255 FSH Sport E Trolling Motor Project

[Roger Vrooman]

As a friend of mine says, “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want”.

Sorry to hear about losing your anchor… Hopefully it was a good day otherwise!

Yepper, the wife caught her first pompano...



Never would've guessed we'd catch one in the sound before we caught one off the beach/Gulf... I caught our largest catfish to date, and it was large!!! I thought it was a baby shark when I first saw it in the water... I would easily trade the fortress anchor for the smile on Tass' face when she brought in that pompano!!! I was a nervouse wreck with the net trying not to lose that thing!!!

vr
Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Yepper, the wife caught her first pompano...

View attachment 188695

Never would've guessed we'd catch one in the sound before we caught one off the beach/Gulf... I caught our largest catfish to date, and it was large!!! I thought it was a baby shark when I first saw it in the water... I would easily trade the fortress anchor for the smile on Tass' face when she brought in that pompano!!! I was a nervouse wreck with the net trying not to lose that thing!!!

vr
Rogman

Thats awesome man! A great day on the water!

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Well, think I am ready to flip the switch... Kind of nervous, but tomorrow morning I will put on the trolling motor, plug it in, and flip the battery switch... Wish me luck!!! Here are some pictures (sorry, not very good lighting when I was taking pics) of my wiring setup in the head compartment... If you anything that stands out as something I really need to fix, please let me know... Couple of areas I wish that would've came out better, but I was getting tired of feeling like a pretzel down under the lip ;-)

Thanks much,

vr
Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Looks good !

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Got to try out the trolling motor on Sunday, and apart from trying to learn on the fly, it "IS" a more enjoyable experience and will get better as we learn how to better use it...

1) Every time we moved locations, I used the SIMRAD and put the trolling motor (TM) in "Standby", stowed it, and went to our new location... Once there, redeployed the TM, went to SIMRAD and hit "engage", and nothing happened... Each time, I had to "unplug" the TM and let it reset itself and then everything worked as normal... Am I doing something wrong, or is this the way it is designed???

2). Guessing "Anchor Here" feature doesn't mean, always keep bow pointed in this direction, ;-)... Didn't get a chance to play with the heading feature, but will next time out...

3). A couple of times during the day, the TM seemed like it was freaking out, and I'm just guessing it was trying to get a GPS lock, but don't know... After this sequence (see vid), everything went back to normal...

trolling motor (hope this video link works)

4) Had a visitor after some of our fish:



4). After we had been out and used the TM for a few minutes, remembered I wanted to do a screen grab of the battery management screen, and then one as soon as we got home...



We were on the water from 0630-1230 and had to have had the TM going at least 50-60% of the time, if not more... Pretty pleased with the batteries, but it was a fairly calm day, even though winds were picking up at times...

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

 

[MilesPrower]

Roger!!! Sorry I was MIA for the past month. Way too many non-boating responsibilities coming my way. (Heck, I'd been off jetboaters so long that the website logged me out.)

Everything looks good so far.

The only issue I see is that the bolts holding the base of the MotorGuide to the RTA-54 bracket are too long. The bolts look like they're sticking out enough that the parallelogram deployment mechanism of the MG might be hitting the end of the bolts, which would explain why you needed to add the washers between the MG and RTA. I would take an angle-grinder to the bolts and cut them down so they're flush with the locknuts that are on them.

In the attached photo, I'm tightening down one of these locknuts... and once it's tight, the locknut is flush with the end of the bolt.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Got to try out the trolling motor on Sunday, and apart from trying to learn on the fly, it "IS" a more enjoyable experience and will get better as we learn how to better use it...

1) Every time we moved locations, I used the SIMRAD and put the trolling motor (TM) in "Standby", stowed it, and went to our new location... Once there, redeployed the TM, went to SIMRAD and hit "engage", and nothing happened... Each time, I had to "unplug" the TM and let it reset itself and then everything worked as normal... Am I doing something wrong, or is this the way it is designed???

2). Guessing "Anchor Here" feature doesn't mean, always keep bow pointed in this direction, ;-)... Didn't get a chance to play with the heading feature, but will next time out...

3). A couple of times during the day, the TM seemed like it was freaking out, and I'm just guessing it was trying to get a GPS lock, but don't know... After this sequence (see vid), everything went back to normal...

trolling motor (hope this video link works)

4) Had a visitor after some of our fish:

View attachment 189210

4). After we had been out and used the TM for a few minutes, remembered I wanted to do a screen grab of the battery management screen, and then one as soon as we got home...

View attachment 189211View attachment 189212

We were on the water from 0630-1230 and had to have had the TM going at least 50-60% of the time, if not more... Pretty pleased with the batteries, but it was a fairly calm day, even though winds were picking up at times...

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

I don’t know anything about the Simrad / TM relationship, it sounds like the pairing between the Simrad and the TM is being lost. On my Humminbird there are several status symbols and one in particular shows the status of connectivity between the control head and the Ulterra (TM). You might check the brains (instructions) to see your unit has a similar status symbol. Did you try to control the TM with the Simrad as well as the remote?

I could not get the vid to play……The only time mine has freaked out was when I had very poor gps coverage in one of the canyons at lake Powell. So you’re probably on to something there. Your TM gps guidance should be coming from the Simrad(?), try checking the gps signal strength page on the Simrad, to see how many satellites are being used and tracked there might be an issue with poor gps coverage.

Anchor here sounds like my spot lock, and no it will not hold the bow where you want it, the bow will be pointing into the wind or current. Keeping the bow pointed where you want is in the realm of the Yamaha Helm master set up with an outboard, a truly remarkable set up btw.

What was the state of charge on the batteries when you got home?

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Roger!!! Sorry I was MIA for the past month. Way too many non-boating responsibilities coming my way. (Heck, I'd been off jetboaters so long that the website logged me out.)

Everything looks good so far.

The only issue I see is that the bolts holding the base of the MotorGuide to the RTA-54 bracket are too long. The bolts look like they're sticking out enough that the parallelogram deployment mechanism of the MG might be hitting the end of the bolts, which would explain why you needed to add the washers between the MG and RTA. I would take an angle-grinder to the bolts and cut them down so they're flush with the locknuts that are on them.

In the attached photo, I'm tightening down one of these locknuts... and once it's tight, the locknut is flush with the end of the bolt.

Copy, let me check that out later this week... Luckily, I took the TM off the boat so it's in the garage and should be easy to look at...

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

 

[Roger Vrooman]

I don’t know anything about the Simrad / TM relationship, it sounds like the pairing between the Simrad and the TM is being lost. On my Humminbird there are several status symbols and one in particular shows the status of connectivity between the control head and the Ulterra (TM). You might check the brains (instructions) to see your unit has a similar status symbol. Did you try to control the TM with the Simrad as well as the remote?

I could not get the vid to play……The only time mine has freaked out was when I had very poor gps coverage in one of the canyons at lake Powell. So you’re probably on to something there. Your TM gps guidance should be coming from the Simrad(?), try checking the gps signal strength page on the Simrad, to see how many satellites are being used and tracked there might be an issue with poor gps coverage.

Anchor here sounds like my spot lock, and no it will not hold the bow where you want it, the bow will be pointing into the wind or current. Keeping the bow pointed where you want is in the realm of the Yamaha Helm master set up with an outboard, a truly remarkable set up btw.

What was the state of charge on the batteries when you got home?

Thanks much!!! I'll see if I can play around with this forum HTML in order for the video to play... The batteries were at 97% when we got home!!! It's the 2d battery meter picture above with the lower signal strength as I was standing next to the boat, versus being at the helm for the 1st picture ;-)

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Let's try again (try 2) to get the video posted...


YouTube Video MG trolling motor

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Let's try again (try 2) to get the video posted...


YouTube Video MG trolling motor

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

Again, don’t know much about your TM, but shouldn’t the head of the motor be turning around with the shaft? Looks like there is a cinch clamp just below the head with a knob on it to tighten it. Without the head being lined up with the Motor / prop you can’t tell which direction it’s pointed.

On my Ulterra, the motor will turn around and the spiral cord will wrap around the shaft to a point then it will unwind itself if it wraps up too much, and the head of the unit always points in the direction of the thrust so I can see what direction it’s going to pull the boat.

Edit: Since my Ulterra self deploys, the head and the prop are always aligned and the trim is adjusted via the remote, and as @MilesPrower stated you set the trim on your MG TM manually when you deploy it, and this will become second nature each time you deploy it. Once you get this down and spend some hours with your TM it will be a game changer for you and how you fish. I’d say that 90% of my propulsion is done with my trolling motor, it costs me $2.25 to troll all day on the electric trolling motor.

This is the first video I found on the MG TM so I could see how it looked in operation. I noticed right away the shaft and head are moving together.. venturing a guess, that’s where your problem is, the head is floating on the shaft instead of being cinched down and moving with it.

 

[MilesPrower]

Again, don’t know much about your TM, but shouldn’t the head of the motor be turning around with the shaft? Looks like there is a cinch clamp just below the head with a knob on it to tighten it. Without the head being lined up with the Motor / prop you can’t tell which direction it’s pointed.

Yeah, what @FSH 210 Sport said!

The clamp on the shaft between the head of the trolling motor and its base does two things:

1. It manages the depth of the propellor.
   
   
2. It allows the motorized base to spin the trolling motor and orient the prop in the correct direction.

In the video you posted, the trolling motor is trying to spin to the correct orientation, but it's slipping and staying pointed in one direction. That's why it's going "crazy" on you.

When you deploy the trolling motor, drop the prop into the water so that it's deep enough for the prop to stay completely submerged in any waves/swells/wakes that may come your way, but shallow enough that the prop isn't going to hit bottom (if you're trolling in the shallows). Then use the clamp to prevent the prop from dropping farther down. Once you've tightened the clamp, spin the trolling motor by hand until the clamp aligns with the corresponding slot in the base; you'll feel the motor & shaft drop maybe 1/4'' downward into the slot, and then the motor won't spin by hand anymore.

Once you get used to this deployment procedure, you'll be orienting the clamp and trolling motor without even thinking, so that the motor drops into the alignment slot every time, without any fiddling.

Also, don't overtighten the clamp. It's plastic, so you don't want to overstress it. Turn the knob just enough so that the trolling motor doesn't slip farther down. In other words, how much you tighten the clamp doesn't prevent the shaft from spinning freely in its base. It's the alignment slot that locks the orientation of the clamp/shaft/motor to the base.

BTW, when my 72'' Motorguide is deployed, the head is sticking up about 12–24'' above the clamp when the clamp is slotted into the base, depending on how rough/deep the water is.

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Copy all, thanks much guys... I was tightening it when I stowed it all the way down by the base, but the first 2-3 times i dropped it, didn't have any issues with "not" tightening the clamp, but I know I need to now!!! Didn't know the depth thing either, that makes sense, "now"!!! ;-)

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Copy all, thanks much guys... I was tightening it when I stowed it all the way down by the base, but the first 2-3 times i dropped it, didn't have any issues with "not" tightening the clamp, but I know I need to now!!! Didn't know the depth thing either, that makes sense, "now"!!! ;-)

Thanks much

vr
Rogman

If the MG is anything like mine, there are a ton of features to exploit! You will get it all dialed in shortly!

 

[Roger Vrooman]

Thanks, I hope so!!!

vr
Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Thanks, I hope so!!!

vr
Rogman

How goes the trolling motor usage ?

 

[Roger Vrooman]

How goes the trolling motor usage ?

Was out yesterday, and TM worked a lot better given all of your guys' expert tips!!! Trolled in two locations, but still had to unplug (reset TM) at 2d spot for the prop to "engage" at second location... Still working with Shuttleslide to get mount dialed in... They sent me a couple of new "L" brackets, but still doesn't fix my original problem, with "L" bracket seating in the plastic bearings, and tough sliding at most points of deployment and redploy...

@MilesPrower



I checked those TM to MK RTA-54 connection, and it looks like there is over 1/4" clearance when stowed and the same (1/4"+) when fully deployed... If you think I need to still trim the bolts, please let me know... I "DID" have to trim the bolts between the inside piece of the RTA-54 and the Shuttleslide bracket to allow the Shuttleslide to slide freely... Those have already been trimmed...

Thanks much,

vr
Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

That’s weird about the TM needing to be reset. Are you turning attempting to turn it on from the hand held remote or the mfd?

Have you checked to see if it’s still paired when the prop doesn’t want to engage?

 

[Roger Vrooman]

That’s weird about the TM needing to be reset. Are you turning attempting to turn it on from the hand held remote or the mfd?

Have you checked to see if it’s still paired when the prop doesn’t want to engage?

I have only operated the TM from the SIMRAD MFD... 1st site, I used anchor heading and when we departed, put the TM in standby and stowed TM... Got to next site, redeployed TM, went to use Anchor Here, and engage... When I checked lights on TM, all were lit up, except for the propeller... I only tried a couple of times as we were getting blown pretty close to the bridge concrete pilings... Then I just unplugged and replugged it in... Takes it a minute or two to re-synch with the MFD, then all works fine...

If this is standard operating procedures, it's no big issue, I will just flip the battery switch every time we move...

vr
Rogman

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Again not knowing anything about your TM, the next time that happens, try hitting the propeller symbol on your remote and or the MFD to see if that gets the prop going.You should not have to re boot the troller each time.

Did you try just hitting the stand by button again to bring it out of stand by?