Watersnake/Hobie Compass Build

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Do you have another link Ebay link is dead.  What is PWM?
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I think you can use this.

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Adjustable-Controller-Reversible-Potentiometer/dp/B07Q2J523H

I think you can use this.

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Adjustable-Controller-Reversible-Potentiometer/dp/B07Q2J523H
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Thank you very much.

■ Battery
Trolling Motor: JB powertec's GMS-90A (Li-ion 14.4V(4S), 91Ah /1,310Wh)

Bringing this old post back.. where were you able to purchase that battery? JB Powertec website looks that they are overseas: http://m.jbpowertec.com/

Do you have another link Ebay link is dead.  What is PWM?

Sorry I never saw this question. Here's a link to the same PWM I embedded in the motor. I did not use their enclosure box, just used the PWM.
https://tinyurl.com/2p8cvwhc

I'm reviving this thread because I'm in a similar boat (pun intended) as the OP. I ride a Compass too. And I want a motorized option (electric not gas). I still want to pedal part-time but I also want a little help from a motor getting back to the launch against the tide, and for some salmon trolling, which is getting to be too much for me for very long at the proper speeds. It doesn't need to be fast but hopefully it is simple and cost effective to install, own and operate.

I'm thinking of copying Jimmy's setup. The Watersnake 24# is less than $150 (as is the Newport 36#). The WS weighs only 5# and the motor itself gets good reviews. Apparently, the WS side kayak mount is crap, which I would address either with a cassette installation like Jimmy's, or a PVC rodholder setup, or a Railblaza side kayak mount. (I don't want a rear transom mount.) Some of the other electric motors discussed on these boards like Bixpy (Engineering123 and others), Newport 180 (Plug-n-Jug and others) and Minn Kota (Sailfish and others) are much, much more expensive, yet some here apparently believe those are better values. Am I "missing the boat" here? Is it the PWM issue (which to be honest I don't yet understand) the disadvantage of the WS?

Thank you guys for any advice. This board is the best!

 

I use a Watersnake T24S which is salt water rated. All traditional electric trolling motors have multiple speeds. Instead of reducing the amount of electricity to go slower they burn the same amount but throw some of it away so the electricity is wasted. A PWM cycles the electricity on and off very quickly. The slower you want to go the more off time the motor gets. This way you only use the amount of electricity you need and the rest is saved. I have 2 20ah lithium batteries which last all day trolling my Wilderness Radar 135.

OMG I'm losing it. A little over two years ago, I asked nearly the same question here:https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=99288.0.

Maethlin had some good answers.

I'm reviving this thread because I'm in a similar boat (pun intended) as the OP. I ride a Compass too. And I want a motorized option (electric not gas). I still want to pedal part-time but I also want a little help from a motor getting back to the launch against the tide, and for some salmon trolling, which is getting to be too much for me for very long at the proper speeds. It doesn't need to be fast but hopefully it is simple and cost effective to install, own and operate.

I'm thinking of copying Jimmy's setup. The Watersnake 24# is less than $150 (as is the Newport 36#). The WS weighs only 5# and the motor itself gets good reviews. Apparently, the WS side kayak mount is crap, which I would address either with a cassette installation like Jimmy's, or a PVC rodholder setup, or a Railblaza side kayak mount. (I don't want a rear transom mount.) Some of the other electric motors discussed on these boards like Bixpy (Engineering123 and others), Newport 180 (Plug-n-Jug and others) and Minn Kota (Sailfish and others) are much, much more expensive, yet some here apparently believe those are better values. Am I "missing the boat" here? Is it the PWM issue (which to be honest I don't yet understand) the disadvantage of the WS?

Thank you guys for any advice. This board is the best!

My .02...
if you choose the watersnake option, you will want a PWM or you'll be forced to get a large battery to power you through a full day. The PWM build isn't crazy expensive, but it will add costs which will vary depending on how fancy of a PWM you use. Lots of good threads on the build options you can search here or on youtube.

Same would be true if you went with a Newport or other electric trolling motor option that does not come with its own power management system. I went through this whole process not too long ago. I do have a homemade outrigger/trampoline setup for a side mounted Newport 36lb motor, but I went with a cassette mount for my watersnake motor. I also diud build the PWM and find its well worth the trouble and investment

Side-mounting obviously allows you to use your mirage drive in tandem with then engine, which is nice. Without an outrigger however, the balance issue discouraged me from going that route. Keep reading threads here and check out some of the builds others have done before you decide and start purchasing stuff. theres quite a range of options to suite your individual needs and budget.

Thank you, Sea-Bree. I re-read some of your and others' older posts and I think I now have a rudimentary understanding of what PWM does. The concept didn't make it through my thick skull on first read. If I had unlimited time, I think buying a motor and a battery, and figuring out how to rig it up and add PWN /ESC, would be a fun project. But I don't have unlimited time, so I am now rehearsing my answers when my wife sees the Bixpy charges on the credit card. Kayak fishing is a daaangerous sport!

Reminder to those thinking about bixpy: Engineering123 scored a 5% coupon for all NCKA members. It's somewhere in the archives here.