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  1. #1
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    Water Ground on Puma 2011 with 250 Pro XS

    BCB - How can I find / inspect / test water ground on my boat?
    Also, is it connected to motor starting battery?

  2. Member
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    #2
    My apologies, but what is a "water ground"?? Been running Cats since 1990, and never heard that term.

    Please explain.

  3. BBC SPONSOR Bass Cat Boats's Avatar
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    #3
    Hmm? We think your probably wanting to know about electrolysis and usually that’s from a ground running through the water from trolling motor to outboard. The grounds should all base off the cranking battery and you should be fine.

  4. Member rocketman6965's Avatar
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    #4
    The 250 has 2 anodes. 1 under trim unit and the other under cavitation plate above prop. These are grounded through the motor to the negative side of battery. If they are "sacrificing" too quickly, you can add a through bolt a zinc plate to the transom then run a green wire lead from one of the bolts to NEGATIVE terminal on battery.

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  5. BBC SPONSOR Bass Cat Boats's Avatar
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    #5
    More important, there is a reason if there is more caustic corrosion and electrolysis. You need to find the reason.

  6. Moderator Fishysam's Avatar
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    #6
    Pretty sure this water ground question has been arising from garmin livescope/sonars. Water grounds are on large ocean going boats that have to handle a lot more electrolysis than a freshwater bass boat.
    Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089

  7. Member
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    #7
    water ground is grounding stuff to cranking battery--never use TM batteries for anything else
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  8. BBC SPONSOR Bass Cat Boats's Avatar
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    #8
    As long as everything bases off the same ground then it eliminates ground travel. The main on all electronics should base on that particular system to prevent grounding travel. The positive power travels and that’s what is happening in electrolysis. Somewhere there’s a ground elsewhere and the power (+) travels between those grounds causing the electrolysis.

    if there are multiple power systems, they must be isolated to prevent ground travel. Which is true on the factory setup.

  9. Member
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    #9
    Thanks BCB . 1 power system and electrolysis is not an issue. Rocketman cleared it up. Going to remove case ground to see if any difference in Livescope. Pretty sure it’s just the resolution and river salinity (and yes tide) clouding things up a bit.