Trolling motor wire extension

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

What are the parts used to connect the wires to the motor head? Also would I still need a circuit breaker if it's just directly from the motor to the battery? 

Dunno about the head - haven't opened my Endura 30 to look...might just be screw connectors that the bare wire goes into, might be some kind of plug-in connector.

 

If you got the Power Center Box - you've got a 50amp breaker already...if you want to upgrade that to a 60amp, then put it in on the positive line as close to either the battery or TM as possible and bypass the built-in breaker on the box.

[newbiedmv]

Oh, goto the hardware store and buy crimp on butt and ring connectors, get 5 more of each than you'll need. Spend the extra money and get a heavy duty crimper. Heavier tool than the little crimper (8 awg wire is big, thick, stranded, and hard to work with, a cheap automotive crimper won't work as the tool breaks before the crimp is made) that for small wire.Look on YouTube at a few videos there are thousands.  Just DO NOT DIRECTLY CONNECT 8AWG TO THE BREAKER TERMINALS, YOU'LL GET A "hot" spot and the magic smoke might come out

[txchaser]

I bought a kit on amazon for this purpose. I figure it cost me a little more to do it that way, but it saved a ton of fiddling. 8ga has been plenty for a 55lb 12v motor. It is hooked to the minn kota battery box. Working great for at least a year.

[TriStateBassin106]

14 hours ago, txchaser said:

I bought a kit on amazon for this purpose. I figure it cost me a little more to do it that way, but it saved a ton of fiddling. 8ga has been plenty for a 55lb 12v motor. It is hooked to the minn kota battery box. Working great for at least a year.

Any links to this? 

21 hours ago, newbiedmv said:

Oh, goto the hardware store and buy crimp on butt and ring connectors, get 5 more of each than you'll need. Spend the extra money and get a heavy duty crimper. Heavier tool than the little crimper (8 awg wire is big, thick, stranded, and hard to work with, a cheap automotive crimper won't work as the tool breaks before the crimp is made) that for small wire.Look on YouTube at a few videos there are thousands.  Just DO NOT DIRECTLY CONNECT 8AWG TO THE BREAKER TERMINALS, YOU'LL GET A "hot" spot and the magic smoke might come out

My plan is to replace my 10 gauge wire with a 6 gauge, it will be one unit of a positive and negative that will run all the way back to the battery. I don't have the MK battery box yet so do I still need a circuit breaker or can I just take the wires and directly connect them to the battery with terminal rings for now? 

22 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Dunno about the head - haven't opened my Endura 30 to look...might just be screw connectors that the bare wire goes into, might be some kind of plug-in connector.

 

If you got the Power Center Box - you've got a 50amp breaker already...if you want to upgrade that to a 60amp, then put it in on the positive line as close to either the battery or TM as possible and bypass the built-in breaker on the box.

My wire connectors in the head look like this they sell these at lowes home depot etc I think. Do I need a specific size for the 6 gauge wire? 

[MN Fisher]

12 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

My wire connectors in the head look like this they sell these at lowes home depot etc I think. Do I need a specific size for the 6 gauge wire? 

Male-female connectors like those have two sizes on them

1: The width of the 'spade/receptor' - usually .250" - measure to be sure

2: Wire size that will fit the crimp end - usually a range when it's smaller wire sizes - may be a single size for 6 gauge.

 

[newbiedmv]

Oh, goto the hardware store and buy crimp on butt and ring connectors, get 5 more of each than you'll need. Spend the extra money and get a heavy duty crimper. Heavier tool than the little crimper (8 awg wire is big, thick, stranded, and hard to work with, a cheap automotive crimper won't work as the tool breaks before the crimp is made) that for small wire.Look on YouTube at a few videos there are thousands.  Just DO NOT DIRECTLY CONNECT 8AWG TO THE BREAKER TERMINALS, YOU'LL GET A "hot" spot and the magic smoke might come out

[newbiedmv]

I saw the post on 6 awg wire. I also had that idea, went out and bought 20 feet. Worst idea of my life. One couldn't run it through the existing system, two way to thick to bend, and 3 i.possible to crimp down to the needed size. There are wires out there that are fine stranded but are hard to find. Mostly high power car audio places have them.

In any case 20 foot 6 awg $50.00 plus shipping.

Oh turned out I had 8 awg already installed. look up the resistance then use voltagedrop =  max current x( resitance/ foot x length). The max current is in the manual or the internet. Oh do the parentheses part first. Total volts at motor =battery voltage- voltage drop.ex @56 amps and 24volts and 14 feet. I will loose 0.5 volts through the wires.

Same loss with a 12v system, just a bit more of a percentage

[TriStateBassin106]

1 hour ago, newbiedmv said:

I saw the post on 6 awg wire. I also had that idea, went out and bought 20 feet. Worst idea of my life. One couldn't run it through the existing system, two way to thick to bend, and 3 i.possible to crimp down to the needed size. There are wires out there that are fine stranded but are hard to find. Mostly high power car audio places have them.

In any case 20 foot 6 awg $50.00 plus shipping.

Oh turned out I had 8 awg already installed. look up the resistance then use voltagedrop =  max current x( resitance/ foot x length). The max current is in the manual or the internet. Oh do the parentheses part first. Total volts at motor =battery voltage- voltage drop.ex @56 amps and 24volts and 14 feet. I will loose 0.5 volts through the wires.

Same loss with a 12v system, just a bit more of a percentage

Yeah I mean I just need 9 feet of wire to run back to my plastic pontoon boat. I'm not going crazy with wiring, just something that can connect the back to the front. 

[TriStateBassin106]

2 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Male-female connectors like those have two sizes on them

1: The width of the 'spade/receptor' - usually .250" - measure to be sure

2: Wire size that will fit the crimp end - usually a range when it's smaller wire sizes - may be a single size for 6 gauge.

 

I can't really find any 6 gauge female connectors, most I see online are listed up to 10 AWG. Is there any connectors good for 8 gauge? 

[MN Fisher]

16 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

I can't really find any 6 gauge female connectors, most I see online are listed up to 10 AWG. Is there any connectors good for 8 gauge? 

8 Gauge female spade disconnects

https://www.amazon.com/Insulated-Disconnect-Electrical-Connector-Terminal/dp/B08451M1RC/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&qid=1624042536&refinements=p_n_feature_four_browse-bin%3A18945766011&s=industrial&sr=1-3

[newbiedmv]

At a 30 amp draw which is more than expected  with 8 awg, you will loose 0.173V approximately. Which is about 1% of a 12 V system,

 

with 6AWg you'll loose 0.1066 Volts. The difference is negligible but if your willing to fight the wire go for it. It's a pain

[TriStateBassin106]

41 minutes ago, newbiedmv said:

At a 30 amp draw which is more than expected  with 8 awg, you will loose 0.173V approximately. Which is about 1% of a 12 V system,

 

with 6AWg you'll loose 0.1066 Volts. The difference is negligible but if your willing to fight the wire go for it. It's a pain

Fight the wire? I'm not snaking it through my boat. It's a plastic pontoon boat, if anything it will go below my yoga mat flooring I have in it. The boat has a ribbed floor so the wires should sit nicely. Also my battery is 100AMPs. 

[txchaser]

11 hours ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

Any links to this? 

https://www.amazon.com/Newport-Vessels-Trolling-Battery-Extension/dp/B079M15G7H/ref=sr_1_2?crid=II8MF0OC5UCF&dchild=1&keywords=trolling+motor+wire+extension+kit&qid=1624072179&sprefix=trolling+motor+wire+%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-2

11 hours ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

On 6/17/2021 at 12:42 PM, MN Fisher said:

 

My wire connectors in the head look like this they sell these at lowes home depot etc I think.

Not an electrician, but I'm not a fan of those spade connectors for high-draw applications. The kit came with bolts that fit the rings so I could put that connection on serious lock-down, tape it up, tape it again with duct tape.

[Alex from GA]

I've always bought an inexpensive set of 6 ga jumper cables plus a breaker.  Soldered and covered with shrink tubing and silicone.  Cut and splice close to the head.