Use of Minnkota "Quick connect plugs"

[The Quadfather]

Please take a look at the following two links:

http://www.minnkotamotors.com/products/ ... _plug.aspx


http://www.minnkotamotors.com/products/ ... nnect.aspx


I am quite certain that at least one of these items is used if you want to lengthen the wiring harness on your MinnKota.
Has anyone used these before, and which one do you use? I have a need to make my factory wiring harness longer than how it came. I am pretty certain that it can be done with one of these items, but I am not quite sure what hooks up to what?? The recepticle ends look kinda weird?? Maybe the standard piece on the orig. harness still goes to the battery... and this piece is the interconnect between the extension wiring that I am adding? Huh?#-o

Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

Looks to me those are both for the exact same use. Take your pick.

I'd say they are used near the battery so you can take the battery out for charging, putting in the house to keep warm during the winter.

Or near the trolling motor so you can remove the motor from the boat to put in the house for safe keeping until you use the boat again.

[Amx]

These I use on my truck for the backup light on the boat for when I get to the lake in the dark. You can get them cheap at the hardware store in Maple Valley, couple 4 dollars for a set/pair/male and female.

Your number 2 link;

Trolling Motor Quick Connect
MKR-12


http://www.minnkotamotors.com/products/ ... nnect.aspx

[guitarfisher]

[quote="Amx"]I'd say they are used near the battery so you can take the battery out for charging, putting in the house to keep warm during the winter.

Chris, I used the quick-disconnect connector in your top link (MKR-20) to do exactly what AMX suggested. It works great on my MinnKota! I built a removable harness that hooks-up to the battery terminals and runs the positive cable through the MK-recommend 60 amp circuit breaker, then both positve and negative cables terminate at 1/2 of the MKR-20 connector. I put the other 1/2 of the connector on the power cables that run to the motor. It makes for ultra quick battery install and removal. It did take me a while to figure out that you have to invert the two halves of the connector 180 degrees relative to one another to get them to connect. Once I figured that out, it was a "snap"
Note: I lift the positve terminal lug on the harness when charging the battery, so as not to put high-amp charge load on the breaker. May not be necessary - I just do it as a precaution.

[Anonymous]

To give you a better idea of what I'm talking about... This is the same boat that I'm building in it's developing stages. Looking at the first pic. you can see that mid. seat has the ends of wires that will go to a battery underneath the mid seat. At the transom seat there will be wire leads that go from the actual transom (where the MinnKota will mount) down into the transom seat box.... they will run along the side panels of the boat, and go into that mid seat which you see.
The 2nd pic. shows where the leads will be in the mid seat, and attach to the battery.

So by looking at this I am just trying to see how and what is connected to what. It seems to me like the leads at the transom end have funky looking connectors...? Not sure how those would attach. to the orig. wiring harness? I hope this makes sense with pics. The boat and wiring are from another guy who has finished it, but I don't have contact with him.

[The Quadfather]

Guitarfisher/Jeff, Alrighty, I saw the pic. you added. I see that there is a connector piece between the harness and the battery. Makes sense now. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Acually I'd say the 12s are for low amps, like lights, maybe a small trolling motor. and the 20s are for a bigger trolling motor. I have the 20s type, but much bigger, on the battery for the winch on my car trailer, LOT of amp useage when dragging a car up onto the trailer. So if you have a low lbs trolling motor the 12s would work, otherwize the 20s would be best for a high lbs motor, and say a 24 volt system. But I think I'd go with the 20s because I'd want to go with 6 gage cable anyway.

You can also hide the battery under the seat, then when you want to charge the battery, pull the plug, and plug in a battery charger that also has that plug on the cables/wires. Won't have to take off the seat and fish around to hook up the clamps. Depending on how the wires are run thru the seat, etc.

12



20

[Amx]

Quadfather, where is the extension of the existing wires going to be? At the end of the wires, or someplace in the middle?

You can just use some straight thru ferrells that you solder the wires in, they can be gotten at your local hardware store, I have a couple and have used them before. They come in many sizes, little 1/16" to 00 gage and bigger. Cut off and take one inch of your wire/cable to the store to get the correct size.

If the extention is going to be at one end, then those plug in connectors will work for the above stated reasons too.

[Anonymous]

Quadfather, where is the extension of the existing wires going to be? At the end of the wires, or someplace in the middle?

.

The existing wiring harness will go from the tiller handle down within the transom seat. Within the seat box I will splice the extension wiring.. then it will run out of pvc from the cornors of the transom seat, ( you can see that on the first pic.) ...to the middle seat, and eventually to the battery. I realize that the battery could be in within the transom seat, but I prefer to put it under the middle seat for weight distribution. Adding floatation foam to the transom seat. It will all work out. Use those nice heat shrink deals for the splice area.

[Anonymous]

Yup, then the new plug connectors will only be at the battery.

[bcalvert]

Quadfather,

Will it be ready this spring? Looking at the pictures of your boat has inspired a question about how you built your gunnel. Were you able to get the full length in one board or did you have to join two lengths together?

[The Quadfather]

It's 12' length. Uses two sheets of 4x8 standard length marine grade plywood, with a butt joint in the middle of the gunnel. It will be good to go by the Spring, at least it better be. This has been sitting in the garage for too long. I am just now getting back into it.

[bcalvert]

Thanks, I just finished cutting the wood for mine. I am using a hardwood, jatoba, and will have to piece it together using a scarf joint (sp?).