battery I use a red/white connector like the ones found at automotive stores for .99 cents. When you make a wire to wire connection put on shrink tubing And then goop it all over. When you are ready to turn on tank, you turn around and plug in, simple.


I have not had one tank related issue in a year.

So no on/off switch at all?

thx matt
 

i did same . ditched the switch. i used cheap barrel connection and that is why it popped off. along with the fact i had about 30 ragging macs slashing around. :luxhello:. dogs were really all over my ass at lj squid grounds yesterday. if i went to deeper water i wanted to be prepared. i will try your idea and run new wire. thx.

got the new wire installed
 

put a screw on wire connector like the stock one . also some marine goop. the mistake i made when i bypassed the switch was , i used a barrel connector. this time i used some metal staples to secure wires together to alleviate some stress, along with some additional wire ties. tested it out, and we are ready to go. i also bought i new dip tube from the local pet supply store . i cut it to about 14 " . 4 - 5 " deep into kayak and about 9 '" height inside tank . this will give me good support into kayak to prevent tank from moving and a nice high water level to support 30 ragging macs slashing about in tank. :cheers1: thx everyone for help and suggestions.

I Never used a zip tie on a condom...:eek: Strange comparison....:rolleyes:

I followed what Matt did and went straight battery to pump. Unlike Matt, the thing that I don't like about it is the 'reach around'.

????

I've been through 5 switches on my tank in 4 months, same problem over and over. Granted I fish 3-4 days a week minimum so it see's a lot of abuse.

Corrosion and snapping at the wire to the switch connection. It's been under warranty and the shop kept assuring me it they would fix it.

Finally, I just asked for the switch and I would take care of it myself. I covered the switch where the wires connect with so much marine goop and I haven't had an issue as of yet.

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after the first switch
 

i bypassed it, and hooked up that barrel connector to make straight connection, without using marine goop. lasted a good while, until i over crammed the tank with 30 ragging macs. :notworthy: my stock hobie switch was pretty good , it was coated with red latex? to try and prevent failure. the switch failed somewhere inside , i believe. unlike some users on this site , i like the occasional reach around .:grouphug: bypassing sucks ess. but it is one less thing to worry about . after all the bucks i spent , i did not want to spend another 30 for a switch from west marine. thanks again for any input .