Outdated To Up to date Half 6: Electronics Full Repower

March 21, 2023
By Thomas Allen

Atone for the sequence:

Half 1: Bass Boat Breakdown

Half 2: Bass Boat Inside Repairs

Half 3: Minn Kota Raptor Set up

Half 4: Bass Boat Repower

Half 5: BBT Customized Sprint Graph Mounts

Welcome to Half 6 of “Outdated to Up to date.” To run fashionable electronics successfully with as little frustration as attainable, you want satisfactory and clear energy. There are some calculations you should run to ascertain precisely how a lot energy you’re going to require—we’ll get into that down the web page. By “clear energy” I imply an influence supply that’s not shared with different functions throughout the boat, you’d be shocked how a livewell, navigation lights and particularly cranking the motor will have an effect on how your electronics work—particularly long run.

Even should you’re operating one or two graphs or the total Monty to the tune of 5 graphs, Stay and 360, shared energy is a assured future drawback, probably a phantom energy draw. I’ve struggled with this for a very long time and eventually mounted it by utilizing separate energy sources for separate functions.

I exploit impartial energy for the trolling motor, impartial energy for the motor starter, which is shared with the livewell pumps, bilge, sprint equipment and gauges and navigation lights. All these smaller objects register very mild amp attracts and don’t deplete the crank battery, even after a full day of use.

Why not energy your electronics the identical approach? Nicely, learn on. That’s the aim of this installment.

The 36-volt Minn Kota Ultrex is powered by a trio of X2Power Lithium batteries, the motor is cranked by a X2Power 31 Collection AGM NAME, and the electronics are powered by a pair of 100-amp-hour batteries—one from Dakota Lithium and the opposite from Battery Lithium Energy. We’ll dig into this beneath.

The primary activity was operating 6-gauge wire from the entrance of the boat to the sprint after which to the driving force’s facet rear storage compartment the place I deliberate to stage the extra grasp energy change, fuse panel and further batteries.

Working wire of this measurement definitely requires assist. My wire runner Tommy was vital but once more. His lengthy arms got here in actual useful—as ordinary. This wire is particularly designed for what we’re utilizing it for. It’s 6-gauge tinned duplex marine-grade wire, so double protected. I went with 6-gauge wire to accommodate all of the juice being pulled via it, on this case 6-gauge left some room, or a margin of error to deal with a full load from all of the electronics and battery energy. It was fairly costly, however a worth-while funding that provides an amazing quantity of confidence. Don’t skimp in your wire.

A wire snake is a mega-handy device when operating wires, we used two of those throughout this mission, and ended up ruining them each after which upgraded—so all good. My associate and I spent a substantial amount of time collectively engaged on this, numerous laughs.

To run the large wire from the console to the rear of the boat, all whereas conserving it contained in the gunnel, I needed to pull off the duvet plate across the throttle. It was a dozen or so screws and took some reaching and possibly a number of unhealthy phrases, however we received it ran and put again collectively.

This image exhibits the place I ran the wires contained in the rear storage compartment. The duvet plate was already there and got here in actual useful to entry the gunnel to drag the wires via. Simple. This image exhibits the sprint graph wires, and never but the large duplex principal cable. That’s coming.

This device is definitely price proudly owning for this and several other different tasks you’re prone to encounter. I discussed it in a earlier installment, however right here it’s once more making dependable connections you might be assured in. 10-ton Hydraulic wire battery cable lug/terminal crimping device.

The Blue Sea Fuse block is a extremely rated panel that may deal with as much as 12 connections, and the field of fuses has you coated for a myriad of makes use of inside this mission.

High quality lugs and heat-shrink actually solidify the boldness within the rigging. None of that is very costly, you’ll be glad you bought the tinned stuff.

I upgraded to 4-gauge wire for the jumpers used to attach the batteries in parallel. Once more, higher to go heavy than too mild.

Be sure you put the warmth shrink on earlier than the lug, otherwise you get to do it twice. And the lug shouldn’t be reusable. I realized the arduous approach on this.

An affordable warmth gun like this one is on the market on Amazon or at an area ironmongery shop, they’re typically lower than $30.

The completed jumper cable is prepared. Appears to be like good! (Not gonna lie, this can be a satisfying course of.)

Right here’s a shot of the large wire pulled via into the rear compartment. I’ve additionally dry-fitted the brand new grasp energy change and the fuse panel—it’s a good suggestion to verify every thing goes to work earlier than simply going loopy proper off the bat. Dry becoming is an efficient follow.

Right here’s the duplex wire pulled via to the rear compartment, and the plate reinstalled. I needed to reduce out the middle tab to neatly accommodate the wires. Nearly prefer it was presupposed to.

The duplex wire has been pulled via, trimmed up and completed with lugs and warmth shrink.

Fairly neat wiring job, these at the moment are able to be linked to the fuse panel.

Right here I’m working to attach the fuse panel to a master-power change. This can permit me to chop the facility utterly when not in use, with the quantity of electronics rigged on this system, there would seemingly be an influence draw of some kind, this change eliminates an pointless draw on the facility supply.

Let’s talk about the way to decide the quantity of energy you’ll want in your electronics arrange. The simple half is you may run a Google seek for your particular electronics, and the outcomes will come up first. It’s that straightforward. I typically spherical as much as the closest entire quantity, the overestimate offers me a cushion, simply in case. Right here’s an instance. If an Humminbird Helix 10 attracts 2.7 amps per hour, we’ll spherical that as much as 3, and multiply that by 4, so that you’ve received 12 amps per hour you should cowl. In the event you typically plan to fish for 8 hours, you’ll want roughly 36-amp hours to cowl your day. To be secure, a 46-amp-hour battery could be your finest wager for that particular situation. I fish many days daybreak till darkish, and deliberate for about 10 hours or extra, and with the general five-Helix rigging, Mega 360 and Mega Stay, I calculated a bit of over 140Ah could be required for a really lengthy day. So, I paralleled two 100Ah lithiums to cowl every thing. Slightly overkill, sure, nevertheless it’s labored completely. Be sure you choose fuses which can be simply over the amp draw, for instance, use a 3-amp fuse for a unit that pulls 2.7 amps.

Getting all of the wires completed as much as make the ultimate connection to the fuse panel.

Right here is the fuse panel put in with one fuse in it. There are 12 positions for use, so I can improve a bunch if want be. However it’s clear and efficient.

This picture exhibits a pair connections and the makes use of to match. Fairly satisfying, once more.

That is the facility administration system all put collectively and prepared for energy. Clear and useful. Appears to be like fairly good, if I could say so myself.

Right here’s the broader view of the completed change and panel set up.

I grabbed a pair TH Marine Battery Trays to maintain each batteries in place. I knew there could be some bouncing round and they’d definitely slip forwards and backwards. I had a plan. These trays have been very useful for securing them in place.

The Dakota Lithium and Battery Lithium Energy batteries linked in parallel provide greater than sufficient energy to the graphs and transducers.

I connected each TH Marine Battery Trays to a chunk of marine-grade plywood, which sits within the backside of the compartment. I left the one finish of the plywood a bit of longer so the batteries wouldn’t slid into the change and fuse panel. I preserve a number of trays of sort out within the entrance of the storage bay, so the entire system doesn’t transfer in any respect.

True story, each graphs turned on the primary strive. Speak about a enjoyable, instructional and satisfying mission, however to have all of it work and not using a glitch, is the very best half. That doesn’t occur usually to me. I’m proud of it for certain.

Because the creation of this characteristic, I’ve upgraded the battery program to scale back the footprint and earn among the space for storing again. We’ll get to that enchancment in a later installment. Extra to come back!