T-Pain Is On A Boat: [Electric Boats] How to set up the wiring in an old electric boat

Thursday, July 11, 2013

[Electric Boats] How to set up the wiring in an old electric boat

Hi guys,
I'm pretty new to this forum, and before I joined I tried to set up the electric propulsion of my old boat (a 18 ft. more than 100 years old iron flat boat). Actually, the reason was that my diesel frose, and seeing all the dirt, oil and grease, I decided: never again. So I took up electric propulsion. However, I didn't know anything about the first basics of electric motors. After some searching and scraping I have now the following configuration:
- Perm PMG 132 brushed permanent magnet motor, produces 3,5 kW at 36 V
- Alltrax AXE 4844 motor controller, callibrated for 5k-ohm throttle
- Allbright DC 182 monoblock single pole double throw changeover
contactor for forward & reverse, 36-48V
- Bellman 5k-ohm throttle
- Main switch 500 Amp cont.
- 3 Trojan 12V 105 Ah deep cycle batteries.
- Enough 50 mm2 electric cable, strong enough for 500 Amps

My problem is: how do I connect all this without burning this system and my boat to the ground (or water)? F.i.: Alltrax and Curtis give wiring set ups, but only for series motors (which my Perm 132 is not, as far as I know) or for complete standard configurations like Yamaha Go-Carts or so. Alltrax gives a wiring set up for a permanent magnet motor, but in this drawing it says 'main contactor'(left center in drawing) and 'reverse switch'. Can someone help mr by saying how I should see and read this? Is this 'reverse switch' actually the Allbright DC 182? It leaves three questions to me:
1. If the 'reverse switch' is the DC182, what should i do with the 'main contactor' on the drawing?
2. If the DC182 is the 'reverse switch', how do I connect it in order to switch forward & reverse?
3. Can someone provide me with a simple and clear drawing of how to connect the cables? I know I sound like a toddler in this who needs to be taken by the hand, but I'm a complete layman in this matter...
And you'll be surprised how little info providers want to give to you if you don't buy a complete -and rediculously expensive- system off them.. Thanks a lot in advance and a free boatride if you are in Amsterdam!
Regards, Luuk