MIssion Accomplished

[Terry Heydt]

It's done! Yesterday I installed a new 75lb thrust MinnKota Genesis TM on the PT185, along with a new Lowrance X87 on the bow! Veeery sweet. As with any project, I learned a few tips along the way. Thought I'd share them for the benefit of those who may be contemplating a similar project:



(1) Original (MG) TMs are installed by Tracker riggers using 40mm rounds to create mounting holes. But a rubber plug and a little silicone makes quick work of the gapping holes left after removing the old MG.



(2) The rectangular hole in the front sheet metal behind the front electrical panel (through which one needs to reach to access TM mounting bolts) is deceivingly sharp.



(3a) Don't show deep slices in your elbow area to your wife if she happens to be an ER nurse. She will insist you get stitches. (Side note: string up some dental floss on a sewing needle and she will eventually back off on this demand).

(3b) Blood stains come out of boat carpet very easily with a little "Resolve" and warm water.



(4) A 5amp fused hot/ground pair is already present in the front bow electrical box - perfect for a bow-mount sonar.



(5) Touching potential hot/ground wire pairs to the neighbor's cat's rear end to determine if they are in fact live (lost the voltmeter) will cause a 5 amp fuse to blow. (But WILL verify the status of the wire, a small price to pay.)



(6) The Genesis has a Master On/Off switch. Be sure the switch is ON after making final connections and expecting to see power. Failure to do this can result in tirades of frustration and the need to kick the neighbor's cat (hey, if he was dumb enough to come back after the wire-teting episode, well....)



(7a) Trying to drill out the rear pop rivets holding the old TM battery frame down is a task in futility. Ended up cutting the frame out, then drilling out the rivets once they were visualized. Be aware that many aftermarket TM battery frames will NOT fit in the space between the hull and gas tank.

(7b) A Dremel tool is a wonderful thing... ;^)



All in all, this project was actually MUCH easier than I anticipated. Genesis looks very impressive. Mounted the X87 on a RAM mount to the angled carpeted area leading up to the bow decking, using a piece of 1/4" thick steel behind the panel for reinforcement. Wife let me buy this for our anniversary... =^)



One question for those with a Genesis (or any MinnKota with Autopilot feature). Manual says mount must be "level to the water surface" for the Autopilot to properly function. Of course, no way to really check this until I am on the water, so I didn't let that aspect bother me too much; can always shim later. My question is, how vital is this? The mount IS level to the boat deck. Not sure if the bow deck level to the water once in the water, but I'm thinking it can only be a degree or two off, if that. What is the tolerance level? The Autopilot is designed to return to a set course "even if blown off by wind". I'm thinking a wind is going to be moving that bow up/down or side/side anyway - must be at least some tolerance margin. As always, appreciate the thoughts of those who have been there. Thanks!

 

[Lon Weekly]

I too have a Genesis on my PT 185. The autopilot will work as long as you have it mounted flat on the bow surface. Don't worry about a few degrees or the bobbing up and down of the bow. The autopilot isn't perfect, but it will keep you on a fairly straight course.



BTW, I' ve found that I prefer to put the motor on continuous at whatever speed I want and use the Right/Left buttons to make slight adjustments in course. This method virtually eliminates having to stand like a stork while fishing. I haven't used the main foot pedal for months.



I've had Genesis motors on my boat for four years now, so feel free to email me with Genesis questions.

 

[Terry Heydt]

Thanks Lon. Got out on the water today. WOW! I think I did more fishing today than I have for ages! Autopilot worked as intended. Put her on a course about 20 feet from the bank (fishing a steep drop) and dialed on about 5-10% power. Got to fish the whole length of the drop without touching the pedal. And I did the same as you Lon - just bumped her right/left a tad from time to time. Didn't even think twice about the level. New Lowrance worked great as well.

We're in between fronts a bit here in SE PA, so fish were a bit lock-jawed. But got lucky on some LM with a spider jig and Senkos, and even one on a topwater (field test item from NAFC). Despite the local forecasts (which I have found to be running about 20% accurate lately) it was a beautiful day on the water.