Trolling motor, and JUMPER CABLES?!?

[Mr Mayor]

So, yes. Per my signature you can see I have a 12' V hull rowboat, a 48lb 12v trolling motor, and two nice spinny bass seats.

I mount the battery on the front-most bench that I flipped upside down (seat, not battery); it makes a nice tray. Then I cut one end of 12 ft jumper cables, and shoved that end down some 2" PVC pipe to the back of the boat, where I attached it to a WOOD BLOCK attached directly to the stern, and then bolt the 2 ends together on the wood block**.

Here's my questions:

1) Jumper cables... am I losing any juice here? 12 ft run, really thick cables too. I dremeled the clamps round for a nice fit on the battery.

2) That wood block**, I was once told that's a no-no, and to find some kind of kwik-connect solution. (I haven't found anything I like yet, perhaps I'm too picky?)

3) There is no 3, RIP Dale E.

4) I kinda want to eliminate that whole setup and stick the battery in the back, but I need leg room all the way around me. Can I dremel out some of the bench and foam and drop the battery in there maybe? ((Battery comes out and goes on a Battery Tender after every trip))

Ok I think that's it.

[Capt. Debbie]

Heavier cable like AWG 8 or 6 gauge you should not. Connections create drops and bad connections create HEAT/FIRE. Easiest way is run the motor. Measure the voltage at the battery terminals and at the leads to the motor. Should be almost unmeasurable vdc difference.

Open circuit not running everything will be fine 13.8vdc. It's when you put a load on it to measure for voltage drops. Battery is weak. Need a better deep cycle battery with more Amp hours

You also may have a shit older battery in there. In break downs I've seen 3 years is iffy. a four year old battery is Russian roulette to use.

How are you making connections? Using insulated split bolt copper bug splices or simple crimps?



AND REMOVING FLOATATION obviously looses that ability. Also you are going to become very stern heavy to the point you may be a human counterbalance. My 14' tin boat I put a single 12vdc battery behind the rear seat with my 25hp outboard. But intentionally have a 12 gallon fuel tank forward of front seat to offset my own fat ass.

Originally Posted by Mr Mayor

So, yes. Per my signature you can see I have a 12' V hull rowboat, a 48lb 12v trolling motor, and two nice spinny bass seats.

I mount the battery on the front-most bench that I flipped upside down (seat, not battery); it makes a nice tray. Then I cut one end of 12 ft jumper cables, and shoved that end down some 2" PVC pipe to the back of the boat, where I attached it to a WOOD BLOCK attached directly to the stern, and then bolt the 2 ends together on the wood block**.

Here's my questions:

1) Jumper cables... am I losing any juice here? 12 ft run, really thick cables too. I dremeled the clamps round for a nice fit on the battery.

2) That wood block**, I was once told that's a no-no, and to find some kind of kwik-connect solution. (I haven't found anything I like yet, perhaps I'm too picky?)

3) There is no 3, RIP Dale E.

4) I kinda want to eliminate that whole setup and stick the battery in the back, but I need leg room all the way around me. Can I dremel out some of the bench and foam and drop the battery in there maybe? ((Battery comes out and goes on a Battery Tender after every trip))

Ok I think that's it.

[Mr Mayor]

Originally Posted by Capt. Frank

Heavier cable like AWG 8 or 6 gauge you should not. Connections create drops and bad connections create HEAT/FIRE. Easiest way is run the motor. Measure the voltage at the battery terminals and at the leads to the motor. Should be almost unmeasurable vdc difference.

Open circuit not running everything will be fine 13.8vdc. It's when you put a load on it to measure for voltage drops. Battery is weak. Need a better deep cycle battery with more Amp hours

You also may have a shit older battery in there. In break downs I've seen 3 years is iffy. a four year old battery is Russian roulette to use.

How are you making connections? Using insulated split bolt copper bug splices or simple crimps?



AND REMOVING FLOATATION obviously looses that ability. Also you are going to become very stern heavy to the point you may be a human counterbalance. My 14' tin boat I put a single 12vdc battery behind the rear seat with my 25hp outboard. But intentionally have a 12 gallon fuel tank forward of front seat to offset my own fat ass.

Hello and thanks for the reply Captain!

Battery...
...is a blue top deep cycle Optima. 2 years this July. Seems OK but I try to get a fresh one Spring of that 3rd year every time. Curious about those small Lithium Kayak batteries too: Are they better? I know they'd be smaller and lighter, but I doubt it could push a pair of 200lb fellas all day like the blue top. Boat is ELEC only.

Wiring...
...No splicing, all factory crimps (I flattened one end, didn't cut them- I checked after I posted) but nope, never measured it, so that'll be next if I can locate my meter.. As for gauge of the jumpers, this stuff is super thick from the 70's, like yer pinky thick. So that comment alone tells me I need to rethink it probably. I just HATE cramping the battery back there cuz I got very little leg room as it is.

Wood Block...
.. I'm going to snap a pic later tomorrow to show this. Taking my son to college tomorrow for soph-year. 4 hrs round trip, so it'll be later. ((EDIT:: Holy crap, my avatar is my son fishing the old Miss Michele 3 I think... he's 19 now!))

Thanks again!
MM

[Capt. Debbie]

A light weight battery for a kayak is for instruments. Not the power suck of an electric motor. Look at Amp-hour rating and you'll see a staggering difference.

The battery CCA ( Cold Cranking Amps ) is little to no value in an electric motor as there is NO STARTER so no large 50-60 Amp surge. It's simply a steady amp load.

And frankly 48 pounds of thrust is not all that much to push close to a 1000 pounds of boat around ( with 2 people & gear on board). Don't set speed expectations too high.

You can get a multi-meter ( Vdc. Vac, Resistance) for $25 or less. A great tool to have.

[Mr Mayor]

I've had this motor forever, I just always wondered if I was taxing my setup due to the super thick jumper cables and wood block...

Thanks so much for the replies!

Mark

[Capt. Debbie]

The thick cables will just let the motor run as good as it can with 12vdc battery. That's not taxing anything. Taxing it would be hooking up 24vdc in batteries to cook it.

Look up Burndy split bolt lugs. Sometime called Bug splice That's how electrician splice. I'm one (Lic 7417) . Copper. They are a slot cut out in a thick copper bolt the wires go into. And the bolt's nut and crushing connector are simply bolted together with wrenches. They insulate with rubber and or electrical tape. Heat is a give away of the connection is shit under full load.

Heat is the connection becoming a resistor. No heat under load is a GREAT connection. That's what causes fires. NOT short circuits but crappy connections.

Originally Posted by Mr Mayor

I've had this motor forever, I just always wondered if I was taxing my setup due to the super thick jumper cables and wood block...

Thanks so much for the replies!

Mark

[NJSquatch]

this is a good resource

https://www.trollingmotors.net/pages...ical-resources