*This makes my old motor look like a toy **enjoyable.fishing** recommend it's well built. I haven't had it on the water yet, but I'm very sure it will perform just fine.*
Works great. Prop spins at half speed directly from my 100 watt solar panel. It’s best to wire around the cheap switch in the head. Take it apart, contacts are like tinfoil. Solved my overheating problem with lipo batteries which run 13v and don’t draw down under load. One note. The description says the three position switch is forward reverse and brake. If that’s true then the middle position will draw current unless the speed control switch is turned off.
GREAT VIDEO! Working on this conversion now on my Hobie PA12. I would have never thought about putting the Infinite Variable Speed controller inline with the battery pack had it note been for this video. The explanation of how and why it's better is perfect! Thank you sir!
I built a PWM trolling motor controller that would run off an old Nintendo NES controller, up/down did speed intervals, left/right did steering and A/B did forward reverse. Unfortunately, it was in an audible frequency range since I didn't realize the switching frequency was so important.
Your battery was at 82%. At the start it actually showed 75%, as you probably know by now the meter was upside-down 😂 Apparently those watersnake motors are not like other motors and are very efficient on the low setting. It's probably PWM but not variable but don't quote me on that lol. The 24lb thrust motor uses 20Ah on High and 9Ah on low. The 18lb motor is something like 15Ah on High and 7Ah on low. Saying that variable speed and also having the controls up front is nice 👍
EBay sell a waterproof PWM type DC controller that seems to be the right spec, max amps is lower at 20amps, and you’d have to wire your own reversing switch to the outputs.
Enjoyed the diy video. I have an old Minn Kota Model 35 from 1995. The switch burnt up and I had an interesting leaving a smoke trail on that outing. I’m not a good swimmer but the kayak isn’t either with 60-65 lbs of excess weight mounted on it. When I bailed out with my life jacket the tipped kayak filled with water and sank to the bottom.
Doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Glad you're ok. I've got a Minn Kota 30 with the head pulled off of it now. I direct wired it to the motor controller.
Hi Dan, Great video and it gave me inspiration to use it on my kayak. Just had the speed controller go out and found out by accident it was the on/off/on rocker switch. Very cheap switch and found them of the AZN web site 5 switches for 4 dollars. Just wanted to let people know before they throw their PWM unit away to check the switch. Yellow hot, black forward, red reverse. You can direct connect the wire to check and see if it's the switch. I can also hear a relay clicking in the unit but it's still working so I haven't tried to access that one yet. Hope this helps someone.
hi Dan why is it that no body is willing to share and show how they hooked up the pwm controller but you do just that thank you for that you have explaned it very well the best ive ever seen mate thank you so much
yes, but ur not 'drawing full amps' on a non pwm motor thats on speed 1, this is more efficient, yes but more like 20% more efficient... not like 500% like ur describing here..
Very impressed with this solution for infinite variable speed but too many negative comments on Amazon regarding the quality of this controller. One customer put the unit on a scope and it was not 25khz but 15. Some found it dead on arrival others found it burnt out quickly. I was wondering if anyone has found a better product?
The concept of using the Rheostat instead of the control switch is to avoid lost power as heat dissipation through the motor/water. But doesn't the control box just move the heat loss from the motor to the resistors in the box? Also, is there any way to waterproof/water protect the unit without causing heat buildup? kayaks get a lot of inadvertent water splash from paddling, fish etc... so figuring how to keep it close enough to use, but out of the weather/exposure would be critical to longevity.
A year ago, I saw a video where someone said that a trolling motor uses the same amount of power, no matter what speed you have the motor set on. I've been looking for this for that long. and how to build a PCM and how to install it in my kayak. People have thought I was crazy or didn't here correctly. Thanks for sharing this. I ordered the module and will begin installing as soon as I get it. I have a 30# Minn Kota and am wondering as to the throttle setting and direction (forward or reverse) for normal operation. thanks
Dan Hiteshew - This is absolutely incredible. My son and I took our small Mariner 4 out fishing today with a Minn Kota Endura C2 40# thrust and I was guessing that there was inefficiency in the motor speed settings and sometimes confusion as he was operating it. Stumbled upon your video and your explanation of its simplicity and efficiency benefit will cause us to be starting up our own project very soon for making this modification! Thanks for the video and info!! Tight lines! 🎣
Awesome video. Got the controller and it works great. Thank you so much. Don't have to rip apart the motor and I'm thinking it will do wonders for the battery life. One question maybe 2. How did you attach #10 wires to the speed controller. Tried to see it in the video but couldn't quite make it out. Also I put the two control switches in the same box as the unit. Do you think the unit will get hot and possibly over heat? Should I leave it open? Thanks again from us electronically challenged old folks. Was gonna buy a pedal kayak but this was a much cheaper and less strenuous alternative. Looking forward to the maiden voyage very soon.
I just curled the wires around the screws, but a better way is to put connectors on the ends of the wires and then you can screw the on securely. (by "connector" I mean an end piece that looks like a washer or a "U" shape, held on by solder or heat shrink) And yes, I'd leave the box open or at least keep an eye on it to see how hot it gets. Good luck! Have fun! (always keep a paddle with you in case of emergencies)
Thanks Dan. I soldered connectors on with heat shrink. Should hold. I'll keep an eye on the box. How long do you think the controller will last? I bought 2 just in case. Thanks again.
I keep asking this question as I'm considering buying a T18 or T24: Is the Watersnake trolling motor rated for LifePo4 lithium batteries? One Amazon image shows AGM batteries only (a deal breaker for me)! I also saw what appeared to be a Watersnake bulletin that recommended against Lithium batteries due to the 14.5 voltage. What do you think?
A higher voltage will just spin the motor faster. A bit over powered isn't going to do much except give you a bit more power. I'd also recommend the 24 over the 18. I have a Watersnake 24 still in the box if you know anyone looking for one.
Recommend lithium depending your distance use 50ah to 100ah 13.8v I've got a small 12.5 ah motorbike size lithium just to go to destination then paddle round the then use motor back to shore really do not need motor all the tme
Do you have a parts list for the RAM Mount for attaching the motor shaft to the kayak? That looks a lot slicker than some of the "Jank" ways for attaching the motor securely to the boat. How do you STEER? using paddles? I don't see any cables for directional control
@@gemini70seenager97 I used individual wires, but you can get wire that has the black and red together in "one" wire. Just be sure you get at least a 12 gauge.
Human hearing range ends at about 20 kHz, so 25kHz is well beyond what we can hear. If you use a lower frequency, you may hear a hum or whine coming from the unit. (I use a 15 kHz unit and it doesn't make any sounds that I can hear)
I have the t18 and I am using a pwm and I'm not sure if I will have high speed since I am no longer using the original head unit. Do you know how it will perform with the pwm and not using the original head unit?
@@michaelblencowe4241 I'm not certain about that model, but the colored wires are usually the ones that are switched. the red and black should be what you connect to.
nice and great idea plus build, is it correct it will handle the power it needed when you adjust the speed up or down? better than the normal use of the trolling motor?
As long as you get a motor controller (PWM) that's rated appropriately. I always over-do it. I'm using one rated for 60 amps (continuous) with a Minn Kota that draws 30 amps.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly thanks Dan , that's the answer I expected better to have more amps in the controller then needed I do have an ETM tec trolling motor 50 LBS, just check the power/watts it's drawing 564 watt / 12 volts so it should be 47 amps right so 60 amps PWM controller would be suitable in my situation..
I have a Minn Kota c2 40. Its a 5 speed and it does not do full 40a draw at F1. F1 draws only 6.6A and F2 is 8.3A. I believe there is inefficiency at low speed but highly exaggerated
I’ve got the same motor and the specs quote that it draws 10ah on low speed and 20ah on high. You said that they draw the same at any speed. I’m confused.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly MotorGuide 34 pounds thrust. There are no thin guage wires on it. The manual recommended a 50 amp breaker. The toy PWM shown on UA-cam videos and sold on Amazon is all a farse. No electrician would hook that junk up to a trolling motor.
I love the idea. And I have tried this and it works great....until I start heading back to the dock on high speed and after about 10 to 15 minutes it will overheat and just shut down until it cools off and then it will work again. I have a small sneak boat and a 54lb trolling motor. I bought the one you suggested and also the 40-60amp version. I also bought 3 of the ones that came with the plastic housing with the knob and switch already assembled...they burnt out also. One just melted the housing on the side. Anyone have any suggestions? What might be my problem? Once you have tried this, you NEVER want to go back the old 5/3 switch. Would a 100amp version be the solution?
I use a 100 amp version with the Minn Kota 30 lb thrust that I'm using now on my Ascend kayak. That rating is the surge rating most likely. the constant draw rating will be much lower. (I melted a cheap plastic one too at first. lol) The 100 amp is rated for surges of 100 amps but a constant draw of 60 amps. Mine hardly gets warm on full crank now.
@@mattgunst7042 I have no idea which one I got. I don't even have this set-up anymore. If you're using a motor that big, I'd find out how many amps it draws, and then go way over that. I'm currently using one that is a constant load of 60 amps with a surge to 100 amps on my Minn Kota 30 lb thrust and the PWM gets warm, but not hot under full load.
If you get a frequency too low, it will be in the range humans can hear, and you may get a whine or a humming noise. Human hearing range is from 20 to 20,000 Hz
It's fixed, more or less. You can keep the screws loose enough that it'll move it you hit something, but that will increase the likelihood of the motor coming loose during use.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Thanks. My buddy and I will probably just mount the motor to the power pole holes at the rear and leave the motor pointed to the rear. That way, we can use the pivot (we fish in shallow water - oyster beds and sand). Since we have a rudder, we should still be able to steer. Thanks again for the awesome hack on the variable speed!
@@KayakhacksFishing Good luck, but I'd recommend mounting somewhere that you'll be able to access while on the water. You can pull it up to get over submerged logs or water, then lower it again, or whatever you need to do. I couldn't get to it at the rear, and would have no way to deploy or remove it from the water while I was out.
@@KayakhacksFishing Good luck. I've never been able to figure out a way to do it easily in mine. I just put up with the minor drawbacks of having it side mounted.
I'm using a similar set up on my Ascend H12 now. And yes, I love it. The speed controllers are kinda cheap, and I've had them stop working after a season or so, but for $30, I don't really care.(you can buy an expensive speed conroller that'll last years, I'm sure)
Dan Hiteshew great to know. I’ll be buying one for sure. You think they go bad because they overheated? Do you keep them inside that watertight box to protect from the elements? Also, what is a season for you of fishing? 10 times out during the year? 20, 30, more? For me in Florida a fishing season is all year around but I get to go fishing maybe 30 to 40 times per year.
@@spanglishangler I don't keep it sealed, but I keep it out of the way. I try not to get it wet, but it needs to be able to cool down, so it needs air movement. I can usually get out between Mat and November. I don't like cold or even chilly weather.
Hi. I have a twelve Volt System on my sneak boat and two pedal style steering cable operated. It has a F/R switch. A H/M/L switch and a variable speed rheostat knob. The original trolling motor has four wires which connects to four brushes. My Q is, can I take a tiller handle style and convert it over if it only has five settings or do I need one that has the variable speed on the foot controller.? Looking at my options and would appreciate assistance.
You should be able to connect the positive and negative to the speed controller. the additional wires are for the switch of speeds. You just want on/off and let the rheostat control the speed. (I think I understood your question correctly)
The Watersnake motor comes with the mounting kit, but if you just wamnt the bracket, you can get that too. Watersnake 12V Electric Trolling Motor Kayak Bracket amzn.to/2IeXEJN
I’ve already gone through two, 60a controllers and they end up burning up, . The second one only lasted 5 min before it started pouring smoke. Have you had any issues with yours overheating?
No, I haven't. These are cheaply made units, so it's possible they wee defective. I've coked them by hooking them up backwards before, but it was always my fault when I ruined one.
Awesome video! Im building a powered yak and the multi-position switch now has glue inside it(dont ask) and cannot function. If I wanted to eleminate that switch all together and wire this PWM in instead could that be done. Seems like it should be if I connect the wire that would power the highest speed for the motor and the negative to the speed controller. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for the reply. The proper way to bypass it would be to use the negative lead and the lead for the highest speed, and wire those into the PWM correct?
@@kunipshunfit That sounds right, but I'm not very experienced at electrical engineering, so I'm gonna recommend double checking with someone who knows more than me.
I used it for a few years without issue. I moved up to a Minn Kota 30 so I haven't used the Watersnake in a few years, but as far as I know, it still works ok.
That one lasted a couple of years before I hooked it up backwards and fried it. I'm using a different one now. Not too worried about a little water. It needs the air to keep it cool.
Well to fess up, I have the electric you have mounted on my kayak already. But picked up a 55lb for $20 that I thought I could swap out, is that just a waste and going to chew my battery unnecessarily? Thanks for any help….anyone really…
Yup. If you got a 5 speed motor, pull the head off and get the wires out. The red and black wires are what you want to connect to. The colored wires are for the different speeds, so just cap them and forget about them.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly so it was a bow mount wireless that needed a $400 part, so I bought it for $20 as I thought I could Frankenstein it up and have heaps more power. If it were you would you stick with the smaller one or go the 55lb?
I bought the ball joint style universal mounting kit, but still had the make a piece to mount it level on the kayak. I have an unopened mounting kit still in the box if you're interested in buying it. danielhiteshew@gmail.com
I'm literally pissing my pants laughing right now ... not to pick a bit but had zero clue until reading some comments. Too fucking funny on it upside down ... thnx for sharing info ... gathering and building now, ty!
@@210fishing6 Oh, I just used that to create a terminal where I could easily attach the clamps from the motor. The PVC just ensures they don't come in contact. a piece of wood or anything non-conductive would work.
Are you fishing in a lake? Trying to figure out how big of a battery I need. Have the water snake18 but fish in the ocean where we have more wind and current. Any ideas?
@@surfboardshack3327 The 24 lb motor is 17 amps at full power, so you'd get 2 hours at full speed (34 ah). If you were trolling along at half speed, you'd get 4 hours, etc...
Great video! Thanks so much for the valuable info. I bought one from Amazon but everytime i turn the dial on the speed reader turns on fine but when i engage the power button either forward or reverse the whole unit shuts off. Any ideas on what's wrong?
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonlythanks for your response. i thought so too so i ordered 2 replacements afterwards and both are doing the same thing. Driving me crazy
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly I think that's the case. I just stripped each wire and crimped them down and that seems to have solved the problem. Thanks again for your input.
Thinking of doing this to my T24 and trying to waterproof. How hot does it get? My main concern is that if I have it waterproofed well I won't get enough ventilation to cool it.
Yes, the PWM itself. Good point about getting one way over what I need. I have been mulling over whether to get a 30A, 40A or 60A. Have to read the specs closely though; a lot of 60A ones are using max and are really 40A continuous. Is heat pretty consistent or is it hotter at low/high speed?
@@ReachDaBeach Yeah, I've got one on my Minn Kota 30 that's rated at 100 amp peak, with 60 amp continuous. I think for the T24 a 60/40 would work, but bigger is still better. and yes, the more juice you run through it, the hotter it gets. When I'm actively fishing, at a slow crawl, it's hardly above ambient temps.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Awesome! The way I am wiring one will have a bypass for full speed as I will disconnect the speed control and not take it in some circumstances. So any time I use the speed control it will probably be at under 50%. Even if i have it hooked up I will bypass it for full speed; that's the only speed at which it is less efficient to use the speed control.
Does it matter if you put the battery meter ring connector above or below the battery ring connector when attaching to the motor driver terminal? I couldnt get a good look at this connection in the video.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly What I'm asking is - when you screw in the ring connectors for the led battery meter into the same terminal that the battery ring connectors screw into, does it matter if the battery meter ring connectors go above or below the battery ring connectors? It sounds like what you're saying is that the order of the connectors on the terminal doesnt matter, correct?
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Did you use longer screws than what came with the device? Or non-insulated connectors? Do you have a picture of the connectors that you used? Specifically, on the terminal that shares connectors from the battery meter and the battery.
No, that's what you need to do if you leave it intact. 100% on the PWM will only be 100% of whatever you've got the motor set to. (If you set the motor to 1, then you'll never go faster than that.
@@mrdvcapj Running through the switching will add a little resistance, so it'll be a tiny bit less efficient, but not enough to notice. It shouldn't really have any other effect. The cheap PWM don't always last long, so maybe that's the problem some people have. I figure for as cheap as they are, a season of use pays for itself. Lol
Could you just disconnect the controller inside your trolling motor head and just connect the PWM to the neg & pos of the trolling motor. The reason I ask is if bypassing the Trolling motor controller you might save a few amps hours? I really don't know
I'm not very good at stuff like that, but it sounds reasonable. In my case, I can go out for hours on end, at full power, without issue, so I'm not too worried about squeezing a few more minutes out of it.
First of all thank you for the info. Do you have any idea if you disconnet the speed controller and connect the pwm directly to neg and pos wires if you also have to bypass the coil that seats at the bottom of the motor head at the lower part of your assembly?
It'll work, but you'll hear an annoying hum. At 15 hz, it'll probably sound more like a high pitched whine. It's harmless, but annoying. It's got to be above 20hz in order to be silent.
I've found that if I lock it in a forward position, I can lean like riding a bike for the most part. If I need to actually use the tiller handle, it is still a bit awkward and behind me.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly DC 9-50 V ←←←←←←← that's what i referring to. Some say dc10. Rated Current 40 A (Maximum Output Current) Frequency 25 kHz Control Motor Power 0.01-2000 W 12 V: 480 W (max), 24 V: 960 W (max) 48 V: 1920 W (max), 50V: 2000 W (max) Regulation Range 0-100% Function Forward to Stop to Reverse PCB Size 100 x 75 mm (inch: 3.9" x 2.95") Weight 175 g
I need help. I installed a pwm to my Newport Vessels 24 volt, 86lb thrust, 48 amp protected by a 50 amp breaker. It fried, taking out the battery meter on the motor, motor still works. The PWM has the following description. DC 10-55V 12V 24V 36V 60A PWM DC Motor Speed Controller CW CCW Reversible Switch. What went wrong?
No idea but if I had to guess, I'd say you hooked the wires up backwards and fried it. It only takes a touch of the wires on the wrong polarity to fry it.
Dan, what the heck are you talking about....full amps are not drawn at low settings. For example, a minn kota c2 30 draws about 5 amps on speed setting 1, roughly 10 amps on 3 so I don't know where you get your info from.
Maybe Minn Kota builds them differently? I know "speed coils" are really resistance coils, so I don't know how they do it. There's no modulator in a Minn Kota.
Rick you are correct. The load or in this case the motor will draw what it wants. If you set it to a higher speed, it will demand more amperage. If the chop or wind is strong, or you run through a patch of weeds, it will demand more amperage. If you set it to slow speed it will demand less amperage. The point he's trying to make is that the old school resistance technology is really inefficient . It basically takes the power and turns it into heat to slow things down. Wasted energy. Pulse Width modulation is like turning the power button off and on hundreds of times a second. No wasted energy. Ultimately this means if you normally get 2 hours of non stop full thrust you might get a little more than 2 hours. How much more ? Who knows. But you will get more battery life. Ideally your best bet is to only purchase trolling motors with a brushless motor and a built in electronic speed controller that changes the DC power into 3 phase AC . Pulse Width Modulation is already built in. This setup in conjunction with using a lithium ion or lithium polymer battery source, would be the ultimate in efficiency .
That doesn't solve anything with the wires... ah is ah no matter if its a lead battery or a lithium battery. The lithium can recharge more than a lead and is lighter but 3x the price.
@@420RyanBruce I think the point is that with a Lihium battery you can skip all the wiring and use of the speed controller and just direct wire the motor to the better battery. A lithium battery would allow you to use a lot more of the ahs without damaging a lead acid battery where you could only use half the capacity to avoid shortening the battery life. There's also the advantage of the lithium battery weighing 1/3 that of a lead acid battery. The negative is the extra cost. But the whole situation would be much simplified with the use of the better battery.
*This makes my old motor look like a toy **enjoyable.fishing** recommend it's well built. I haven't had it on the water yet, but I'm very sure it will perform just fine.*
Very clever and kudos to you, didn't realize these motors are continually drawing full amps even on 1-4 settings on the 34lb motor as well.
This is the first trolling motor I have owned. It’s been great! Lots of thrust. Would recommend.
Works great. Prop spins at half speed directly from my 100 watt solar panel. It’s best to wire around the cheap switch in the head. Take it apart, contacts are like tinfoil. Solved my overheating problem with lipo batteries which run 13v and don’t draw down under load. One note. The description says the three position switch is forward reverse and brake. If that’s true then the middle position will draw current unless the speed control switch is turned off.
GREAT VIDEO! Working on this conversion now on my Hobie PA12. I would have never thought about putting the Infinite Variable Speed controller inline with the battery pack had it note been for this video. The explanation of how and why it's better is perfect! Thank you sir!
You can get all in one compact unit now, switch, varible tuning knob and power display
Using this method could mean you'd be able to get by with a smaller battery, saving weight and $$. Awesome stuff!!!
I built a PWM trolling motor controller that would run off an old Nintendo NES controller, up/down did speed intervals, left/right did steering and A/B did forward reverse. Unfortunately, it was in an audible frequency range since I didn't realize the switching frequency was so important.
Your battery was at 82%. At the start it actually showed 75%, as you probably know by now the meter was upside-down 😂 Apparently those watersnake motors are not like other motors and are very efficient on the low setting. It's probably PWM but not variable but don't quote me on that lol.
The 24lb thrust motor uses 20Ah on High and 9Ah on low. The 18lb motor is something like 15Ah on High and 7Ah on low.
Saying that variable speed and also having the controls up front is nice 👍
EBay sell a waterproof PWM type DC controller that seems to be the right spec, max amps is lower at 20amps, and you’d have to wire your own reversing switch to the outputs.
Enjoyed the diy video. I have an old Minn Kota Model 35 from 1995. The switch burnt up and I had an interesting leaving a smoke trail on that outing. I’m not a good swimmer but the kayak isn’t either with 60-65 lbs of excess weight mounted on it. When I bailed out with my life jacket the tipped kayak filled with water and sank to the bottom.
Doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Glad you're ok.
I've got a Minn Kota 30 with the head pulled off of it now. I direct wired it to the motor controller.
Well your not very bright are yah
Hi Dan, Great video and it gave me inspiration to use it on my kayak. Just had the speed controller go out and found out by accident it was the on/off/on rocker switch. Very cheap switch and found them of the AZN web site 5 switches for 4 dollars. Just wanted to let people know before they throw their PWM unit away to check the switch. Yellow hot, black forward, red reverse. You can direct connect the wire to check and see if it's the switch. I can also hear a relay clicking in the unit but it's still working so I haven't tried to access that one yet. Hope this helps someone.
Battery meter upside down showing %28 but it’s 82%
hi Dan why is it that no body is willing to share and show how they hooked up the pwm controller but you do just that thank you for that you have explaned it very well the best ive ever seen mate thank you so much
very well explained description of the working of the PWM. thanks!
yes, but ur not 'drawing full amps' on a non pwm motor thats on speed 1, this is more efficient, yes but more like 20% more efficient... not like 500% like ur describing here..
What a great video. Thanks so much for explaining all of this in such great detail. I really appreciate it
Very impressed with this solution for infinite variable speed but too many negative comments on Amazon regarding the quality of this controller. One customer put the unit on a scope and it was not 25khz but 15. Some found it dead on arrival others found it burnt out quickly. I was wondering if anyone has found a better product?
I got a couple of years out of it until I hooked up backwards one day. It cooked it.
Nice Mod - A few Anderson plugs would tidy up your wiring
Love the tutorial, very easy to understand
The concept of using the Rheostat instead of the control switch is to avoid lost power as heat dissipation through the motor/water. But doesn't the control box just move the heat loss from the motor to the resistors in the box? Also, is there any way to waterproof/water protect the unit without causing heat buildup? kayaks get a lot of inadvertent water splash from paddling, fish etc... so figuring how to keep it close enough to use, but out of the weather/exposure would be critical to longevity.
A year ago, I saw a video where someone said that a trolling motor uses the same amount of power, no matter what speed you have the motor set on. I've been looking for this for that long. and how to build a PCM and how to install it in my kayak. People have thought I was crazy or didn't here correctly. Thanks for sharing this. I ordered the module and will begin installing as soon as I get it.
I have a 30# Minn Kota and am wondering as to the throttle setting and direction (forward or reverse) for normal operation. thanks
Set the motor on the highest setting (fwd) and then use the PWM to control the speed and direction.
Dan Hiteshew - This is absolutely incredible. My son and I took our small Mariner 4 out fishing today with a Minn Kota Endura C2 40# thrust and I was guessing that there was inefficiency in the motor speed settings and sometimes confusion as he was operating it. Stumbled upon your video and your explanation of its simplicity and efficiency benefit will cause us to be starting up our own project very soon for making this modification!
Thanks for the video and info!! Tight lines! 🎣
Awesome video. Got the controller and it works great. Thank you so much. Don't have to rip apart the motor and I'm thinking it will do wonders for the battery life.
One question maybe 2. How did you attach #10 wires to the speed controller. Tried to see it in the video but couldn't quite make it out. Also I put the two control switches in the same box as the unit. Do you think the unit will get hot and possibly over heat? Should I leave it open? Thanks again from us electronically challenged old folks. Was gonna buy a pedal kayak but this was a much cheaper and less strenuous alternative. Looking forward to the maiden voyage very soon.
I just curled the wires around the screws, but a better way is to put connectors on the ends of the wires and then you can screw the on securely. (by "connector" I mean an end piece that looks like a washer or a "U" shape, held on by solder or heat shrink)
And yes, I'd leave the box open or at least keep an eye on it to see how hot it gets.
Good luck! Have fun! (always keep a paddle with you in case of emergencies)
Thanks Dan. I soldered connectors on with heat shrink. Should hold. I'll keep an eye on the box. How long do you think the controller will last? I bought 2 just in case. Thanks again.
Awesome rig going to try it myself ty
In the instructions of the watetsnake tho you can find different amps draw according to the speed used It I dont recall wrong
I keep asking this question as I'm considering buying a T18 or T24: Is the Watersnake trolling motor rated for LifePo4 lithium batteries? One Amazon image shows AGM batteries only (a deal breaker for me)! I also saw what appeared to be a Watersnake bulletin that recommended against Lithium batteries due to the 14.5 voltage. What do you think?
I'd use a LiFePo on it. My LiFePo battery is 13.4 volts when fully charged.
A higher voltage will just spin the motor faster. A bit over powered isn't going to do much except give you a bit more power. I'd also recommend the 24 over the 18.
I have a Watersnake 24 still in the box if you know anyone looking for one.
Any battery will work AGM will be will work fine they are way heavier then lead acid and lithium
Recommend lithium depending your distance use 50ah to 100ah 13.8v I've got a small 12.5 ah motorbike size lithium just to go to destination then paddle round the then use motor back to shore really do not need motor all the tme
I use 2 of these on my little 2.1m boat. I leave the switch on "II" and drive them in series (6V each) for low speed and parallel (12V) for fast.
Do you have a parts list for the RAM Mount for attaching the motor shaft to the kayak? That looks a lot slicker than some of the "Jank" ways for attaching the motor securely to the boat. How do you STEER? using paddles? I don't see any cables for directional control
I used to teer by leaning like a bike, or using he paddle foe sharper turns.
The best speed controller I have seen to date, thanks. Are you planning a video on steering the motor?
I've got a new Ascend H12 that the motor is on now, and I have rudder controlled by foot pedals.
All the units I can find on Amazon (Canada) have a frequency of 15 kHz Do you think that would work?
I think so. I'm pretty sure I've used 15KHz before.
What wire did you use? Where did u get it? And how did u make connection to the tiny terminals on the pwm controller?
I used 10 ga wire (maybe 12 ga) and put ring connectors on the end so I could bolt it to the terminals.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Is that single wire or three-wire? Novice here :)
@@gemini70seenager97 I used individual wires, but you can get wire that has the black and red together in "one" wire. Just be sure you get at least a 12 gauge.
You got your battery power indicator upside down. 4 Bars and 28% ???? It was 4 bars and 82%. After you ran it it went down to 78%.
i think your looking at the battery meater up side down, it reads 82%.
Amazingly insightful!
Nice set up ! Why must it be a 25khz unit as per your description?
Human hearing range ends at about 20 kHz, so 25kHz is well beyond what we can hear. If you use a lower frequency, you may hear a hum or whine coming from the unit. (I use a 15 kHz unit and it doesn't make any sounds that I can hear)
I have the t18 and I am using a pwm and I'm not sure if I will have high speed since I am no longer using the original head unit. Do you know how it will perform with the pwm and not using the original head unit?
If you connect the positive and negative to the PWM you'll be able to turn it to 100%. You'll get just as much top speed out of it. (maybe a bit more)
Thanks for the information. I saw the narrower blue wire and I got all confused. Thanks again
@@michaelblencowe4241 I'm not certain about that model, but the colored wires are usually the ones that are switched. the red and black should be what you connect to.
nice and great idea plus build, is it correct it will handle the power it needed when you adjust the speed up or down? better than the normal use of the trolling motor?
As long as you get a motor controller (PWM) that's rated appropriately. I always over-do it. I'm using one rated for 60 amps (continuous) with a Minn Kota that draws 30 amps.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly thanks Dan , that's the answer I expected better to have more amps in the controller then needed I do have an ETM tec trolling motor 50 LBS, just check the power/watts it's drawing 564 watt / 12 volts so it should be 47 amps right so 60 amps PWM controller would be suitable in my situation..
I have a Minn Kota c2 40. Its a 5 speed and it does not do full 40a draw at F1. F1 draws only 6.6A and F2 is 8.3A.
I believe there is inefficiency at low speed but highly exaggerated
I’ve got the same motor and the specs
quote that it draws 10ah on low speed and 20ah on high. You said that they draw the same at any speed. I’m confused.
None of these PWM videos show how a heavy 6 or 8 guage trolling motor wire is connected to those tiny terminals on the PMW.
What size motor do you have!? I used regular 14 gauge (maybe 12) extension cord wire.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly MotorGuide 34 pounds thrust. There are no thin guage wires on it. The manual recommended a 50 amp breaker. The toy PWM shown on UA-cam videos and sold on Amazon is all a farse. No electrician would hook that junk up to a trolling motor.
@@cdgarrett1 Ok
I go about 3mph in my kayak with this exact motor.
Utilizing this method, how fast do you think I'd be able to go now?
3 mph. It won't change your motor in any way.
I love the idea. And I have tried this and it works great....until I start heading back to the dock on high speed and after about 10 to 15 minutes it will overheat and just shut down until it cools off and then it will work again. I have a small sneak boat and a 54lb trolling motor. I bought the one you suggested and also the 40-60amp version. I also bought 3 of the ones that came with the plastic housing with the knob and switch already assembled...they burnt out also. One just melted the housing on the side. Anyone have any suggestions? What might be my problem? Once you have tried this, you NEVER want to go back the old 5/3 switch. Would a 100amp version be the solution?
I use a 100 amp version with the Minn Kota 30 lb thrust that I'm using now on my Ascend kayak. That rating is the surge rating most likely. the constant draw rating will be much lower. (I melted a cheap plastic one too at first. lol)
The 100 amp is rated for surges of 100 amps but a constant draw of 60 amps. Mine hardly gets warm on full crank now.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly hi Dan, im looking at doing something like this and have a 54lb motor, what pwm switch are you using? TIA
@@mattgunst7042 I have no idea which one I got. I don't even have this set-up anymore. If you're using a motor that big, I'd find out how many amps it draws, and then go way over that. I'm currently using one that is a constant load of 60 amps with a surge to 100 amps on my Minn Kota 30 lb thrust and the PWM gets warm, but not hot under full load.
Is the 25 kHz an important spec and why?
Thank you!
If you get a frequency too low, it will be in the range humans can hear, and you may get a whine or a humming noise.
Human hearing range is from 20 to 20,000 Hz
This is awesome! A question on the motor mount. Is is fixed? Or will it kick back like a regular mount if you hit something?
It's fixed, more or less. You can keep the screws loose enough that it'll move it you hit something, but that will increase the likelihood of the motor coming loose during use.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Thanks. My buddy and I will probably just mount the motor to the power pole holes at the rear and leave the motor pointed to the rear. That way, we can use the pivot (we fish in shallow water - oyster beds and sand). Since we have a rudder, we should still be able to steer. Thanks again for the awesome hack on the variable speed!
@@KayakhacksFishing Good luck, but I'd recommend mounting somewhere that you'll be able to access while on the water. You can pull it up to get over submerged logs or water, then lower it again, or whatever you need to do. I couldn't get to it at the rear, and would have no way to deploy or remove it from the water while I was out.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly All good points. I want to run a cord from the top of the motor through a pad to get an angle to be able to pull it up.
@@KayakhacksFishing Good luck. I've never been able to figure out a way to do it easily in mine. I just put up with the minor drawbacks of having it side mounted.
Still happy with your setup after using it for a while? I hear the overheat easy and breakdown constantly.
I'm using a similar set up on my Ascend H12 now. And yes, I love it. The speed controllers are kinda cheap, and I've had them stop working after a season or so, but for $30, I don't really care.(you can buy an expensive speed conroller that'll last years, I'm sure)
Dan Hiteshew great to know. I’ll be buying one for sure. You think they go bad because they overheated? Do you keep them inside that watertight box to protect from the elements? Also, what is a season for you of fishing? 10 times out during the year? 20, 30, more? For me in Florida a fishing season is all year around but I get to go fishing maybe 30 to 40 times per year.
@@spanglishangler I don't keep it sealed, but I keep it out of the way. I try not to get it wet, but it needs to be able to cool down, so it needs air movement.
I can usually get out between Mat and November. I don't like cold or even chilly weather.
Hi. I have a twelve Volt System on my sneak boat and two pedal style steering cable operated. It has a F/R switch. A H/M/L switch and a variable speed rheostat knob. The original trolling motor has four wires which connects to four brushes. My Q is, can I take a tiller handle style and convert it over if it only has five settings or do I need one that has the variable speed on the foot controller.? Looking at my options and would appreciate assistance.
You should be able to connect the positive and negative to the speed controller. the additional wires are for the switch of speeds. You just want on/off and let the rheostat control the speed. (I think I understood your question correctly)
Good Video...thanks. But, how do you steer?
In that kayak, I steered by leaning like a bike. If I had to turn shaper, I'd need to use a paddle..
What is the mount you are using for the motor? Seems like something I would want to do when I get around to powering my kayak.
The Watersnake motor comes with the mounting kit, but if you just wamnt the bracket, you can get that too.
Watersnake 12V Electric Trolling Motor Kayak Bracket amzn.to/2IeXEJN
I’ve already gone through two, 60a controllers and they end up burning up, . The second one only lasted 5 min before it started pouring smoke. Have you had any issues with yours overheating?
No, I haven't. These are cheaply made units, so it's possible they wee defective. I've coked them by hooking them up backwards before, but it was always my fault when I ruined one.
nice job. thanks for the information,
Simpler variable speed control just replace switch with the potentiometer. Right yeah that's a good idea but
Awesome video! Im building a powered yak and the multi-position switch now has glue inside it(dont ask) and cannot function. If I wanted to eleminate that switch all together and wire this PWM in instead could that be done. Seems like it should be if I connect the wire that would power the highest speed for the motor and the negative to the speed controller. What are your thoughts?
Yeah, if you bypass the switch, the PWM will become your switch.
Thanks for the reply. The proper way to bypass it would be to use the negative lead and the lead for the highest speed, and wire those into the PWM correct?
@@kunipshunfit That sounds right, but I'm not very experienced at electrical engineering, so I'm gonna recommend double checking with someone who knows more than me.
Honestly, I almost stopped watching at 2:10 once I saw the condiment Tupperware container... but I decided to hang in there
Tupperware? You think I can afford real Tupperware> Lol
Dan Hiteshew yea your right that would be Tupperware abuse... I guess you did the right thing haha. Hey man it gets you out on the water right
How long did it last? Reading reviews on these things has me leary.
I used it for a few years without issue. I moved up to a Minn Kota 30 so I haven't used the Watersnake in a few years, but as far as I know, it still works ok.
I can only find 15khz in those specs. Is the kH frequency key to the type of motor?
I'm not sure. You probably won't get much whine from that though. It's the lower ones like 8 Khz that have that loud hum.
Dan - looks like the speed controller needs to dissipate heat - anyway to put it in a waterproof casing do you think?
That one lasted a couple of years before I hooked it up backwards and fried it. I'm using a different one now. Not too worried about a little water. It needs the air to keep it cool.
No fan in my cheap pwm . It was $14 at amazon and has been going fine and on its 5th year . I use it 3 days a week.
Can this work for a 55lb thrust motor too? How do I know what switch size etc I need for the bigger motor?
Well to fess up, I have the electric you have mounted on my kayak already. But picked up a 55lb for $20 that I thought I could swap out, is that just a waste and going to chew my battery unnecessarily?
Thanks for any help….anyone really…
Yup.
If you got a 5 speed motor, pull the head off and get the wires out. The red and black wires are what you want to connect to. The colored wires are for the different speeds, so just cap them and forget about them.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly so it was a bow mount wireless that needed a $400 part, so I bought it for $20 as I thought I could Frankenstein it up and have heaps more power. If it were you would you stick with the smaller one or go the 55lb?
And then would the variable speed switch above have enough amp for a 55lb motor?
I think you putting the battery 🔋 indicator upsidedown it is reading 82%
did you buy or make your motor mount?
I bought the ball joint style universal mounting kit, but still had the make a piece to mount it level on the kayak. I have an unopened mounting kit still in the box if you're interested in buying it. danielhiteshew@gmail.com
Your battery meter was upside down, it actually had 82% lol
Lol. That makes sense of the odd numbers I saw later too. Lol Thanks.
I'm literally pissing my pants laughing right now ... not to pick a bit but had zero clue until reading some comments. Too fucking funny on it upside down ... thnx for sharing info ... gathering and building now, ty!
may I ask can I use a 24v battery for my 12v 34thrust for higher speed ?
No. It'll overpower it. They're designed to handle 12v.
Have a question what is the piece of pc for is that just to isolate the power
I'm not sure I understand your question.
When you hook up trolling motor to I think it was a piece of pvc pipe with some wires on it what was the piece for on the video
@@210fishing6 Oh, I just used that to create a terminal where I could easily attach the clamps from the motor. The PVC just ensures they don't come in contact. a piece of wood or anything non-conductive would work.
Are you fishing in a lake? Trying to figure out how big of a battery I need. Have the water snake18 but fish in the ocean where we have more wind and current. Any ideas?
The size of the battery will only determine how long it will last, not how powerful it will be.
I’d like to troll at low speed for at least 6-7 hours. Do you think a 35 amh with variable speed controller will be enough battery to last that lon?
@@surfboardshack3327 The 24 lb motor is 17 amps at full power, so you'd get 2 hours at full speed (34 ah). If you were trolling along at half speed, you'd get 4 hours, etc...
Add a small solar panel with solar charge controller while using the motor. Itll add an extra 5 hours to your trolling needs.
Great, small problem but how are you steering it?
In that kayak, I could steer by leaning like riding a bike, but my new Ascend H12 has foot control rudder pedals that I installed.
Great video! Thanks so much for the valuable info. I bought one from Amazon but everytime i turn the dial on the speed reader turns on fine but when i engage the power button either forward or reverse the whole unit shuts off. Any ideas on what's wrong?
No, that sounds like a defective unit or something.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonlythanks for your response. i thought so too so i ordered 2 replacements afterwards and both are doing the same thing. Driving me crazy
@@moes473 Maybe you're wiring it wrong?
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly I think that's the case. I just stripped each wire and crimped them down and that seems to have solved the problem. Thanks again for your input.
Thinking of doing this to my T24 and trying to waterproof. How hot does it get? My main concern is that if I have it waterproofed well I won't get enough ventilation to cool it.
If you're talking about the PWM itself, it gets pretty warm, but if you get one that is way overrated for the load, it'll run a bit cooler.
Yes, the PWM itself. Good point about getting one way over what I need. I have been mulling over whether to get a 30A, 40A or 60A. Have to read the specs closely though; a lot of 60A ones are using max and are really 40A continuous. Is heat pretty consistent or is it hotter at low/high speed?
@@ReachDaBeach Yeah, I've got one on my Minn Kota 30 that's rated at 100 amp peak, with 60 amp continuous. I think for the T24 a 60/40 would work, but bigger is still better. and yes, the more juice you run through it, the hotter it gets. When I'm actively fishing, at a slow crawl, it's hardly above ambient temps.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Awesome! The way I am wiring one will have a bypass for full speed as I will disconnect the speed control and not take it in some circumstances. So any time I use the speed control it will probably be at under 50%. Even if i have it hooked up I will bypass it for full speed; that's the only speed at which it is less efficient to use the speed control.
@@ReachDaBeach Yeah, for full speed, the less stuff you run the juice thru before it gets to the motor, the less efficient it'll be.
Does it matter if you put the battery meter ring connector above or below the battery ring connector when attaching to the motor driver terminal? I couldnt get a good look at this connection in the video.
I'm not sure what you're asking, but as long as the connectors are making good contact, how they're connected doesn't matter so much.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly What I'm asking is - when you screw in the ring connectors for the led battery meter into the same terminal that the battery ring connectors screw into, does it matter if the battery meter ring connectors go above or below the battery ring connectors? It sounds like what you're saying is that the order of the connectors on the terminal doesnt matter, correct?
@@dougmc81 Correct. As long as they both have good contact, with no loose wires, or movement of the connector rings.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Did you use longer screws than what came with the device? Or non-insulated connectors? Do you have a picture of the connectors that you used? Specifically, on the terminal that shares connectors from the battery meter and the battery.
@@dougmc81 I don't even have this set up anymore. I'm in a bigger kayak with a Minn Kota 30. I used simple connectors like these. amzn.to/2CZzbtj
I have minn Kota 45 will keeping it on power setting five cause problems for the pwm? I don’t wanna remove the head of my motor
No, that's what you need to do if you leave it intact. 100% on the PWM will only be 100% of whatever you've got the motor set to. (If you set the motor to 1, then you'll never go faster than that.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly ok excellent. ive heard others saying they burnt them up by not bypassing the original speed switch on the tiller
@@mrdvcapj Running through the switching will add a little resistance, so it'll be a tiny bit less efficient, but not enough to notice. It shouldn't really have any other effect. The cheap PWM don't always last long, so maybe that's the problem some people have. I figure for as cheap as they are, a season of use pays for itself. Lol
Could you just disconnect the controller inside your trolling motor head and just connect the PWM to the neg & pos of the trolling motor. The reason I ask is if bypassing the Trolling motor controller you might save a few amps hours? I really don't know
I'm not very good at stuff like that, but it sounds reasonable. In my case, I can go out for hours on end, at full power, without issue, so I'm not too worried about squeezing a few more minutes out of it.
First of all thank you for the info. Do you have any idea if you disconnet the speed controller and connect the pwm directly to neg and pos wires if you also have to bypass the coil that seats at the bottom of the motor head at the lower part of your assembly?
I have a ft control Minn Kota trooling mtr, any way to make it run backwards instead of spinning the mtr all the way around
These speed controllers have reverse switches on them. That'll reverse it.
I just ran across you’re channel
That's 82% not 28%. Your battery charge display was upside down! LOL
What kind of wire do you use ?
I used 12 guage, but I tink 14 would probably work.
hi bud great idead what are the wires called you dont get with the kit
I used 12 gauge wire to make sure it could handle the amps if that's any help.
They don’t ship that controller to Australia 😢
Only one I can find on eBay is 15khz, not sure if this is ok ?
It'll work, but you'll hear an annoying hum. At 15 hz, it'll probably sound more like a high pitched whine. It's harmless, but annoying. It's got to be above 20hz in order to be silent.
I just bought that controller Wayne
@@11evl1 ,
In Australia too and can only find the 15khz controller. Is the hum that bad?
Will this work on 24V 5-Speed foot control trolling motors? Thanks!
Yes, it should be no problem. Just set the motor to "5" and then use the controller for your speed control.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly can you by pass the trolling motors built in switch all together and just wire the pwm direct to the battery and motor?
@@andrewcowan6392 Probably. You'd have to open it up an rewire it.
So you still have to turn around to steer it?
I've found that if I lock it in a forward position, I can lean like riding a bike for the most part. If I need to actually use the tiller handle, it is still a bit awkward and behind me.
What kind of trolling motor mount is that?
It's this
Watersnake Kayak Motor Bracket: amzn.to/3aFIs66
do you need a fuse breaker between the hot line?
No, I probably should have.
doesnt make any sense that tm switch works on converting current into speed in the lower speeds.
Lmao 82% is %S8 loved the video tho
Do u think a dc 9 would work? As opposed to a dc 10?
I don't know what you're asking. It's 12 volts if that's any help.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly
DC 9-50 V ←←←←←←← that's what i referring to. Some say dc10.
Rated Current
40 A (Maximum Output Current)
Frequency
25 kHz
Control Motor Power
0.01-2000 W
12 V: 480 W (max), 24 V: 960 W (max)
48 V: 1920 W (max), 50V: 2000 W (max)
Regulation Range
0-100%
Function
Forward to Stop to Reverse
PCB Size
100 x 75 mm (inch: 3.9" x 2.95")
Weight
175 g
Looks like it would based on those specs, but I'm not an electrical engineer.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly gotcha, thanks man.
I need help. I installed a pwm to my Newport Vessels 24 volt, 86lb thrust, 48 amp protected by a 50 amp breaker. It fried, taking out the battery meter on the motor, motor still works. The PWM has the following description. DC 10-55V 12V 24V 36V 60A PWM DC Motor Speed Controller CW CCW Reversible Switch. What went wrong?
No idea but if I had to guess, I'd say you hooked the wires up backwards and fried it. It only takes a touch of the wires on the wrong polarity to fry it.
you sound exactly like rand Paul
What if the armature needs excited then the motor has 4 leads not 2?
I don't know what you're asking me.
Cool
Meter was showing amount used
I had it mounted upside down. Lol
How do you steer the watersnake?
It steers like any other trolling motor.
So do you reach back with you left arm to turn it?? It just seems like a really awkward position to reach all day while fishing
Dan, what the heck are you talking about....full amps are not drawn at low settings. For example, a minn kota c2 30 draws about 5 amps on speed setting 1, roughly 10 amps on 3 so I don't know where you get your info from.
Maybe Minn Kota builds them differently? I know "speed coils" are really resistance coils, so I don't know how they do it. There's no modulator in a Minn Kota.
Rick you are correct. The load or in this case the motor will draw what it wants. If you set it to a higher speed, it will demand more amperage. If the chop or wind is strong, or you run through a patch of weeds, it will demand more amperage. If you set it to slow speed it will demand less amperage. The point he's trying to make is that the old school resistance technology is really inefficient . It basically takes the power and turns it into heat to slow things down. Wasted energy. Pulse Width modulation is like turning the power button off and on hundreds of times a second. No wasted energy. Ultimately this means if you normally get 2 hours of non stop full thrust you might get a little more than 2 hours. How much more ? Who knows. But you will get more battery life. Ideally your best bet is to only purchase trolling motors with a brushless motor and a built in electronic speed controller that changes the DC power into 3 phase AC . Pulse Width Modulation is already built in. This setup in conjunction with using a lithium ion or lithium polymer battery source, would be the ultimate in efficiency .
great
It's more Tesla than canoe.
Lol I hope not.
Guessing ur kids painted your nails lol.
Nope. No kids. Lol look up "polished man".
🤣🤣🤣🤣 82%
I stopped watching at 4:30
Ok
lol and it gets worse from there :D
@DH English as not my native language and make a mistake has nothing to do with a low IQ
too much wires ..just get a lithium battery it will troll you all day
That doesn't solve anything with the wires... ah is ah no matter if its a lead battery or a lithium battery. The lithium can recharge more than a lead and is lighter but 3x the price.
@@420RyanBruce I think the point is that with a Lihium battery you can skip all the wiring and use of the speed controller and just direct wire the motor to the better battery. A lithium battery would allow you to use a lot more of the ahs without damaging a lead acid battery where you could only use half the capacity to avoid shortening the battery life. There's also the advantage of the lithium battery weighing 1/3 that of a lead acid battery. The negative is the extra cost. But the whole situation would be much simplified with the use of the better battery.