Voltage leakage?

[Justin B]

Does anyone have any experience with fixing or minimizing voltage leakage on a boat ?

My buddy's 23 ft thundercraft has a voltage reading on the rigger cables of .930 Which I knOw is way to high it's supposed to be around .6-.75 any tips or help would be greatly appreciated

Justin

[jimski2]

Unplug it?

Sent from my SCH-I405 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Justin B]

I want to lower my voltage leakage so the my downriggers can work effectively and not leak .9 volts which will scare fish away.....

[Thun]

From the Cannon Magnum, 2011 or newer manual installation

 

Wiring Your Downrigger

 

Your Boat’s Electrical Condition

 

It is important to make sure that your boat is properly set up before installing your Magnum with Positive Ion Con-trol (PIC). Whenever a boat is in water, various submerged parts interact to create weak electrical currents. These weak electrical currents must be controlled to extend the life of the boat’s metal parts and ensure a good fish catching environment.

 

Check the zinc sacrificial anodes on your boat and on the outboard/outdrive. If they are more than 50% dissolved they should be replaced. Any coating of slime or growth should be cleaned off. All metal parts including the hull (ifmetal) must be interconnected by a grounding wire. This includes motor shafts, outdrives, and through hull fittings. If your boat and zinc anodes are set up correctly, the voltage on the stainless steel downrigger wire should be positive when in contact with the water.

 

With your boat in the water and the downrigger cable deployed in the water, measure the dc voltage from the cable to a grounded metal surface of the boat touching the water. It should be 0.6-0.8VDC if properly wired.

 

The use of Cannon vinyl coated lead weights is recommended.

 

Use the trolling weight insulators supplied with your downrigger. This insulates your weight from the positive charge on the cable. This will also ensure that the trolling weight will stop at water level when retrieved.

 

The cable on your downrigger should be replaced every 2 years. Etching of the cable can weaken it physically and electrically.

 

In saltwater, make sure the sacrificial zinc anodes are replaced when half dissolved. This ensures that the boat will run with a neutral or slightly positive charge. Clean zincs on a regular basis with a non-corrosive brush.

 

Always make sure the boat is properly grounded to the water. This will help ensure proper PIC voltage on the cable and that the Short Stop will function properly.

NOTE: To ensure proper operation of your Magnum, ground the battery to your boat’s electrical system’s ground. Malfunctions with the PIC, communication between units, or loss of operation result from faultygrounding. Always check to see if your boat is properly grounded first.

Electrical Specifications & Wiring Instructions

 

The Magnum series is rated at 30 amps (full load), 12 volts DC and is protected by a 25 amp manual reset

circuit breaker (located under motor housing). Be sure to measure the battery voltage of your boat.

 

 

http://www.cannondownriggers.com/uploadedFiles/Service/Product_Manuals/3397130rh_Magnum_Combined.pdf

[Richard]

I understand that your anodes should not be zinc for our fresh waters. I was told this some time ago and when I purchased my Great Lakes boat I told my local marina to look into it and change all the anodes. He agreed wit my findings and changed them all to magnesium alloy anodes. I did a quick search and came up with this article......

http://www.boatmichigan.org/news_detail.aspx?ID=128