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G HOST S
By Marc Marcantonio
Spring 2020
page
6
are Real
R
owing is hard work. My first electric motor
solved that problem, along with the squeaks and
disturbance made by oars. Mounted at the stern of my aluminum pram, the idea was to get to the fishing
hole quickly, without breaking a sweat.
Then someone figured out it was easier to pull a chain
than to push one and had the brilliant idea to move the
motor to the bow. Suddenly the electric motor became more
than a propulsion device; it became a fishing tool.
A half-century later, electric motors make another
quantum leap. Enter the Lowrance Ghost electric trolling
motor. With industry changing features, the Lowrance Ghost
is anything but just a propulsion device or simple fishing tool.
Now, it integrates with your fishing electronics to provide a
tactical fishing advantage, even hands and foot free.
Let’s examine the many features of the Ghost, some
that are readily apparent, and others that are not. Take the
actual motor. It appears like any other electric motor used
for decades, but it isn’t.
Typical electric motors have brushes that contact the
commutator. Though generally reliable, brushes come
with problems, none more aggravating than creating radio
frequency interference that cloud sonar screens and obscure
important information.
Finally, The Ghost’s brushless motor allows sonar units
to show underwater details without annoying interference.
Brushless motors are powerful, more efficient, more reliable,
and offer longer life in addition to being noise-free.
Another obvious improvement made possible by the
noise-free brushless motor is a built-in CHIRP Sonar and
DownScan transducer, with a not so obvious feature; it is
user-changeable. Should your internal transducer ever fail, it
is a simple process to change it out.
Additionally, if you wish to add SideScan capabilities to
the electric motor, you can swap the standard nosecone of
the motor with one that gives you all three functions, Sonar,
DownScan, and Sidescan. The cable for the transducer
passes through the motor housing and inside the motor
shaft where it is protected and provides a clean look.
Less obvious, but amazing, is that the Ghost motor
is both a 24-volt and a 36-volt motor. It is powerful and
blazing fast in the 24-volt configuration, and even more so
in the 36-volt configuration. This dual functionality provides
welcomed resiliency if one battery goes bad when in the 36- volt configuration and fishing a tournament or on a vacation. Just switch to 24-volt and keep on fishing.
Modern electronics have become computers as simple to operate as a smart phone.
The biggest reason for Lowrance to enter the electric motor market is software integration.
The HDS LIVE, Carbon, and Elite Ti2 units will control the Ghost electric motor in ways that are sure to make your fishing more fun, and more successful. Now, your electronics have menu choices that provide auto pilot features that can be adjusted as needed on the fly.
Want to advance directly to your waypoint without disturbing the spot by moving back and forth to get into position? Simple, when you come off plane select your waypoint, or place a cursor on the map, and the Ghost will take you directly to the spot.