Hello, all:
I'm about to go all electric for my 10' Walker Bay Genesis inflatable
dinghy, and the two reasonable choices at this point look like 1) the
Torqeedo 1003 or 2) the MinnKota RipTide 55 (from their saltwater
series.) There's a fairly large difference in price between the two -
the former is $2k, while the latter is about 1/4 of that; in addition,
the cost for the Torqeedo accessories is quite high (e.g., $700 for a
spare battery) whereas the MinnKota uses relatively cheap, off-the-shelf
components. The Torqeedo's battery is integral; however, that's not
necessarily a benefit, since I can power a bilge pump and a navigation
light (conveniences that I've become quite used to with my gasoline
engine) from the external battery used to run the MinnKota. For another
$50, I can add a high-end power analyzer to the MinnKota if I feel like
it, although the RipTide has a voltage-based "SOC indicator" built it.
So, money-wise and convenience-wise (i.e., I can have the RipTide today,
from one of several local stores, but would have to order and wait up to
a week for the Torqeedo), the MinnKota looks like a better bet. If I
really wanted more thrust, I could go to 24v and get a RipTide 80 for an
additional $125 or so. Is there some key factor I'm missing here that
would make the Torqeedo a better choice?
--
Ben Okopnik
-=-=-=-=-=-
No comments:
Post a Comment