Just a dumb FYI update. 

I used this old 2005 minn kota power drive 80lb in Raystown Lake in PA this week. It WAS FREAKING GREAT.  I set it at 1 on constant, pointed it on a course hit autopilot and in 2 miles never touched the motor. To me that was heaven. The new ones with GPS and position lock must really be super nice.

I'll wait until a bit of my fishing MOJO returns, 15 years is a long time.

Well yall were right. I got about 15 uses out of the power drive before the pedal started getting flaky.

I sent it off today, I guess I'll see. In any case as long as I get it back I can still use the motor on autopilot and power of 1.

I was hoping to get two years out of it but that's life. Least I know now what I want, need, and can use/mount.

My fishing still stinks so I'm not dropping 8k and a year wait time on a new one and batteries.

Oh the autopilot works great at power 1. Don't try it at 10. ?

We warned you

Yep, ya did.... I'll find out next week if it can be fixed....oh well win some loose some ?.

I think I know a place that can make the part (3D printer),  repair the boards contact trace, and I can sub in the electrical parts if they're accessible. If it's like automotive and filled in with high temp plastic it's trash.

I think I can dismantle it in the press. But I've done stuff like this before and you only have a 10% shot doing it blind.

Maybe I'll find a newer one out there without the pedal. I liked it while it lasted.

Well it's supposedly fixed. If it was shipped USPS I'll see it in a month.

No matter, it's too hot now anyway and the snakeheads have ruined my electric only lake.

I might take it down to Southern MD and try fishing around the old barge wrecks during tide changes. I'll post how the fix went when I see it. Small Place in MN.

Well

It works.

They sent the old board back. I see why they fail. It was "the thing" in manufacturing to make those switches for a few years. I used them twice.

They broke very very easily and at that time couldn't be replaced. Minn kota did right by stopping support. 

I had to redesign both units a year after (the switches got used 100-200 times a day). If I remember right the manufacturer falsified the usage data

I never did work with the safety constraints and water constraints that minn kota has. It doesn't look easy.

This was the mid 90s. Sort of cost me that job. 

R

Edited October 23, 20214 yr by newbiedmv
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