Anyone use a RemoteTroll?

[TenMile]

Looking for options to mount a kicker on my swimstep. The swimstep it too deep to control the steering/throttle by hand so I'm going with a remote throttle/tilt unit and need a way to steer it.

Found this unit online: http://www.remotetroll.com/remote.php

Basically, an aluminum bracket that steers by way of an electric servo motor that has options for either a wired or wireless remote. Price is pretty good compared to the other options out there.

Anyone use one of these before?

 

[Sharphooks]

hey TenMile

I didn't see anything about pricing on the Remote Troll but I'd bet it's steeper then the Panther T-4 which seems to be a much simpler design yet it arrives at the same conclusion--remote steering your kicker with a toggle switch.

here's some info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIC8jXPwl-k

If you need a bracket on your swim step, you could always mount a Fulton or a Garelick and then use the Panther T-4

All you need is a kicker with a tilt-tube (Yamahas, Merc, Hondas all have them) to mount the Panther T-4

Can be hooked up in thirty minutes, mainly due to the simple design. I see them on Craigslist occasionally for $ 300 - 400; new they are $ 500

good luck

 

[TenMile]

hey TenMile

I didn't see anything about pricing on the Remote Troll but I'd bet it's steeper then the Panther T-4 which seems to be a much simpler a design ye arrives at the same
conclusion--remote steering your kicker with a toggle switch.

here's some info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIC8jXPwl-k
If you need a bracket on your swim step, you could always mount a Fulton or a Garelick and then use the Panther T-4

All you need is a kicker with a tilt-tube (Yamahas, Merc, Hondas all have them) to mount the Panther T-4

Can be hooked up in thirty minutes, mainly due to the simple design. I seem them on Craigslist occasionally for $ 300 - 400; new they are $ 500

good luck

Thanks Sharphooks. After factoring in the cost of the Panther plus a bracket, the RemoteTroll actually came out to be a few hundred bucks less. It has the bracket and a backplate for under the swimstep included. There is also a wireless remote available -- but I haven't ordered it.

I'll give it a try and post my findings. I'm going to be mating it to a 20Hp Tohatsu kicker.

 

[Sharphooks]

I suppose you're aware that a 20 Hp Tohatsu is going to require a very burly transom bracket. If you find out that the RemoteTroll bracket is outgunned by the weight of your Tohatsu, Plan B might be a Garelick 71090 or the 71091 with the Panther T-4---those big Garelicks are the bomb for the heavier 4-strokes.

Or you could go with a fixed bracket on the stern of your boat. I just peeled my Garelick off and installed a fixed bracket. Works slick with the Panther T-4 remote steer

Good luck with the project, TenMile.

 

[Papacorn]

Are you sure you can trailer the boat with that kicker mounted on the Remote Troll? I looked at this and I believe they don't recommend trailering with the kicker mounted.

 

[Charlie]

I have actually had one of those.

I don't know about trailering? It was mounted on a boat I did not trailer, so never looked in to that. I worked fine on both wired and wireless positions. If remember right, it just just a toogle switch, mounted to my transom to select.

That boat weighed in about 12,000 pounds fully loaded and every now and then the remote would hang in the full starboard or port position due to the remote motor used back then didn't always have enough power to get it out of either of those positions? Might want to watch for that?

 

[TenMile]

Are you sure you can trailer the boat with that kicker mounted on the Remote Troll? I looked at this and I believe they don't recommend trailering with the kicker mounted.

I don't trailer this boat so not a concern for me.

I should have clarified that the RemoteTroll actuall IS the bracket itself. Rather than turn the kicker, the entire mounting face for the engine turns left and right. Will be arriving and installed next week.

 

[TenMile]

Got the Remote Troll bracket installed and I've used it a couple of times. The unit is well made -- powder coated aluminum with all of the electrical controls waterproofed and hardened.

It works very well for handling the boat. It takes just a tap of the control to adjust the steering and the boat responds quickly. First day out we had a good 15kt wind with strong current and had no problem nosing the boat into the wind/waves and holding track with little adjustment.

The unit takes about 10 seconds to move full left to full right -- so it's not super quick, however, the slower movement is good in that it doesn't over-steer when you tap the remote.

Installing was straight forward, 4 bolts and an aluminum backing plate. The power and control is integrated into a single cable with a quick-connect power cable included (like the old Scotty units). The included wired steering cable is about 20ft long.

 

[profisher]

Did you consider mounting a small helm near your remote control box and then attaching a hydraulic cylinder to the kicker? With a liquid valve you would have the ability to switch from the boats main rudder only to both the main rudder and kicker both responding to helm input.

 

[sammyslabber]

Ten Mile,nice clean boat... congrats on a great looking install...had a remote steer(intellsteer?) once it was good for fishing areas when there wasn't much traffic ... when it came to the more busy days it sucked it was slow & made it hard to play dodge boat.Made for some not so comical moments even more so when a newbe decided to give it a try.In the end it brokedown (like other units)far too frequently.Fortunately my(local) supplier was sympathetic and offered to return it, i then opted for a store credit.

I did a refit 5 or so years back & installed an independant hydraulic steering helm...does the trick very nicely.I realize it may/not be the right fit for your boat.
Hope you have good sucess with it...by the way how do you like your Tohatsu?...sammy

 

[TenMile]

Did you consider mounting a small helm near your remote control box and then attaching a hydraulic cylinder to the kicker? With a liquid valve you would have the ability to switch from the boats main rudder only to both the main rudder and kicker both responding to helm input.

Well, I was looking for something that was relatively low cost, plus within my toolbox of things that I can do on my own. I've never worked with Hydraulics so that one would be beyond my skills.

Tohatsu motor is great. I got it from Sooke Marine and Pete helped me pick out the right size. The Tohatsu 15 and 20 weighed and basically cost almost the same so I opted for a little more power. These engines are the same as the Mercury and Nissan kickers (all made by Tohatsu). I got the high thrust prop option. Only downside is that it doesn't have a flush port on it.

 

[TenMile]

Well, bad news to report. 3 weeks after installing and the actuator on the Remote Troll has stopped working. Sounds like the motor is defective. Was working great, then all of a sudden, was turning very slowly in one direction, now won't turn at all.

On the good news front, Jerry at Remote Troll sent me a new actuator immediately via courier and was super helpful. Fortunately, I don't have to remove the kicker or bracket -- just have to unbolt the electric motor and replace it. Hopefully this failure is random and is not indicative of a poor quality product.