Possible trolling motor interference

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Douglasdzaster

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Joined
Sep 19, 2020
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Location
Smithville,Texas
LOCATION
Smithville, Texas
Hi everyone, I thought I’d start a separate conversation on this one.
During my rebuild I’m moving the trolling motor battery from bow to stern with 4awg wire.
This battery is dedicated to trolling motor only. How ever the wires will be running along side of the fish finder , lights etc wires all on another battery. I’ve never had a problem with interference.
Will the wires running along side each other in separate looms make the Minkota cause interference with the fish finder?
Thanks for any wisdom shared!
 
Should not cause any problems. It would be a failure of a part to cause a problem on the screen picture.

If you connect the + and - wires to he instrument + and - points ? Good to go. DO NOT cut off the fuse in the power lead !!! Use it
 
Thanks cyclops2 and airshot. Again I was getting conflicting information on the internet. One would say it’s fine since It has its own battery. Another said (Catfish edge) to run trolling motor wires on the opposite side of the boat. They also recommended keep the Fish finder on its own inline fuse and don’t run to a switch panel go straight to the battery. That’s the way I have it now but I’m installing a 6 gang switch panel and was going to put the fish finder on it. I can easily leave it the way it is though and run everything else through the panel. Right now everything has sae connectors (plug and play) On a sla battery 18ah. I’ve fished all day and never had voltage drop. The fish finder only pulles .5 amps per hour. Ive only run the lights for about an hour at the most though and I’m going to start night fishing. Everything is led. I’m going to find out the first night if I need a bigger battery if I have to switch the power to the trolling battery to get to the ramp. 😂
Thanks again.
 
I would also think you should be good. Wire seperaton, ferrite chokes, and separate batteries are common ways to prevent emi. Most transducer wires are shielded.

I have attached MG recommendations from their manual.
 

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I had this happen only once, many years ago, where the FF was in the bow with the TM, and it tied directly to the battery up there. Every time I ran the trolling motor, my screen blanked out. I tried several things, but I eventually ran a wire from my main battery to the fishfinder and problem went away. I have never had that kind of problem again.

That was an old, 5-speed tiller trolling motor. I'm sure it was that particular motor. I've had numerous bow-setups since with zero issues.
 
I run the wires together on the port side of my 1236 TM battery at stern adjacent to rear bench with 4ga. and winch disconnects. The sonars are fused and connected to a 55aph solar battery, no problem 😊
 

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