electric steer or cable

[BIGcarpy50]

I have been looking for a bowmount trolling motor, and i see both the older style cable steer, and the new electric sterr style...what are the pros vs cons of each..

 

[Silvertip]

Re: electric steer or cable

Cable steer is a little more positive and real bulky to remove if you use a quick release bracket. Electric steer units have a much smaller footprint for mounting. They generally have maximizer circuitry which allows much longer run time at slower speeds than motors that don't have that feature. Corded and cordless remotes are also available so you can operate the motor from anywhere in the boat. With a cable steer you must operate the motor where the foot pedal is.

 

[BIGcarpy50]

Re: electric steer or cable

have you heard anything about the response lag with the electric steer vs cable

 

[Silvertip]

Re: electric steer or cable

I've used earlier MinnKota Power Drives and I have a MinnKota Power Drive V2 on my pontoon. I'm perfectly happy with it. I also had a cable steer on an earlier boat. It worked well but I prefer electric steer. you may be surprised to know that your car for example may not have a physical connection from the accelerator to the fuel injection system. That mechanical linkage has been replaced with an all electronic "fly by wire" system. So no -- lag is not an issue as this is an exact duplication of the example I just gave. I have not owned a wireless motor but I have used them and there is just a tad delay. You push a button, the radio needs to interpret which button you pressed, send a signal to the motor where it is interpreted again, and then turned into a command for the motor and or steering system which reacts accordingly. It is quick, but not quite as quick as a wired system. Very convenient however as you can move about anywhere on the boat and not have cords or cables to contend with. More to go wrong of course.

 

[Splat]

Re: electric steer or cable

The fly by wire is so coooooool!!!! My buddy has it on his new Honda. Can't even tell it's there really.

I use a Terrova55 with the autopilot and the Co-pilot system. I love it. The total time for the head to rotate 360 degrees I would estimate to be somewhere around 5-8 seconds, so it's pretty quick, and if you just tap the pedal you'll get a 1 degree increment of movement. There is no noticeable lag between contact of the switch, and movement of the head. I thought about taking a video of this and posting it somewhere, when I was researching these, my biggest apprehension was how the steering worked, both in speed and response.

The autopilot feature is super nice with a electric steer, it's worth the few extra dollars. I keep mine turned on almost all the time, it's just point and shoot. Point the motor where you want the boat to go and that's it. It'll maintain course through some rough water and against wind. The only time I turn it off is when I'm in real chop, like out in Lake Erie with some good swells. When the boat pitches the sensor in the trolling motor senses a change in the earths magnetism and constantly corrects back and forth.

The electric steers make a bit more noise, however with fishing with both cable and electric I haven't noticed any appreciable difference in the amount of fish I catch.

Some will say electrics wear down your batteries faster, again I haven't noticed any real difference. The maximizer more than makes up for the power draw of the additional steering motor. I can fish an all electric lake with my terrova 55, with a group 27 deep cycle that's from 2001 for about 3 hours with heavy use before I start to head back in.

The co pilot feature is nice as well. I use mine more than the foot pedal anymore. it's just so easy to push the button clipped on the rod, then balance on one foot to steer the boat. Plus you can walk around the boat and still have control over all the features of the motor.

I hope that all made sense. It's late and I'm tired and rambling a little, plus I'm frustrated, we got like 4 inches of snow here in Ohio today, ALL I WANT TO DO IS GO FISHING!!!!!!!!!!

Bill

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: electric steer or cable

i have the Motor Guide WP 45, will never go back to any cable steer. this one is on it's 3rd boat. they are more $$, but being able to control from any where on the boat is fantastic. i use the key fob control. it is on a 20 ft Pontoon now. unplug, and loosen one nut and it is off the boat.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Re: electric steer or cable

One of the big cons to the cable stear (for me) is that they tangle fly lines (constantly.) Foot controlled remotes are better but not by much. ( Been there-Done that.) Both require some learning curve to become/stay proficient in their controls. Personally, I still prefer the hand controlled type for bow and stern mount. IMHO, they have the most intuitive and most reliable controls. They also offer the most snag free design and allow me two firm feet on the deck in rough water. As a side benifit, they are considerably cheaper to buy up front too.
Not saying it's the right motor for you but these are points worth considering depending on your intended use.