I refuse to give up my Fortrex cable steer ...

[rnvinc]

So here's the story behind this idea ...

Simply put - Doug has spoiled me ...!!

He has proven to me that trolling/cranking is a very effective method of catching crappie ...and it's not as affected by wind as spider riggin ...

So I've been adding things to my boat over time to set up for cranking - you know - stronger rod holders (in side mounted applications)/crankbaits/line counter reels/crankin rod storage rack/electric steer TM ...

OH wait - back up - "electric steer" TM ...?? - I ain't givin up my cable steer TM!!!! ...

I'm a spider rigger and my cable steer TM is a part of me in having constant feedback of knowing where my boat is and which way I want it to go without thinking about it ...

With my cable steer TM - I know exactly which way my prop is facing by the angle of the foot pedal = subconsciously = without looking ...

I've been in boats spider riggin with an electric steer TM = I don't like it ... I have to physically look at the arrow on top of the electric steer TM to see which way the prop is facing before every little adjustment is made with the electric steer TM ...that's 1 Extra thing that needs constant monitoring - and I ain't got time for looking at that little arrow on top of the electric steer TM every time I need to make a boat adjustment. I'm already watching 10 rods, 2 Sonar units, removing wife's fish, designin stuff in my head (and drinking coffee) = my OCD says "there's always another way to eliminate the dilemma" -- even if I have to invent something ...

This left me in a quandary ...

I tried trolling/cranking with my Fortrex ... trolling with a cable steer TM is D-I-F-F-I-C-U-L-T ... did I stress difficult enough ...??

I tried the Troll Perfect product which allows the cable steer TM Shaft to stay where it's put by a double clamp type system on the TM Shaft. While this allowed me to Troll without my foot constantly on the pedal - it also made steering adjustments difficult and just down right un-satisfactory ...

I will eventually upgrade to the Ultrex but this just isn't in the financial near future ...

Some years back genec posted an idea he had come up with using all-thread as a linear drive mechanism to drive his cable steer foot pedal ... and I've watched cane pole's ideas using servos and linear drive shafts ...

So it was just a matter of gathering parts and setting to work how to attach all this stuff to my Fortrex foot pedal - and design the attachment points to be easily attached/detached depending on whether I'm spider riggin or crankin ...

Now, when it gets too windy to spider rig - I'm a gonna be crankin ...with my (remote control) cable steer Fortrex ...



Rickie

[Cray]

Pretty cool Rickie. Got a question, you running any kind of limit switch to limit travel down so it don't bind or up so it dosnt run out of the nut?

[rnvinc]

Pretty cool Rickie. Got a question, you running any kind of limit switch to limit travel down so it don't bind or up so it dosnt run out of the nut?

I haven't decided if I'm gonna add limit switches to the linear drive I have or buy a new linear drive with internal limit switches ....

The linear drive/motor (for pedal movement) I'm using now is a 12v power seat (adjustment) drive out of a 2000 Dodge Stratus ...

Those little 12v motors are stout, the lead screws are stainless, already have the matching lead screw nut, and I just had to invent attachment points to the Fortrex pedal and pedal base ...
-----

The drive for the Fortrex speed knob is a 12v spur gear drive at 1rpm from Servo City (.Com) ...
https://www.servocity.com/motors-act...ur-gear-motors

Rickie

[Cane Pole]

I love servo city. Bin dealing with them for years. Me pondtoon steering servo came from servo city. Awsum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another favorite pace I like is Parallax. Hey, they sell microcontrollers. My boat runs off them micros.

I love to tinker. I can move mountains without mustard seeds.

[chaunc]

I don’t know what the heck you guys are talking about with all this micron jibberish. I’m electrically challenged. But i like what you did to your TM.

[Cane Pole]

Rickie, try some level position sensors for stops. They not as accurate as micros, but hey, they cheep.

[genec]

RICKIE ,AS I SAID BEFORE ,YOU AND TOM ARE THE MAN,NOTHING GIVES MORE SATISFACTION THAN TO GET AND IDEA AND THEN MAKE IT WORK,YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.OH ,I STILL HAVE THAT TREADED DRIVE ,I GAVE MY MAXX 70 TO MY GRANDSON WHEN I GOT CANCER,WAS TOO WEAK TO USE CABLE THEN SO I GOT XI5 WITH SPOTLOCK ,A GREAT UNIT BUT I STILL WANTED THAT CABLE SO I HAVE THE ULTREX WITH CABLE AND SPOTLOCK,BEST THING SINCE SLICE BREAD

[armyman]

Rickie has yet not to amaze me! I love my cable steer also, and I use the troll-perfect, but he is spot on about the difficulty.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[rnvinc]

RICKIE ,AS I SAID BEFORE ,YOU AND TOM ARE THE MAN,NOTHING GIVES MORE SATISFACTION THAN TO GET AND IDEA AND THEN MAKE IT WORK,YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.OH ,I STILL HAVE THAT TREADED DRIVE ,I GAVE MY MAXX 70 TO MY GRANDSON WHEN I GOT CANCER,WAS TOO WEAK TO USE CABLE THEN SO I GOT XI5 WITH SPOTLOCK ,A GREAT UNIT BUT I STILL WANTED THAT CABLE SO I HAVE THE ULTREX WITH CABLE AND SPOTLOCK,BEST THING SINCE SLICE BREAD

Hey Gene ... Please post the pic of your threaded drive if you still have it ....

Other guys might be interested in your idea ...

Rickie

[genec]

RICKIE,I WILL TRY TO POST IT LATER,GOING TO CHURCH IN A LITTLE WHILE