jigstick

you can certainly turn your switch between your batteries with the motor running.  If you couldn't, then there wouldn't be a point of having one.  I start my engine with my cranking battery, and once the engine is running, i switch over to my deep cycle.  

Depending on how your electrical system is wired, you CAN ground out your batteries / alternator if you turn the switch to OFF with the engine running.  I have heard of damage happening if you do that.  Never turn your switch to OFF with the engine ON.

If your alternator output is good, then the next thing I would check is the power wire feeding your main fuse panel, and the fuse panel itself.  Fuse panels are typically rated for so many amps.  If you have added a lot of electronics to the fuse panel, the fuse panel may be approaching max capacity.  Furthermore, the wire feeding the fuse panel may not be thick enough to carry enough amps to the fuse panel.  You may be able to just add thicker wire running to the fuse panel to carry the juice…id recommend 4 gauge.

Could be an alternator problem.  It sounds like your alternator isn't putting out enough juice to power all your stuff.  Can you test the output of your alternator with the motor running with a volt meter and report back?

Its hard to see in the picture.  But at the base of my steering wheel is a hockey puck sized housing that contains my non-feedback gears.  That housing is only 1/4in from the bottom of the dash.  Then, as you can see, the dash stops.  The closest fiberglass is recessed back about 3-4inches.  Once the drive unit is mounted in place, my guess is, its going to be 6-8inches of swing for the bracket to reach back to the fiberglass.  Do you think it will reach, or do you think I am going to have to fabricate some type of support bracket?

any anyone post a pic of the Sportpilot drive unit mounted to their steering wheel?  The way my dash is, I'm having a hard time figuring out how I am going to be able to mount the swing down support bracket on the drive unit without some serious ingenuity

Are your batteries new?  Do you keep them on a charger when you are not using the boat?  

Could it be that your #1 battery is getting old, and doesn't hold a charge long.  So you get a good reading when you test it after it comes off of a trickle charger, but after a while of using that battery when your switch is on battery 2, that battery 1 dies off and you lose power?

Where is your fish finder power wire connected to?  

When you say you lost "all" electronics, are you talking just your fish finder and radio?  Or like your bilge pumps, blower, power steering, dash lights, running lights, etc?

FWIW, #5 Cowbells really throw out some drag.  I dont like them.  #4 is the biggest I go.  I dont really think the lakers care weather its a #5 or #4. 

It all depends on how you have your switch wired, and where you have your electronics pulling juice from.  For example...here is how mine is wired, which is a very common setup:

Position 1:  Cranking Battery

Position 2:  Deep Cycle House battery

Both: 

Common:  4gauge Power wire feeding fuse panel, Wire from alternator / starter

Off:

Bilge Pumps directly wired to the deep cycle

All electronics are wired to the fuse panel fed off of the "COMMON" on the Perko Switch

When you do it this way, your electronics will always be pulling power from the alternator while the boat motor is on, and if the motor is off, it will pull from whatever battery you have selected (which should be your deep cycle).

It sounds to be like some of your electronics are either hard wired directly to a battery, or are feeding off of a fuse panel tied directly to a battery.  This will cause you to lose some electronics when that battery dies while not being selected.  And depending on how your switch is wired, your batteries may only be charging with the switch in a particular position.  There is no way to answer that question without knowing more about how your setup is wired.

Does all this make sense?  Describe how you have it wired up and I can help more.

I like the vertical spools on the Cannons.  My buddy had Scottys, and on more than one occasion the wire on their horizontal spools slipped and got tangled up in the mount.  What a pain in the ass.  I find the vertical spools on the Cannons to be more sturdy, efficient, and robust.  Better angles.  Less stress on the mounts.

Im pumped.  Im waiting for Vetting to chime in on his once he gets his boat in the water.  If he can duplicate your results then I will be 100% convinced that this Sportpilot can handle walleye trolling.  Ive redone all of my electrical system, and started a Raymarine Seatalk backbone with my A60 Plotter in anticipation of installing this Sportpilot.  I have high hopes now.  

Did you find the Sportpilot drive unit to be obnoxiously loud when its own?  whining a lot?

Bro you're awesome.  Those are the cowbells I have been looking for.  Now well see if I can get the Michigan Rig to produce like the Hammerhead cowbells.  Thanks for the link.

Fished on Lake O out of Mexico. Didn't do a rudder reference only boat. Bought my unit through Hodges also. Just read instructions thoroughly a few times before you start and plan wiring layouts and runs. Took me about 2 hours total to install mine I got the SPX 5 wheel mount. I also had to order a NavPod from hodges to mount the control head in since I had no room in dash for it

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

So you aren't using the newer Evolution200 Sportpilot?

What brand cowbells are you using? I run the hammerhead and they pull but not that bad. I actually believe that resistance causes less floater lakers. The resistance allows them to come up slower and release air from their air bladder. If it is not broke, don't try to fix it! Stick with what works.

I used to get my cowbell setups at the Buffalo outdoor show.  Some guy had a booth there.  But he wasn't present this time.  His were great.  Had 3 blades of equal size.  I only have one of his left.  So I recently have been using the Luhr Jensen cowbell setups….which I don't really care for.  They have 4 blades, with the leading blade being much bigger than the other three.

Do you have a source for some good cowbells?

I always apply K9 Advantage to my line when fishing Ontario.  It really keeps the flees away

wow.  that sounds awesome.  Looks like I will be ordering one ASAP.  what body of water were you fishing on?  Any tips or tricks with the install?  Are you  using a rudder feedback with it?

Any update on who has the best price?  Looks like HodgesMarine is the cheapest I can find it

okuma classic pro glts

how slow did you troll with the autopilot on?  heading into the waves?  or with the waves at your stern?  did it keep you straight enough to keep lines from tangling?  how many rods where you running?

dude….its time to update

been years since I used em but I used to snell a treble hook......few beads....peanut....cpl more beads....either 24 or 36 inch leader....then run it behind set of cow bells

what he said

lampreys suck

Here is a typical cowbell and peanut setup:

http://www.basspro.com/Luhr-Jensen-Cowbell-Troll/product/77823/

I usually take off one cowbell, and only run 3.  Tie a treble hook onto 24inches of 20lb flouro leader.  Thread on 3 beads.  Then thread on your peanut or wobble glow.  THEN tie that entire rig onto the end of the 3rd cowbell.  Run it 20ft back off the ball.  I typically bounce the ball right on the bottom of erie.  Speed around 2mph.  Get it down there and hang on!

You can get all different shapes and colors of blades and peanuts.  Usually the sherbert, pinks, chartreuse, greens, and purples work for me.

cowbells and peanut setups absolutely slaughter lakers on lake erie.  I can barely keep them in the water.  Really is quite amazing.  For every 1 laker i catch on a spoon, i catch 5 on a peanut fly.

For the wires being different colors…i have heard this about the new units.  I believe when you hook them up, if you have them reversed…pushing right on the control head will make the drive unit go left, and vice versa.  So you just switch the wires the other way.  does that make sense?  It has to do with the polarity.

First off I would switch one of your batteries to a deep cycle.  Ideally you want one cranking battery to turn over your engine, and then a deep cycle to wire all of your electronics too.  The best setup is having these two types of batteries joined with a Perko 1-2-Both-Off Switch.  

Then run a 4 gauge red Positive wire from the "common" post on your Perko Switch to a fuse block made my BlueSea systems.  Run a 4 gauge black Negative wire from a ground post on one of your battery up to the fuse block.  

Mount this fuse block where it won't get wet.  I personally would mount it by your helm, or inside your center console.  

Then run the wires from your new awesome electronic down riggers up to your new fuse block.  Install appropriate sized fuses to protect those bad boys, and you are up and running with a very professional, safe, and expandable electrical system.

This  is how I have my boat wired.  All of my aftermarket electronics run off of a Bluesea Systems fuse block that I mounted behind my dash.  No garbled wires hanging off of the batteries.  Everything is fuse protected, organized, and powered with short runs.