Max Power VIP 250 Eco Proportional Retractable Thruster — Installation Manual

Key Data: 24 V vs 48 V

• Principal dimensions drawing: 370mm × 370mm footprint, 1134mm overall, stroke 295mm.
• Delivered with: thruster assembly (motor, controller, controller cover, motor support, motor coupling, up/down motors, drive leg, propellers), CAN joystick panel and 15m CAN bus cable.
• Lithium-ion batteries are allowed within the operating voltage range above; consult a marine electrician about discharge and BMS.

Mechanical Installation

• As far forward (or aft) as possible with one full turbine diameter (250 mm) of immersion; controller facing the BOW, up/down motors facing the STERN. Room to remove the unit and for freely flexing power cables.
• Reinforced GRP mounting base laminated into a GRP hull, or 5086 aluminium alloy flange welded to the base of an alloy hull; gussets to frames/stringers if needed. Flange parallel to the waterline; thrust plate free with no more than 2mm horizontal play when fully down.
• Flat flange top face for the O-ring, bolts from top to bottom, both faces coated with marine grease, never glued or bedded with Sikaflex; tighten in successive passes until the faces touch.
• Closing plate in a 15 – 20 mm wide rebate on a neoprene or moulded Sikaflex gasket (not stuck to the plate); no light into the enclosure; never copper-based paint, never paint the column.
• Set the "Up" detector with the unit fully retracted (2.5 mm Allen key grub screw) BEFORE activating the thruster; "Down" detector is factory set; thrust plate must not protrude. Bolt the alloy plate bracket through the GRP turbine.
• Trial runs: 24V from a lead acid battery straight to the two up/down motors with a 10A fuse, reversing polarity; disconnect as soon as the unit blocks. If it blocks or vibrates, adjust the two adjustment nuts.

Electrical Installation

Cable length = positive run from the thruster battery bank plus negative run back. ISO 10133: drop not over 5% at full load.

• Insulation at least 85° - 90°C; two smaller cables (e.g. 2 x 50 mm² instead of 95 mm²) for flexibility at the moving unit.
• Cable fuse in the positive cable close to the battery bank. On the 48 V unit the mega-fuse under the plastic cover protects only motor and controller – still fit a cable fuse near the battery positive; replace with same type and amperage.
• Manual isolator near the bank; an automatic isolator is already on the controller under the plastic cover (its relay arms on first power-up for testing – switch off from the CAN-Joystick after the tests).
• Double pole isolator/breaker "Thruster" on the main breaker board; fuse the control box positive supply. Up/down motors supplied at 24V on both versions.
• CCA matters, not Ah; alternator charge reference after the diode-splitting block. Do not ground the VIP. Make the relay box connections before activation (otherwise joystick error and reset).

CAN Joystick Operation

• On: both buttons for two seconds; the thruster deploys automatically. Do not deflect the joystick until fully deployed; pressing both buttons during deployment retracts it.
• Off: both buttons for two seconds; it retracts and deactivates at the Up position.
• Emergency retract: port button 4 times.
• Thrust: fully proportional, only when fully deployed; 4 seconds delay between left and right on the 24 V unit, none on the same side.
• Hold: joystick at the wanted angle + button opposite to the thrust side for 3 seconds (flashing 1:4); any button or joystick movement cancels.
• Overheat: power limited to 80% first, then shutdown with both buttons flashing red until the motor cools.
• Errors: over/under-voltage → port button for 7 seconds. 24 V error state has a 2 minutes time out; hold the left button for 7 seconds to reset each joystick; a drop to 18V also needs a reset.
• Automatic retract: on power failure while deployed, at power-up if Up is not detected, and when left deployed unused (15 minutes on 24 V, 10 minutes on 48 V). Blocked deploy/retract: 25 seconds → error (24 V); 15 seconds → cut and restore power to retract (48 V).
• Up to three 10 meter CAN cables via a 3-way "T"; only one CAN-Joystick active at a time.

Limitations

• Retract during normal navigation; deploy only below 5 knots. Never leave it down when not in use.
• Mind the boat's momentum, never run near people, animals or objects in the water, main power off before service, never test thrust out of the water.

Parts Lists

Parts List & Diagram A

48 V list A: #1 Brushless motor 600137 (motor cover 06157 listed separately), #3 Mega Fuse (N/A), #11 VIP ECO PRO Relay Box (N/A); other items as above.

Parts Diagram & List B (same on 24 V and 48 V)

Codes as printed (the list B column is headed "Old Code"; "-" = no code given).