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  1. JimS123

    Fishfinder help...

    My current 2 boats each have a Chirp sonar / plotter and both cost over $1000 each. I will admit that the screens are a few inches bigger than I had in the past, and the side imaging is great, but if I want to find fish I go to the "Fish Finder" screen. My last fishing boat was a little tinny...
  2. JimS123

    AOL Broken

    Here's a late model follow-up..... Its working again. Did y'all do something on your end, because nuthin happened on mine?
  3. JimS123

    Outboard Painting

    There are differences among different products. The degree of harmfulness varies. Rattle can paint is harmful. It can cause skin or lung irritation, etc. However, it is not an acute toxin. Chromate is a known carcinogen. In some localities it is not even allowed to be sold.
  4. JimS123

    Outboard Painting

    Zinc as a mineral is beneficial to the human body. Just like the mineral Sodium. The problem occurs when the mineral is chemically combined with other elements and the new compound is toxic or harmful. It's the chromate and chloride versions that we need to be aware of.
  5. JimS123

    Considering New Boat

    Don't discount Bayliner. Their new boats are actually pretty nice. Not what you remember from the 1980's. I live in a major boating area. 15 Mercury Dealers, 1 Tohatsu, 1 Yamaha. Guess which brand I own? Kidding aside, I think Mercuries are the best anyway, but nothing wrong with a Suzy if...
  6. JimS123

    Outboard Painting

    Its a substitute. Whether its good or not is subject to debate. I find it to be "acceptable", but its durability isn't as good. You get what you pay for. OTOH, the zinc is highly toxic, so if you do use it be careful and wear proper PPE.
  7. JimS123

    Adding kicker motor to a Lowe FS 175

    I just measured my Merc 3.5 4-stroke and the clamp discs extend just 2.5 inches below the transom cap. So, if the 9.9 is the same you can probably mount it with no add-ons. At worst, maybe just put a 1/4" shim in the transom cap under the motor. You will still have to temporarily remove the...
  8. JimS123

    Adding kicker motor to a Lowe FS 175

    Here's a second best option. In this case the transom wasn't flat so a riser wasn't an option. A fixed mount Panther IMHO is a far better choice than a retractable bracket.
  9. JimS123

    Adding kicker motor to a Lowe FS 175

    I'm not into drawing blueprints any more, so just bear with me. My old transom mounted kicker boats are long gone so no pics. I don't know what dimensions you will need, so lets make some assumptions. Let's just say your transom is 2" thick and sticks up 3". You want to raise the transom up...
  10. JimS123

    This Combo is Good For ?

    Oops - forgot to take the plug out. The repairs would exceed the value of the boat. Due to the circumstances, I would guess an insurance claim would be in order, and let them handle the disposal.
  11. JimS123

    Suggestions for replacement floor covering

    That's great stuff. Waterprrof, soft on the feet, doesn't get hot in the sun, easy to clean. The bad part - extreme durability. You need to wear soft shoes, don't drop sharp stuff on it, and whatever you do don't take a dog along. Toe nails will tear it up.
  12. JimS123

    Adding kicker motor to a Lowe FS 175

    You have to drill even if the 2 1/2" is enough. Don't ever rely on clamps. They are intended to keep a little 9.9 on, but may not be good enough to withstand the stresses of that big guy sitting next to it. (OK, OK, everybody and their brother just clamps on and it is just fine. Well, are ya...
  13. JimS123

    Charging voltage drop with diode isolator

    The "battery chargers" that I have are all 120 volts. Its the kinda thing you have in your basement so you can charge your boat and tractor batteries in the Winter. "Smart" merely means that it is 3-stage and it varies the voltage according to the state of the battery. I have seen bass boats...
  14. JimS123

    Charging voltage drop with diode isolator

    I believe a fully charged lead acid battery should read 12.6-12.7 volts. An AGM is maybe a couple tenths higher. A Smart Charger bulk charge on a depleted battery will run as high as 14.2 or so volts, but once its near full it will reduce to the float voltage of about 13.2-13.5 volts. A car...
  15. JimS123

    Charging voltage drop with diode isolator

    Batteries are best charged with a 3-stage Smart Charger. The "juice" is varied according to what the battery needs. There are different settings for wet cell, AGM and gel batteries. Engine alternators are more "maintainers" than anything else. If you want to charge on the hook, get a Smart...
  16. JimS123

    Considering New Boat

    I thought the OP was looking at newer boats. At that price point they couldn't have been more than a year or 2 old.
  17. JimS123

    Considering New Boat

    The 3.0 was dropped when GM stopped making them. The 4.5 Mercury built I/O is the smallest in production now.
  18. JimS123

    Tree Shade Commercial Boaters.-

    Same up here. Dealers with past experience and good knowledge are few and far between. Online vendors (like here) sell the entire selection of props, so getting the right one isn't an issue. If you do it right away the factory prop can be sold on EBay, thus minimizing the extra cost factor.
  19. JimS123

    What pitch prop for Carolina Skiff J14 with Yamaha15 2 stoke?

    A real boat - like a fiberglass or aluminum runabout with a relatively high HP motor - has literally dozens of prop styles and sizes to chose from. It's fun to optimize and get her running optimally. A toy boat - like a little fishing boat with a little clamp on outboard - has maybe 3 props to...
  20. JimS123

    Leaving I/O in water all year round?

    Water leaks in thru seals and bellows. They need to be replaced periodically as preventative maintenance. They are expensive to maintain. The experts say replace every few years. If you miss a replacement and the leak happens the cost is even higher. My trailer boat had the job done about...
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