Golden Channels provides education to fishers and boat owners about more effective use of electronic technology.
Many anglers are surprised when we show them how to unlock features in their electronics, engines, or boats that they were not aware of. Often, there are much better ways to use engines, trolling motors, fish finders, and the data being provided by these systems than are originally provided by the boat manufacturer, dealers, or electronics companies.
We are a highly experienced group of fishers with backgrounds in electronics, electrical engineering and communications.
We are also working to help people who are "do it yourselfers" to do a more professional, and more safe, installation when trying to do this on their own. We want everyone to have fun and be safe out there.
We will provide information on basic electrical, trolling motor installation, battery care and choices, fishfinder and motor integration using the NMEA networking standard.
Most outboards will show RPM, Engine Hours, Oil Pressure, Engine Temperature, Fuel Burn rate, and Alternator Voltage. Yamahas and Suzukis will display trim, if you like, as well.
Thank you for a great instructional video. I see you have a specific kit for the Humminbird Helix. I have a Yamaha FX150 (2020) and a Solix 10 G3. Has the NMEA plug in back. Will the Helix kit work for this setup? Assume that kit has everything I need including a 5 amp fuse on power cable. Just one question: I have a 22 foot center console bay boat. Do most people install the NMEA backbone inside the console, or inside the stern hatches with the engine and accessory batteries? If console, I’d just need a long cable for the engine lead and short ones for Solix. If in stern, I’d need a short Yamaha lead and long Solix cable. Thanks!
I am curious about the weight difference between 12v and 24v gps trolling motor. The reason for smaller boats to choose 12v motor is because we want to minimize weight for easier transportation. Any data on that would be great!
The batteries required far outweigh the weight of the trolling motor. I guess that is why you don't find much data on it. If you have a 12V trolling motor that does not have the large coiled cord running from top to bottom then you have significant savings in power loss due to wiring. If you only need the thrust of a 12V, and can use one that is constructed like this, it would be an excellent choice.
But won't the cables be sized appropriately for the voltage, so thicker cables for 12V. Then the voltage drop won't happen because the resistance is less for thicker cables.
True/ Kind of... The issue is that a 60" shaft Powerdrive has about 110 feet of wire inside it. And that Minnkota internal wiring gets in the way no matter how much you spend on your wiring to the battery.
"Motors run on power. They run on voltage and current and all that kind of stuff, but power is the important thing." Seems 24V has only advantages and regardless of the wiring details you always get N times more efficient package. Obviously most of us need 12V system in the boat, therefore you end up having 2 separate systems or spend money on system that deals with charging both systems appropriately. And what are these lead-acid batteries you talk about?
I have a key largo 160 that’s weighs about 1500 loaded I fish saltwater bays, and inlets could I get away with a 12v 55lb thrust ? I plan to only use the spot lock feature any advice would be greatly appreciated
Hi Eric Just watched your talk on 24v vs 12v system and found it very informative. The reason I watched it was that I tried to convert my 2hp petrol to a 24v electric with a motor I acquired but unfortunately the motor was defective and couldn’t handle it. Anyway I am now looking for a trolling outboard for my dinghy but have a dilemma. I’m in aviation so acquired a couple of 24v sealed lead acid batteries @ 13.6 ah each but I also have a 12v lead acid @120ah. I know on the face of it the 12v has more amp hours but I also know that the 24v system would draw less amps. So eventually, here is my question, do I buy a Bison 100lbs 24v for £240 or do I buy a 65 lbs Bison for £199? I’m asking a man who knows about these things so I don’t waist my money and get it wrong. One more thing, the dinghy is used to get us from a swing mooring to the jetty 300 meters away and too and from the pub about 1/2 mile away. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Dave
I'm confused. On your website it says "Used in the 225, 250 and 300 HP models." this video shows you pointing out the plug on a 150. I was wondering if my 200 Vmax SHO has it. I don't have the boat yet so I can't check. Thanks for clarifying. As soon as I get my boat I'll be buying the kit to connect to my helix10 😁. So glad you're in Canada eh bud
Nice video! I just purchased this 6Y8 gauge set, on a new motor 2013, it has a speed pickup tube that you have the option of adding a pressure sensor that can be plugged to the harness for the 6Y8 electronic speedometer.
Thanks for your comment. Something else we do for many of our customers installing the Yamaha Speedos, 6Y8 or 6Y5, is to help them wire from the GPS signal on their MFD/Fish Finder. Many fish finder models have the wiring readily available, plus we can connect their VHF radio at the same time, if they have one. Then, their speedo displays GPS speed.
I have a 12v trolling motor that I have two batteries for. I also have a starter battery. I use a 3 bank charger to charge my batteries. If I were to connect the two trolling motor batteries to make them 24v could I still use the 3 bank charger?
Thanks for your comments and feedback. I agree that it's hard to get that membrane back in place if it dislodges. You can, very carefully, snap the semi circle retaining clips off to help with the job, and snap them back on after you've re-seated the seal. But you have to be careful. They're easy to break.
Hi, do you happen to know if Yamaha F40 FEHDL (2021) is suitable for this? I already have NMEA network and seem to have this plug, but wonder if this is limited to F50 and higher, Thansk!
Hi friend thaks for your video ,I have a Minn Kota alternator and it was connected to the starter battery. Maybe it never worked because I didn't use this engine positive?
What about in case of hobby terrain robot that's using 4 DC motors. And planning to build a 12V or 24V li-ion battery pack. In this case, which voltage level I should go for ? 12V or 24V ?
Just installed Marinco on a 196 bay reef. If you can’t access behind the receptacle, DONT BUY THIS, It’s a pain the a-. It’s on there I’ll use it till it quits, and find something better.
@goldenchannels I found the plug and connected the yamaha cable to basically extend it to the center console. There is a specific J1939 port in the back of the gps (GARMIN 943XSV ) you attach a small "pig tail" yamaha adapter cable to make the connection. Unfortunately I have no information going to the motor. I called Garmin and they said its plug and play; no settings needed to be adjusted. Not sure why its not working.
Two different protocols. J1939 isn't NMEA 2000, although they are similar and both based on Canbus. Your Outboard sends NMEA 2000 PGNs, and you need an NMEA 2000 Network.
@@ryanmtown No, you don't need the hub. We sell the exact kit you need here: goldenchannels.com/product/yamaha-lowrance-garmin-humminbird-complete-nmea-bundle/ Everything you need is there, and nothing you don't. This is the minimum cable configuration to get engine data to display on your Garmin from your Yamaha outboard.
So does either a NMEA cable and/or J1939 cable attach to the plug on the engine? What about the Yamaha multi bus port? Can the cables attach to that instead? I have a Garmin 1243xsv, and im looking for the easiest solution. I dont have a NMEA backbone at all.
Yes, either an Yamaha Specific NMEA cable or the Yamaha Command Link cables to their Command Link gateway will connect and communicate. We also make a cable bundle that gives you a cost effective complete cable network that is custom designed for your fish finder: goldenchannels.com/product/yamaha-lowrance-garmin-humminbird-complete-nmea-bundle/ Hope this helps.
I have a 12 volt MinnKota PowerDrive with iPilot that works great. I fish for two or three hours at a time at low power settings in a 16' aluminum skiff. Based on the 3 hours or less that it takes to recharge, my 85 Amp/hour battery is using less that 40% of it's capacity per fishing session. It goes back on the charger as soon as I get back to the dock. There is little reason for me to add another battery or two as well as a more expensive 24/36 volt charger. I'm sure that 24/36 volt motors have some significant advantages but they would be of little or no benefit to me.
I absolutely agree! 12V systems have less technical issues to overcome. Chargers and charging systems are simplified, due to the 12V design being more common, and if you want, you can charge with a standard isolator like you are doing. What's more, if you are a good shopper, you might find a 55 lb 12V Powerdrive at a boat dealer as a "take off". That is how I bought mine. Thanks for your comment!
@@GoldenChannels Thanks! I got my 55lb, PowerDrive with iPilot from a MinnKota dealer as a factory reconditioned unit for $1,050 including shipping. It looks new to me and was $300 less than a new one (if I could find one in stock.)
Hi Michael. We are slowly building a library of videos for various outboard types. The engine connection on a Yamaha similar to mine is shown here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6Qfis-mVrWo.html More will follow as they come available. Thanks.
Hi Michael. This video assumes that you already have an NMEA 2000 Network. We also have a video for the NMEA 2000 Network install here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FfsERsXfp1o.html
Hi Justin. We have a complete bundle for that. The two cables bundles you need are here: goldenchannels.com/product/yamaha-humminbird-helix-nmea-bundle/ and goldenchannels.com/product/humminbird-helix-g4n-nmea-2000-cable/ Those will give you a complete setup for your boat.
@@justinabbott1155 Lowrance HDS series has always supported NMEA 2000, and we have a kit specific for it and the Yamaha. Only one item to buy: goldenchannels.com/product/yamaha-lowrance-garmin-humminbird-complete-nmea-bundle/ Everything you need is in this bundle for your Lowrance HDS and Yamaha Outboard.
@@justinabbott1155 Trim can be changed between reading on an analog gauge (if you have one now) or trim data can be send over NMEA 2000. You need to move a wire inside to do this. It is a single conductor pink wire with two choices of single conductor connections. Fuel Consumption is given on your fish finder, but if you want fuel tank level, that is another device. But most guys update their fish finder settings for fuel tank capacity, and tell the fish finder when they fill up, then it can calculate distance to empty very accurately.
Thanks for your video! I'm still struggling to decide which transom mount trolling motor to choose. I have a 12ft fiberglass old sears gamefisher rowboat (Semi-V Hull) which I'd estimate it weighs about 200-250lbs. Going to be used as primary power for small lakes. Fully loaded with fishing gear, 2 young kids, my wife, and myself I'd estimate total weight with boat around 800lbs. I was going to order a Newport Vessels NV 62lb thrust 12v trolling motor. (I already have a group 27 12V marine deep cycle lead acid battery thats new) Do you think this setup will sufficient? Or should I bump up to a 24V system like a NV 86? I cant afford a LiPO4 battery and didnt really want to lug around a second 12v battery. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your comments. Glad to help. It is very difficult to find good answers on line for this kind of question. This is due to a number of variables that come into the equation. Things like hull design, weight, and trolling motor thrust all come into what can be expected for speed. My boat weighs about 2,500 lbs. Our 150 HP outboard will push it along at a maximum speed of around 50 mph. When trolling, our 55 lb 12V powerdrive trolling motor gets us to a top speed of 2.1 mph. This suits our needs. I generally troll around 1.5 mph, and keeping everything on a 12V system makes charging easy. My only recommendation for you would be a slightly larger group 29 battery. They will give you quite a bit more run time with only slightly more weight. I would expect somewhere around 2.5 to 3 mph to speed from the setup you are describing. It should definitely be sufficient for trolling.
Sorry if somehow an incorrect number is out there. I'm in the office. If you send me an email at sales@goldenchannels.com with how to get hold of you, I can call you right back.
I hope you still check this post and can answer a question about using 2 12v batteries wired in series. I have a Kayak and want to add a Newport Vessels NK180 24v trolling motor. My plan is to use 2 12v 100ah lithium ion batteries since they are now small and light enough for use in a kayak. The motor will be within 3 feet of the battery storage location and draws approx 460 watts at full power. I was planning to use 8ga wires and 60 amp fuse, and charge seperately. Any recommendations or precautions I should be aware of? will any connector rated for 8ga wire and 24v be safe? I plan to use the Li Time 12v 100ah MINI @1200watts, weighs 19 lbs and is super compact. Thank you
Hi Robbie. Sounds like a great setup for a kayak. My first comment would be that the Trolling Motor Manufacturer should have a "rigging guide" that would contain their wiring suggestions for each model of trolling motor. This would specify the AWG size versus length. On our website, we have a power loss calculator for Minnkota and MotorGuide models, but not for your brand. Calculations may or may not hold true, depending on the wire using internally in your trolling motor. goldenchannels.com/electric-trolling-motor-power-loss-calculator/ The calculations and data provided on this calculator are based on the two manufacturers rigging guides. My second point would be to choose your connectors wisely. We got out of this business because it was so competitive, but still have some reviews here. If you connections get wet, use connectors that have some moisture protection. None are actually "waterproof". I do not currently think that any one manufacturer has a perfect solution. Lastly, check forums about discussion with Lithium with your particular motor, and see if anyone has run into issues with them delivering too much power to the motor when cranked wide open. There are some folks saying the lithiums are not recommended at over 80% speed, because they will deliver more power under load that traditional lead acid batteries. We can help you with well built wiring, but like I said, we're out of the connector game. Hope that helps. Eric.
@@GoldenChannels Thank you for the quick and informative answer.....I really appreciate it. Newport has been very hard for me to communicate with but I will try again for wiring specs and general info. A lot of kayakers are using the lithium ion batteries in series, most using two 12v 50ah, with no problems that I am aware of. I want the security to fish the I C W, many places being a mile or more from the launch site, and I am too old to want to paddle back in an emergency. For a connector, I am looking at a 70a rated marine type that can use 6-8ga wire. its BIG but well reviewed. Thanks again. It is nice to find a true gentleman these days
@@GoldenChannels I found a couple of your other videos, good stuff. I already had the Marineco connector on my list and the charts that you suggested make me feel that I will be O K with the installation as planned. Again, I appreciate the efforts you have made to help those of us who need it.
@@robbierobinson6312 I'm a fan of the newer 70A plug shown in our trolling motor plug installation video. It's what I have in my boat, and it works for me.
I currently have 6y8 gauges that I purchased used for my 2014 115hp the gauges came with a orange wire that clips on to motor and has a black and yellow wire bullet connector then as it goes down it hooks up to tac gauge and speed gauge and now on the second connection on fuel gauge I have one white - and blue + 1pink 1pink with black and 2 black not sure what to do here I guess I hook up the black and yellow to ignition bullet connections and the second connection with all the pink and black wires I’m assuming I don’t need unless I have a fuel tank connection . And I’m assuming if I have the harness hooked up to the motor I can’t hook up the Nema connection from motor because the harness for the gauge is currently in use so it’s one or the other
Excellent video, your very knowledgeable. I upgraded my 12v 45 lb MinnKota to (2) Lithium 100ah batteries hoping to improve runtime fishing in 3-5 mph current. Could I expect to gain more runtime running a 24v 70 lb trolling motor system?
Thanks, Keith! Short answer is yes. Exactly how much depends on the AWG of your power wire, and the length to the battery, however, the most significant reason it will be more efficient is there will be a lot less % of power loss in the trolling motor itself at 24V. 5% minimum advantage, but could be as high as 20%
Hi Jim. Things have been a bit too busy to get around to the upgrade, but I can let you know that this is only available for very specific models of motors. The main issue is the sizes of the armature and magnet carrier. The 55 lb to 70 upgrade works, but I have not checked other models. Sorry I couldn't help more.
@@GoldenChannels Eric, Thank you for responding. I have learned so much watching your videos on Trolling Motors, Batteries, Wiring, and more. I really appreciate & enjoy your commentary, insights, and examples. Keep up the good work.
