I just purchases a Garmin Echo 550C for the bow of my boat. I also have a Minn Kota Power drive V2 that slides along the housing.

If anyone has the same trolling motor, how did you secure the cable when the motor slides such a long way?

I can put a wire tie right at the base of the trolling motor and right at the head but I use everything in between to slide it which would leave a huge amount of slack in the cable.

As I'm looking up and pondering buying a Minn Kota PDv2 with the Universal Sonar so I don't have to run a transducer cable, I start to read reviews of my trolling motor on Bass Pro.

Two people left reviews about only being able to fasten the transducer cable to only the top and bottom of motor.

I guess that answers my original post.

Until I can afford a motor with universal sonar I'll be stuck with a floppy wire.

Take the top off, slide the shaft out of the mount, insert the transducer cable through the mount, put the shaft back through the mount with the cable in the groove.

Reinstall the top. Use some silicone caulking lightly in a few spots along the shaft to hold the cable in the groove,

Take the top off, slide the shaft out of the mount, insert the transducer cable through the mount, put the shaft back through the mount with the cable in the groove.

Reinstall the top. Use some silicone calking lightly in a few spots along the shaft to hold the cable in the groove,

x2!!

Jeff

I will have to take a look at that option tomorrow.

buy black wire ties you can't even tell they are there from more than 5 or 6 ft away

Take the top off, slide the shaft out of the mount, insert the transducer cable through the mount, put the shaft back through the mount with the cable in the groove.

Reinstall the top. Use some silicone caulking lightly in a few spots along the shaft to hold the cable in the groove,

I cannot picture in my mind what you are saying. Do you have any pics or could you explain further?

Thanks in advance

reo

reo, do you have a Minnkota Power Drive motor with the groove in the shaft?

Before I pop off the head. is the groove supposed to be on the outside or is it actually a channel on the inside of the shaft? The shaft is smooth all the way around on the outside.

Good question. The groove is on the outside IF you have that type of shaft, otherwise ignore my suggestion.

reo, do you have a Minnkota Power Drive motor with the groove in the shaft?

I do not. Totally round.

I do not. Totally round.

Im in the EXACT same predicament, i also have a powerdrive that i need to run a ducer wire down. The best solution i can come up with is the one that you mentions, securing to the bottom and to the top. I dont think you need too much slack though, maybe a few inches to be able to get outside the mount. I may however pop off the head and see what it looks like. I'm just afraid of interference, plus am not sure where the wire would come out at the bottom...

Had the same problem. My first solution was to leave the long slack and secure the wire at both ends with silicon and tie wraps. Had endless problems with the wire at the lower end when stowing the motor. 2nd solution: move transducer to the back of the boat. 3rd solution: get rid of the V2.

These came with my new boat. The walkthrough person thought they were sheaths to protect the shaft on the trolling motor. At first glance, I knew what they were. Where to get them, I have no idea, but someone here must know. The boat comes with a Motorguide trolling motor, but could not find them on their accessories page. I even did a brief search but couldn't find a thing.

The larger, shorter piece is 7" long. The other is 20.5 inches long. They told me that they do not allow you to adjust the height of your trolling motor. But it occurs to me that all you have to do is determine the highest you will will run the motor, and cut off enough of the longer piece to allow you to do that. Run the motor deeper, and pop that piece back on. Pop it on as close to the motor as possible while still allowing you to run the transducer cable in its groove, and the one for the top near the control head, and you can easily take any slack out of the cable or to give it extra cable when you lengthen the distance from the control head to the motor.

Somebody obviously makes these since they are extruded. Looks like they would be the perfect solution to the question posed at the start of this thread. And no, I do not want to sell them.

I just did another search, and came up with the application for a patent on these "trolling motor cable covers".

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20080293314

had to tie mine at top and bottom. not a whole lot of slack. if you get into a lot of brush and trash it will hang up so watchit. end up having to replace tranducer every 2-3 years. not a very good driver.

I just ended up tying it high and low and left a little slack so I can turn the motor 180 sometimes. I am getting a little interference but only when I'm NOT under power. As soon as I get under power no matter how slow the interference goes away.

I'm hoping next year that I can get a motor with universal sonar. I checked Minn-Kota's website and it seems they are not compatible with the Garmin 550C yet but since I'm in no rush I didn't bother to verify it 100%.

Use wire mould to secure to the shaft. The cable can then slide freely through the mould with no issue. You can leave a tag if needed, or loop in the middle around the point that the shaft turns in the housing, but it isn't necessary. It's also a lot less work than taking everything apart.

Thanks for all the replies guys....I'll look more closely at the shaft, but I'm thinkin' for the time being, it's gonna be top/bottom wire ties and see how it goes. Thanks again.