TrophySeeker

Just a quick update for those interested. These motors are rated for 60 watts, and draw around 5 amps. The 5 amp fuses proved to be a little too close, as I popped one bringing in a board in the 3 footers yesterday. You probably need 7-10 amp fuses.

O-k, here are some pictures and descriptions of how I upgraded my BigJon manual planer reels to electric. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures when I put these together, so the finished product pictures will have to do. This upgrade cost me around $50 each. Most of the cost was in the motors. I already had most of the other components including aluminum, SS u-bolts, and other misc. hardware. Here is a picture of the finished product, starboard side. This is the link to the motors I purchased and a pic from their site. I used Microsoft Live Cashback when I purchased, which was at 15% at the time. I chose the cheaper shipping and received in 2 days! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0367360046 These are the planer reel parts dis-assembled. The BigJon assembly is really just a 1/2-20 (fine thread) bolt with a 3/16 hole in it for a pin that the clutch assembly rides on. You can see how the clutch plate fits over the pin in the bottom of this photo. So the bolts I purchased are 1/2-20 x 3" bolts from Lowes. Home Depot did not have them. I didn't want to destroy the original parts in case this didn't work out. To fasten the new bolt to the shaft of the motor, I drilled a 25/64" hole (didn't have a 10mm drill bit) through the center of the head of the bolt down through the shaft of bolt. This would be easier on a lathe, but I don't have one, so I used my drill press. It is very important that the hole be centered! I center punched and started with a 1/8" bit and moved up from there. You have to drill pretty deep, probably about an inch. After test fitting I drilled and tapped the side of the head of the bolt for a 1/4-20 setscrew. I had these. If I had to buy I would have tapped for 1/4-28. I also used a 3/16" drill to "dimple" the flat of the motor shaft so the setscrew would bite and not allow the new shaft to fall off (that would suck). You should be able to see what I am talking about in the picture below: The other thing you will notice from my pictures is that the motor is all black, unlike the picture on e-bay. When I received the motors I removed the access cover for the worm gear and sealed with caulk. I also sealed around the motor body and around the wiring. Then I painted the motor with Plasti-Dip spray paint in hopes to completely waterproof. Time will tell. There are 2 holes in the bottom of the motor which I left open. Here is a picture of the backside of the starboard and port reels showing the sealed and painted motors: I used a piece of 1/2" x 3/4" x 4" piece of aluminum to mount the line guide. I don't have many metal working tools, but you would be surprised that you can work with aluminum with woodworking tools if you go slow and are cautious. This piece was cut out of a much larger piece on my radial arm saw in multiple passes. The 4" wide aluminum that the motor is mounted to was cut on my table saw. carbide tipped blades really help. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! You can also see that there is a left/right hand version. Since the motors are the same you will notice some differences in mounting. Also, the motors run in opposite directions to retrieve. This is one of the reasons I selected this motor. The wiring was pretty simple. I only use the motor for retrieve, and just loosen the clutch to let line out. This was part of the design so that if this didn't work out for some reason I could still use in manual. The mounting plates I used have a right angle bend in them, so I mounted the switches there. I bought (2) 2" x 4" x 1" deep plastic boxes at Radio Shack along with switches for under $10. You can see the wiring in the picture below. I have each of these fused at 5 amps. All in all I'm pretty happy with these. They don't slow down at all retrieving my Otter Boats. I'm sure they would handle double skis without a problem. Not sure about those triples in the last GLA magazine though - but there is always manual retrieve. This was a pretty easy project that most anyone can do. I hope this helps if you ever thought about buying electrics. For me it is just the convenience of the power retrieve, as I fish alone often and that frees me up to set lines, etc. Feel free to ask questions.

O-k, I will take some pictures this week and create a new topic.

If anyone is interested I could post how I upgraded my (2) BigJon Planer Reels to Electric retrieve for ~$50 each. Let me know.