Black Box Users.....

[RCA Dog]

This is my first real contribution to this site. Check your actual downrigger line voltage.

I had a black box given to me, and finally got around to installing it. It worked great for a couple of days. In fact, I cought more fish on the wire side of the boat than the braid side.

I was fishing off the hump in Campbell River this past weekend, and for about 4 hours, I was getting nothing, not even a bite or shake of the rod. I checked the voltage at the downrigger wire, and sure enough, it read 2 volts !. I turned the black box off, and 15 minutes later, fish on. The box was working perfectly until that trip, in fact it was outfishing the braid by about 4 to 1. (that's not a ratio, that's the actual number of fis that I have caught), and was being confirmed by a multimeter every second or so trip.

I called the manufacturer, and they are going to go good on the warranty, but it's a bit of a **** off anyhow.

RCA

 

[Seafever]

Was that a Pro-troll or a Scotty?

Wow ....2 volts is pretty friggin' high...

I think .60 or .65 of one volt is all you need........

 

[RCA Dog]

It was Pro-Troll. There is something wrong with the ground side internally in the unit I think. Up to last weekend, it was working perfectly.
Yes .60 - .65 was where I had it set, but when I actually measured, it was close to 2 volts. My boats natural voltage is between .55 - .575, so I don't really need the black box at all. It was a gift, however, so I learned about it and installed it. As I said, to date the wire side is outfishing the braid side. It sounds like I have to send it down to them for warranty anyhow, so I will see if that was the result of the black box or not.

 

[drilleryells]

If you choose to run a Black Box you have to Maintain it and check the Voltage on a regular basis. I change the wires on my Downriggrs each season and cut about six inches off the leads coming from the Box, also re-crimp all my Connections. Its all about confidence in your set-up. If you get er all dialled in and all three Downriggers are poppin its a Sweet Thing. Hope you get your Warranty work done. Driller

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

If you choose to run a Black Box you have to Maintain it and check the Voltage on a regular basis. I change the wires on my Downriggrs each season and cut about six inches off the leads coming from the Box, also re-crimp all my Connections. Its all about confidence in your set-up. If you get er all dialled in and all three Downriggers are poppin its a Sweet Thing. Hope you get your Warranty work done. Driller

black boxes are a myth. If youre not catching fish, you only have one thing to blame, and its not voltage.

 

[IronNoggin]

black boxes are a myth. If youre not catching fish, you only have one thing to blame, and its not voltage.

LOL! That's right. Every single Troller on the West Coast must be wrong!

Good Luck with your set-up!

Cheers,
Nog

 

[drilleryells]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, in my opinion they do make a difference where I fish.Last Summer I went out with a Buddy two days in a Row. I gave him the Starboard Rigger. I used the Port and Hung a Spoon off the Back one. Over a Period of about 16 hours of Fishing I took 4 Large on my Side and two off the Spoon on the Back.His Rod did not twitch for the Duration. He got really drunk and kinda funny( if ya know what I mean). Next time out I decided to check the Voltage. Starboard was messed up, other two were bang on.Got em all fixed up and over several trips our catch ratio went back to Even Steven. I never actually told him about it, how could I..... Anyway from then on I check it out every Trip. Driller

 

[RCA Dog]

Myth or not, if it's on my boat, then I will try to make sure it works properly. It is interesting that after 4 hours with absolutely nothing, 15 minutes after turning off the box, fish bites ( on the wire side of the boat no less ). I will be checking voltage on the wire every trip now, box or no box.

 

[Fish Assassin]

I didn't even know they were around still.... I have not seen one used in over 10 years.

 

[Englishman]

The one winter I had braid one side and wire the other I got the same ratio as RCA. About 4:1 in favour of the wire. I was not using a box at the time (although I have one installed and play with it from time to time). My natural voltage varies from 0.3-0.4V depending on the state of my zincs, so maybe that was enough to make the difference.
I am all wire now since I got bad random breaks-offs on by 6 month old braid which I have discussed on other threads. Anyway your post has inspired me to play with the box again and check the at sea voltages more often.....maybe I can improve things a bit....

 

[KCW]

Was at Port Renfrew a few weeks ago and was checking some of the guide boats at the marina 1 braid , 7 wire. My boat came with a scotty black box it had a few problems due to old wire and connections , got some advice from profisher and got it all fixed up.

 

[RCA Dog]

This was not intended to be a black box : myth or real or wire vs. braid topic, but only meant to give a heads up to those who do use a black box, to check the actual output every now and then, as what you black box is telling you on the readout may be very much different from what is happening at the fishing gear.

 

[Seafever]

Remember on "Deadliest Catch" where Keith (boat:-Wizard) tells the newbie that's just been hired and is standing on the dock:- "You realize that when you step on this boat, you're stepping into Hell...."

Just substitute SFBC for "boat"........

 

[Fish Assassin]

Remember on "Deadliest Catch" where Keith (boat:-Wizard) tells the newbie that's just been hired and is standing on the dock:- "You realize that when you step on this boat, you're stepping into Hell...."

Just substitute SFBC for "boat"........

You should have that as your signature......

 

[fshnfnatic]

My buddy bought a Pro-Troll black box a few years ago. Within a few months of use,the voltage dial was faulty.
Brought it back to the place he got it,and they replaced it no questions asked. A few months later the new one did the same thing.Brought it back, and after some discussion reluctantly got another new one. He ended up switching to
braid,so sold the unit to me for cheap ($40). I used it maybe 3 or 4 trips and guess what? Same frickin' thing happened
to me.Too bad ,because I fully beleive in them. As Ironnoggin hinted,the commmerical guys use them,and you still see
alot of guide boats running wire. I would stay away from the Pro-Troll brand because of my personal experience with
them,but would give the Scotty brand a try next time. I haven't heard any complaints about them so far!

 

[Evenweight]

so how do you test with a multi meter the natural and the induced ovoltage on the wire?

 

[Seafever]

Actually it was the commercials who were using them first....then later then they caught on with sporties.

Some of those commercial boats just have a ton of metal and fittings and wires and electrical and hydraulics and the list goes on.......it's easy to see why they often need to tune their boats and dial in the correct voltage......

 

[RCA Dog]

To test natural voltage, simply drop a downrigger weight into the water, then touch the negative lead of the multimeter to your negative battery terminal or any good ground, and touch the positive lead to the downrigger wire. Do this without the black box on. To test applied or induced voltage, just do the same thing with the black box on, and adjusted to whatever voltage you want. The applied\induced voltage you measure should be the same as what the readout says on the black box.

 

[Seafever]

...and do it when you are away from any boats or a marina.....

Some of these marinas and docks are "hot"...that is stray voltage from other boats and whatnot.......

Also...salinity content of seawater by location can actually vary.....especially if you are fishing close to river-outflows....this will affect your wireline voltage.......