Min Kota EM series

[PAkev]

I've read a few articles in varuous fishing magazines about Min Kotas EM (engine mounted) trolling motors. However, I have never seen one on a boat or know of anyone that has one mounted on their motor. It is something I'm interested in since I don't have any place to put a kicker motor on my transom. Does the EM motors put additional drag and/or stress on the cavitation plate and/or compromise performance when under power with the big motor.

The info I read has promoted these to have many collateral benefits over a transom mounted kicker motor:

-at the helm steering control with the big motor
-clean and quiet
-less costly than a new kicker
-36V motors are powerful enough to push a 20 ft fiberglass boat 2-5 mph all day long.

I would also presume it's possible to run the big motor at idle to charge the trolling motor batteries or perhaps even run them off an inverter from the alternator of the big motor while idleing.

Helpful Thoughts Appreciated!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Min Kota EM series

First, how big is your boat, and what type is it, what engine do you have, and what is the alternator output in Amps? Keep in mind there is no free lunch when it comes to electricity. For a 36V system you will need three very large capacity 12V deep cycle batteries. An idling engine with its alternator output split 3-ways (12V to each battery) will probably not make a noticeable difference in the charge on the batteries unless you make relatively long runs at cruising speed. There is no need for an inverter since the output of the alternator is 12V.

 

[PAkev]

Re: Min Kota EM series

First, how big is your boat, and what type is it, what engine do you have, and what is the alternator output in Amps? Keep in mind there is no free lunch when it comes to electricity. For a 36V system you will need three very large capacity 12V deep cycle batteries. An idling engine with its alternator output split 3-ways (12V to each battery) will probably not make a noticeable difference in the charge on the batteries unless you make relatively long runs at cruising speed. There is no need for an inverter since the output of the alternator is 12V.

I have a 20ft center console bay boat weighing approx. 3400 lbs. with motor, fuel, gear, and persons.
It is powered by a Yamaha F150 which I believe puts out 35amps. The slowest I can get down to without taking it out of gear is approx. 2.5 mph which is still a little fast for the walleye bite on many of our lakes. Currently I have a 24V Bow Mounted trolling motor so I'm already doing the 3 battery thing with 2 trolling motor batteries and one cranking battery.

Providing this would give me many hours of service on the water I should not have to worry about charging the batteries while fishing. My thought about charging was purely hypothetical.

We also have many electric only lakes which would afford me the flexability to fish these places as I can load my boat a lot easier.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Min Kota EM series

I hear you on the 2.5 MPH trolling speed. Where I do much of my fishing 1.9 - 2.1 MPH is essential in certain areas. Have you thought about a 36V bow mount troller. On windy days you simply can't get better boat control than a bow mount provides. I believe those motors would have the maximizer (MinnKota terminology) circuitry so it would be far more efficient at anything less than wide open than the EM series motors which I do not have the maximizer. At full speed settings it doesn't matter. I don't know how fast the Yamaha has to spin up to produce 35A but I doubt it does it at idle so you would have to fast idle the engine to get a significant charge.