Digital Maximizer on Electric Trolling Motor

[Nathan Bohlmann]

MK advertizes "Digital Maximizer" can extended battery life... quote:

"The Digital Maximizer allows more fishing time on your battery charge, up to five times longer run time per battery charge, compared to the 5-speed switch."

Can anyone who owns one testify to this??

For me if it doubled battery life, it would be better! thanks

[sucker]

The digital control uses pulse width modulation to power motor; this is the most efficient way of powering a electric motor. The voltage is applied in pulses at a high rate; the longer the pulse width the more power. This provides full torque at even low speeds. At full speed you will gain very little with the Maximizer but if you are operating at low speeds the extention of battery life can be amazing. It also generates less heat than multi turn motors or analog voltage control. Thursday I used mine to troll my 16 food Smoker Craft Osprey (fairly heavy and wide for a Smoker) for 5 hours non stop and had 75% battery left when I got home. Using 2 80 amp AGM batterys in parallel.

[Lurp]

The information I read on this was not very revealing as to how it works but it sounds like variable pulse controled by a microprocessor
Basically a 5 speed switch uses a resistor or several resistors to control speed
In position 1 or low the electricity (current) passes thru a resistor then to the motor
When the current passes thru the resistor some of it burns off as heat the rest goes to the motor
As you increase the settings to 2,3,or 4 the resistors get smaller so less current burned as heat more current gets to the motor so it goes faster
In position 5 no resistor so all the current goes to the motor and you get top speed
The problem with this is no matter what position the switch is in you have the same current draw on the battery just some of the current is wasted as heat
In variable pulse you have a micro processor that controls the time that the motor recieves current
on-off-on-off etc. this happens in microseconds it is like turning a switch on and off but it is so fast you don't feel a jerk every time it goes on and off
When the on time is short and the off time long the motor goes slow as you increase the on time and decrease the off time the motor goes faster
The benifit is all the current goes to the motor (no resistor = no wasted current)
So at lower speeds you use less current and the battery lasts longer
I used to have a Motor Guide trolling motor with variable pulse it was before they used microprocessors to control the pulse but it worked well and made the battery last a lot longer than the old resistor type motor I had before
I tried to explain this in as simple terms as possible since I don't know how much you know about electronics
Hope this helps
If not pm me and I will give you my phone number

[bvs]

Originally Posted by Lurp

The problem with this is no matter what position the switch is in you have the same current draw on the battery just some of the current is wasted as heat.

Actually the resistors do reduce the current draw proportionally and don't turn ALL the power that would have gone the motor into heat. However, the point of resistors being an inefficient method of speed control is definately true.

If you all ways run your motor full-throttle, you will get about the same efficiency as you would get with a cheap non-maximizer motor. The slower you go, the more benefit you'll get from the maximizer. The largest boost in battery life will come at the slowest throttle setting. However, this is also where you'll use the motor the least in the real world.

I've had motors, both with and without the maximizer, in the 50lb range. The maximizer gives me about twice the battery life under regular use buzzing along shorelines at fishing speeds. I think its worth it.