Reverse Switch for trolling motor - foot pedal.

[user 7806]

I have an old Evinrude 4 speed trolling motor. Push the tiller in to go forward and pull out for reverse. The speed is a controlled by twisting. The previous owner installed a foot operated push button which just breaks the + cable.

So the other day I had the boat out and was using the trolling motor for the 1st time I thought it would be easier to control the boat when fishing if there were 2 foot switches one for foreward and one for reverse. I looked a BP & Cabelia's for such a thing but didn't see anything to fit the bill. I know if you reverse the Pos and Neg cables the motor will reverse I just can't figure out how to wire it to do want I want.

Can this be done without spending a ton of money? I know I could buy a new TM with a foot pedel and that would be kool but I don't think the CFO will go for it. She is starting to complain about all the money I'm spending on the boat.

 

[JMichael]

It's going to take some pretty heavy duty switches or more likely the use of relays to accomplish what you are talking about doing, safely. But what would that gain you since you'd still have to have your hand on the TM handle to control steering/direction?

 

[nimmor]

But what would that gain you since you'd still have to have your hand on the TM handle to control steering/direction?

Not entirely. I used tiller trolling motors for years and used my foot to steer it quite a bit. I know most people love the foot controlled but I hate mine. If I hadn't spent so much on it I would sell it and buy a bow mount tiller. As for the switch, several years ago I rigged up a 3 position switch for that purpose on and old Shakespeare trolling motor. It was an automotive switch from a hardware store and it didn't hold up very long. So like JMichael said you would need something heavy duty. What the 3 position switch did was change the polarity depending on how I had it wired. Maybe you could find a junked trolling motor and get the switch off of it really cheap.

 

[user 7806]

I found a wiring diagram for a DPDT switch which would reverse the polority. JUst havent found a rocker swithc that could be used by a foot.

 

[jimmyeking]

I built a couple of those years ago out of the old car headlight floor dimmer switches. One was for off and on (painted red). The other one was wired for forward and reverse. Those were tough switches and worked great as long as I had the boat.