What gauge wire to run from battery to TM, Motorguide 43lb foot control??
Thanks,
Bassky
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What gauge wire to run from battery to TM, Motorguide 43lb foot control??
Thanks,
Bassky
i would use 6 gauge. you might get by with 8 but i would not go any smaller than that. you can get 6 gauge stranded THHN at lowe's. i just bought some last week for a boat i am working on. i bought 3 strands for a 24 volt system .3 pieces 25 ft long was $45. so you should be able to get 2 strands for $30 or so. some people say you can use 10 gauge because that is what most trolling motors are wired with. but remember that is a very short run of wire. the long the run the larger you should go. i hope this helps. if you have any questions just pm me. i have wired probably hundreds of trolling motors through the years and rewired close to that many boats.
Thanks for the info. My boat is a 16' hydrasport BB, one battery 12V system, located in the back by the motor. I currently have a minnkota 33lbs thrust tm and I just want to be sure I have the right size wire for the new one.
Thanks,
Bassky
Technically, 8 would be fine on a 12V for only 16'. However, the cost difference in the 6 is insignificant if you had to tear it out and redo for 24V later. Go with the 6.
Wannabe...
also add a 50amp breaker at the Battery
What he said!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Wannabe...
Marine wire is tinned,Wire from lowe's is not. Big difference
true there is a big difference but the thhn from lowe's will work just fine. i have used it for years. it is not as soft but once you get it in the hull and connected it works just fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by ausable riverboat
Not trying to start anything here. But Ohms law says the greater the voltage, the less the amps on the same load. So that means if 8 works on 12vdc it will also work for 24vdc unless you change the load. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wannabe...
Go with 6 and forget about it.
Also remember that on most Minn Kota motors, Minn Kota requires 6 gauge and a 50 amp fuse/circuit breaker or the warranty is voided. Not sure what Motor Guides requires. I personally feel that the 8 gauge would work fine, but for the small amount of $$ that is involved versus a voided warranty, I went with 6 gauge.
If you need really flexible cable, pick up some 6 AWG or larger welding lead from your local welding supply house. They can also provide copper terminals to fit the battery posts and the TM leads. This stuff is very flexible and a little smaller for it's current rating due to the way it's built. Insulation is tough and will be rated higher than anything a fishing boat will have. This along with a 60 amp circuit breaker and you won't ever need to re-do it. :)
You have to look at it like this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fisherman_Wantabe
12V on a 10 ohm load = 1.2 amps
24V on a 10 ohm load = 2.4 amps
Go with the larger gauge wire.
Don't have the time to get into motor formulas, but go look at any multi-voltage motor face plate and you will see the higher the voltage the lower the amps. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Ridge Brewer
volts X amps = watts 12volts X 1amp = 12 watts
Use the biggest gauge you can and you'll lose less power to resistance from the wire.
That's what I did; worked well. One question: why couldn't you use a long heavy-duty set of battery jumper cables for trolling motor wiring?Quote:
Originally Posted by luvin.fishin