Help, New Stratos Owner

[edt70]

Hi guys, I recently bought my FIRST bass boat. I fish small local tourney and am psyced I found this. Its a 99 273 Vindicator with a 99 Evinrude 150. I have operated boats for the past 15 years (I live on Cape Cod) only in salt water. I have a few que3stions that make me feel stupid. The TM is the original 99 Evinrude, unsure of how big. This TM does not move the boat in any wind, and barely with no wind. I know I need to replace it, but all the ones I've looked at seem to have longer shafts than the one one her. I beleive the shaft is like 34". Also, the live well, is the recurculater switch the same as having a timer??
Thanks!

[BigOne]

Is it a 12/24 volt motor? What is the model number? If it is, it should move that boat around rather easily provided all is fine. Shaft is rated at 36", a little on the short side but that boat, like my past 284, is not that high at the bow. I had one on a 284 that was rated 41 lbs, no issues. I could move against the current slowly on the Colorado River.

[critter]

IM SENT

[nmanley]

Funny how everyone thinks 36 pounds of thrust is not enough to do much when it was the cats meow for YEARS. I never had any problem with my old OMC 36# trolling motor pulling my Stratos 295Pro around rivers or lakes. How SPOILED we become.

[JeffA]

i just sold my 1999 273 this summer, it came with i think, a 54lb evinrude 24v motor, that should be the same one you have, i replaced it with a 70lb minn kota maxxum that had a 45" shaft, it had no problem moving that boat in wind or on the river.

[edt70]

Thanks guys! I looked for #'S on it and coulnd find anything but the patton and trademark #'s. I will keep looking.

[BigOne]

Is it a 12 or a 12/24 volt model? The 12/24 model will have a toggle switch with a rubber boot over it on the foot pedal. I think down was 12 volt and up was 24 volt. If yours is the same as my 284, the bow receptacle should have 4 wires, 2 from each battery. There is a jumper on the receptacle that puts the two batteries in series making 24 volts. You more than likely should have 3 batteries, two for the electric motor and one for everything else. If you can answer these questions, the model may not be critical. JeffA is correct, they also made a 54 lb model. Either the older 41 or the 54 should be ample power for that boat. Check the bow receptacle with a voltmeter.

[ChampioNman]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by edt70 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Thanks guys! I looked for #'S on it and coulnd find anything but the patton and trademark #'s. I will keep looking.</td></tr></table>

The number is on the foot control.

[edt70]

The model# on the foot pedal is BF4PP98 and I checked the outlet it read 13.2 volts. So it must be a 12 volt. I have asked the dealer who I bought it from to contact the old owner to see if I could get a manual for it.

[ips]

Doing a search for that model number indicates it is a 24 volt motor. The pic I see does not show any switch on the foot pedal so it appears to be full time 24 volt. Another pic I found of a 273 shows three batteries installed. If you have 3 batteries, did someone put two of them in parallel instead of series? Are you missing a battery?

[edt70]

It has three batteries, unsure if the two are parallel or series?? No switch on the pedal, and I checked the outlet and it has 13.2 or so. I think my two batteries are not holding a charge. When I push the switch for the TM it goes and slowly dies.....

[datilus]

That is the hook up for a 24V/36V system.

[dannov5]

How old are the TM batteries? If you don't know, I would replace those before messing with trolling motor. Or at least have them tested.

[ips]

Dead batteries will certainly cause this. The batteries could be 6 volt as I have seen on older applications with a 12 volt motor, Merc Thruster I have specifically seen. With the year of yours, I doubt that. 12 volt batteries will have 6 cells/battery and 6 volt will have three.

If batteries are in parallel, there will be a wire from the + terminal of one to the + terminal of the other and a wire from the - terminal of one to the - terminal of the other.

If batteries are in series, there will be one wire from the + terminal of one to the - terminal of the other.

Batteries in series add voltage. Batteries in parallel adds current.

Disconnect the jumper or jumpers and check battery voltages individually. Only one may be bad.

[edt70]

Thanks datilus and ips for your input! I will be checking it out tonight after work with a flashlight! I will let you know wht I find.

[edt70]

GOT IT! One of the batteries was not holding a charge. Tommarow I will check the charger. Now all I need to fix is, BUY an used fishfinder GPS for the console.............Thanks for all you help!