Here's a teaser for you!

[fredeboy]

Bob That is awesome!!

[BobG]

OK, so it's installed!

Here it is retracted, tucked up under the belly:

20140505_070821.jpg (77.04 KiB) Viewed 6899 times

And here it is extended. Note that the motor ends up below the bottom of the toons:

20140505_070941.jpg (86.57 KiB) Viewed 6898 times

[cwag911]

Nice job Bob !

[smoker62]

What kind of controls are you using ? How do you know when it is turned correctly for retraction ? Is the accuator strong enough to hold it up with repeated bouncing on the rough water ? No I am not copying your design , I am not that ambitious .

[curtiscapk]

that looks awesome! So its fixed in that position and you use forward or reverse for left and right??? Next freaking millioniare!

[Waterlogged]

Does it clear the guide ons when you launch or retrieve? It just looks very close. Either way, nice work.

Glenn

[smoker62]

that looks awesome! So its fixed in that position and you use forward or reverse for left and right??? Next freaking millioniare!

My trolling motors never had a reverse, but Bob was an electrical engineer right ?

[bassn386]

You might as well get a machine shop up and running. This could be your third career!

[BobG]

Actually, I'll be moving all the guide-ons to the other gap.

The actuator is rated for 200 pounds, so I think it'll handle everything I throw at it.

[BobG]

that looks awesome! So its fixed in that position and you use forward or reverse for left and right??? Next freaking millioniare!

Interestingly, the MK55EM controller just has a knob you rotate left for reverse, through right for forward, (or maybe the other way around) so it ends up working just like a steering wheel, when mounted on the dash.

[BobG]

What kind of controls are you using ? How do you know when it is turned correctly for retraction ? Is the accuator strong enough to hold it up with repeated bouncing on the rough water ? No I am not copying your design , I am not that ambitious .

Actually, I did the whole arm control with a few headlight relays. If you shut off the main power switch to the boat, it still retracts the arm. You turn on the "Livewell" switch on the console, and it extends the arm, and enables the power to the Minn-kota motor controller. As soon as you start retracting, the Minn-kota controller is powered off, so no "spinning while retracting" issues.

[redbeard]

Nice job Bob.

[tuned]

Actually, I did the whole arm control with a few headlight relays. If you shut off the main power switch to the boat, it still retracts the arm. You turn on the "Livewell" switch on the console, and it extends the arm, and enables the power to the Minn-kota motor controller. As soon as you start retracting, the Minn-kota controller is powered off, so no "spinning while retracting" issues.

Awesome azipod Bob! Good control scheme. It oughta make a great bow thruster for parallel parking! My problem is that I have no room left for such a goody, with the Power Ladder to port and to starboard the Power Anchor and Train Horn
Hmmm. Maybe I can set up an array of Estes rocket 'thrusters'
Good to see I'm not the only mad-scientist electrician around here. I'll have to post some of my Frankenstein band gear sometime. They used to call me Inspector Gadget

[killerkernrich]

WAY Cool

[Cycleman07]

we need a video of this baby in action. Please and thank you.