My Lectrotab Install (full guide included)

[vesder21]

ok, that was super helpful. I will order the 6-circ with cover and the negative. thanks!!!

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Blade-Block/dp/B000THQ0CQ?th=1

 

[Cambo]

Great info to help with the install . @Markwest Curious if you have been out surfing with the trim tabs and how they affect surfing ? I was thinking of an idea after seeing how the Tige brand uses trim tabs to assist the boat positioning in the water. We could add a top bracket with a quick release pin take the actuator move it forward on the non surf side during a surf session this would drop the trim tab down . In theory this could do a few helpful things create more roll / list in the boat to the surf-side creating a crabbing effect that would allow you to turn the jet wash away from the surf area. The power wire would need a service loop and have to route through the newly mounted bracket but this looks like a simple quick set up for improved surfing.

Tige even has a quick release in the top mount

 

[Markwest]

Great info to help with the install . @Markwest Curious if you have been out surfing with the trim tabs and how they affect surfing ?

I have not tried surfing or wakeboarding with tabs yet, just lots of cruising. Waiting for the water to warm up. Just about there.

 

[Quad]

I used all 20ft that I ordered. There is probably an extra foot or two service loop under the helm. I shortened about 1.5ft of black from the battery compartment because the route was so direct since no fuse.

currently on vacation so haven’t had time to research the switching option but I am thinking a single cut off for that route as well. Currently it is live to the helm. Little worried about the phantom draw the actuator controller will put on the house battery but it should be minimal in sleep mode.
The 1/0 wag wire is very large. Not sure I needed all the amp capacity at the helm but I also don’t want to have to run more in the future. I think 4AWG would have been fine with my current plans and much more manageable with current stock switching.

Well, I finally have everything arriving this week to do the installation. I thought I asked this before, but with the existing "House" switch, was there just no room to get the 1/0 cable in there onto the lug? I've purchased an extra switch, but it's going to take some time to arrive.

 

[Markwest]

I did not feel it would fit. That being said I didnt pull it apart and try it. I am sure someone could have made it fit. I ran a month with no aux switch installed and there was very little phantom draw on the battery with just the tabs. No issues starting, no charging required. So you should have time to evaluate and come up with the best solution for you.

I was definately debating removing many of the small wires to a bus bar to provide more room. But in the end did not want to deal with the existing routing and wire lengths. The switch was simpler and I am lazy.

 

[Quad]

Tabs installed, electrics should arrive tomorrow and I can poke at it over the next couple evenings.

Somehow the starboard tab ended up 1/8” lower than port, despite numerous pre-fittings. Can’t imagine it’ll cause a problem but it’ll annoy me for as long as I own the boat

 

[Cambo]

Don't worry these boats lean pitch and roll from all types of influences 1/8 is nothing. My boats all sat un level due to three batteries on one side it was at least 1 1/2” tilted with no one on board

 

[Quad]

One other thought - I was genuinely surprised at how thin the transom area is. I have heard this mentioned before, but it didn’t prevent surprise. Interestingly, while drilling the leftmost lower screw of the port side tab, it seemed like there was 2 distinct layers of fiberglass with an air gap in between. I took off the panel under the clean out hatch and expected to see all 3 groupings of screws, but that leftmost section is walled in. Curious if it’s possible to get to that area and inspect what that second layer was.

 

[WiskyDan]

Many thanks to @Markwest for the awesome install instructions. I handed the instructions to the service guys at my marina who installed them for me and they were impressed with the level of detail.

I had my boat out for the first time this season on Sunday and the tabs kept retracting every minute or two. After chatting with Lectrotab today, they told me that terminal 7 has to have 12v from one of the ignition switches while underway or else the controller thinks that the ignition is off and will keep retracting. I saw mention of not putting 12v on the terminal 7 in the install manual and am wondering how this works OK on other boats but not on mine?

Does it matter which ignition switch supplies the 12v to terminal 7? Is there a better option than the ignition switch?

 

[Markwest]

Many thanks to @Markwest for the awesome install instructions. I handed the instructions to the service guys at my marina who installed them for me and they were impressed with the level of detail.

I had my boat out for the first time this season on Sunday and the tabs kept retracting every minute or two. After chatting with Lectrotab today, they told me that terminal 7 has to have 12v from one of the ignition switches while underway or else the controller thinks that the ignition is off and will keep retracting. I saw mention of not putting 12v on the terminal 7 in the install manual and am wondering how this works OK on other boats but not on mine?

Does it matter which ignition switch supplies the 12v to terminal 7? Is there a better option than the ignition switch?

I do not have anything wired to pin 7. Works fine. I do have the auto leveling controller.

perhaps look at the connector wiring and make sure the installer got it right?

glad the install manual worked out for ya.

@Quad install looks good!

 

[WiskyDan]

I do have the auto leveling controller.

Ahhh......that’s what it is. Using terminal 7 is an option on the ALC-1 controller but it’s mandatory on the the MLC-1 (manual version) that I have. Mystery solved, thank you.

 

[RobbieO]

Tabs installed, electrics should arrive tomorrow and I can poke at it over the next couple evenings.

Somehow the starboard tab ended up 1/8” lower than port, despite numerous pre-fittings. Can’t imagine it’ll cause a problem but it’ll annoy me for as long as I own the boat

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Great install...Btw, is that plastic on your bunks?

 

[Quad]

Further progress tonight. The SLC is fantastic in that it’s screws don’t require dedicated holes, ergo reducing the likelihood of crookedness!

I think we go live tomorrow.

 

[Quad]

Great install...Btw, is that plastic on your bunks?

No plastic, just absurd quantities of dust. The joys of living more than a mile off of paved roads.

 

[RobbieO]

No plastic, just absurd quantities of dust. The joys of living more than a mile off of paved roads.

No, on your trailer bunks. Looks like they are lined in plastic.

 

[Quad]

No, on your trailer bunks. Looks like they are lined in plastic.

Huh. It’s just the usual bunk carpet, trailer is 100% stock (other than obligatory bow roller replacement).

 

[Quad]

@Quad - I am watching what @Markwest and @Neutron do. Past postings by @swatski too.

I started diagraming out the electrical. Below is as far as I got. I hope to do more in the next week. I won't be able to start until after Easter.
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I was going back and forth on this for weeks and finally bought bus bars; I knew I’d be kicking myself if I left things a mess in the battery area. By going that route, there will be enough room on the House switch to run 0/1 from the House battery to the switch and from the switch to the bus, and every wire currently on the House switch will move to the bus bar. It’ll make things cleaner and easier to manage connectivity to the battery.

Unfortunately for me, Amazon takes forever to ship to the sticks these days. I won’t be getting the final bits until Monday-Wednesday next week. I will launch as-is this weekend though and do final tweaks on the water.

 

[Cambo]

Thanks @Markwest your directions made it so easy I opened the lectrotab instructIons to see if there was anything in there that could contribute to help then just threw it to the side . The only questionable items for my model 2017 XE was the location of the MLC-1 control panel and how to wire terminal 7 . The dash board layout is different so I ended up mounting it on the grey pad just to the left of the knob due to the molded pattern that is directly above the knob. For now I didn’t hook terminal 7 to the ignition switch it looked very difficult to reach the wires due to the amp board that I have mounted, but in the future I may look into removing the cup holder to get access to the wires. For my set up I have an on off switch to the 0 gauge wire that feeds power to everything that’s hooked up under the dash. As I sit in float mode the MLC-1 stays lit up but like others have mentioned there is probably minimal power consumption. Terminal 7 is hooked to the fuse holder under the dash the benefit is that when leaving the boat stored now I will have a visual that the switch is left on that feeds power to all the amps and electronics from the led indicator light on the MLC-1.

Ahhh......that’s what it is. Using terminal 7 is an option on the ALC-1 controller but it’s mandatory on the the MLC-1 (manual version) that I have. Mystery solved, thank you.

 

[Quad]

Thanks @Markwest your directions made it so easy I opened the lectrotab instructIons to see if there was anything in there that could contribute to help then just threw it to the side . The only questionable items for my model 2017 XE was the location of the MLC-1 control panel and how to wire terminal 7 . The dash board layout is different so I ended up mounting it on the grey pad just to the left of the knob due to the molded pattern that is directly above the knob. For now I didn’t hook terminal 7 to the ignition switch it looked very difficult to reach the wires due to the amp board that I have mounted, but in the future I may look into removing the cup holder to get access to the wires. For my set up I have an on off switch to the 0 gauge wire that feeds power to everything that’s hooked up under the dash. As I sit in float mode the MLC-1 stays lit up but like others have mentioned there is probably minimal power consumption. Terminal 7 is hooked to the fuse holder under the dash the benefit is that when leaving the boat stored now I will have a visual that the switch is left on that feeds power to all the amps and electronics from the led indicator light on the MLC-1.

My plan is to take the approach @Troch1 suggested - using PosiTap connectors on the yellow lead off of the ignition key. On E-Series boats this means tabs won't retract until I actually turn the ignition key off (not just turning the engines off). I am comfortable with this, as I am more interested in ensuring the tabs are retracted when I shut things down. For circuit protection purposes, I am installing a 1A inline fuse between the ignition key and the trim tab controller.

I will tap this on the ignition switch side of the harness connector as this is easier to replace if I mess things up over time. Eventually I may come up with a logical "OR" gate that is tied to the engine ignition status but that's a project for another season.

 

[Cambo]

It would be great to document the boat year and model with pictures showing were to connect the wire and what color the wire is. From what has been posted it sounds like there are some different color wires used and different connection positions before the ignition switch after the switch with different results. This was the only questionable item that came up during my install.