Max Power VIP 250 Electric Retractable Thruster — Installation Manual

Specifications

• Delivered with: thruster assembly (motor, directional control relay, relay cover, motor support, coupling, up/down motors, drive leg, propellers), control box, black joystick control panel and 25m control cable.
• Data sheet performance: immersion of one tunnel diameter, tunnel no longer than twice its diameter, within +/- 6%. It lists automatic shutdown after 30 minutes of inactivity; the manual says ten minutes in the Up position.
• The SP VIP 250 Electric 24V manual follows the same installation and operation; its electrical data differ (see Electrical).

Mechanical Installation

• As far forward (or aft) as possible with one full turbine diameter (250 mm) of immersion; room to remove the unit and for freely flexing power cables.
• Power fuse and manual battery isolator in the positive cable near the thruster bank; the Max Power electrical battery isolator in the same cable for the automatic safety features; control box near the thruster in a completely dry, ventilated area.
• Reinforced GRP mounting base laminated into a GRP hull or 5086 aluminium alloy flange welded into an alloy hull; 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, marine grease on both faces, never glued or bedded with Sikaflex; tighten in successive passes.
• Closing plate in a 15 – 20 mm wide rebate on a neoprene or moulded Sikaflex gasket; no light into the enclosure; never copper-based paint, never paint the column.
• Set the "Up" detector fully retracted (2.5 mm Allen key grub screw); "Down" detector is factory set; thrust plate must not protrude; bolt the alloy plate bracket through the GRP turbine.
• Trial runs: feed the up/down motors directly through a 10A fuse, reversing polarity; disconnect as soon as the unit blocks.

Electrical Installation

Cable length = positive run plus negative run. ISO 10133: drop not over 10% at full load.

• Batteries: maintenance-free starting type, in particular ODYSSEY AGM EXTREME [ODX-AGM31] (1150 CCA, 100Ah) – two in series minimum, series/parallel ideal for the VIP 250; total 2400 CCA and 150Ah for the SP VIP 250. Thrusters draw high currents for maximum 3 min. Lithium batteries need Max Power's consent (otherwise the warranty is void) and can also cause rapid deterioration of the electrical components.
• Insulation at least 85° - 90°C; two smaller cables (e.g. 2 x 50 mm² instead of 95 mm²) for flexibility. Do not ground the VIP; alternator charge reference after the diode-splitting block.
• Control circuit: double pole isolator/breaker "Thruster", ideally from a separate battery; control box supply fused 15A (slow blow), wires min. 2,5mm², drop not over 5%; electric battery isolator in the motor positive cable; Max Power control panels only.
• If joystick left moves the boat right, swap the brown and blue control wires at the thruster relay.

Control Panel Operation

• On/Off: black push-button while pushing the joystick right for one second (double beep); off only when fully up.
• Lower/raise: hold "Down" (red) or "Up" (green) until the double beep; released early, a short beep every ½ second; while down, a short beep every three seconds.
• Thrust: left/right only when fully down; a delay applies between directions.
• Overheat: "On" LED flashes at one-second intervals; ten seconds of thrust remain, then raise and let the motor cool.
• Auto off: after ten minutes unused in the Up position.

Limitations

• Up during normal navigation, use only below 5 knots, never leave it down when unused.
• Motor rated S2-2min: 2 minutes continuous, then cool to ambient. Use with batteries fully charged and alternator running. Never test thrust out of the water.

Parts Lists

Parts List & Diagram A

SP VIP 250 list A is identical except #3 Complete Thruster Relay 24V 315322; it also prints motor 312871 (as printed).

Parts Diagram & List B (VIP 250 and SP VIP 250)

The list B column is headed "Old Code"; all other items (leg bolts, propeller grub screw and pin, nuts, washer, cotter pin, water gland and retaining ring, sliding shaft parts, keys, oil seal, circlips, bearing, drive shaft, propeller housing, tunnel clamp, closing trap support plate, seals, adapter, drive nut and screw, end float spacer, screw bearing, wheel, drive screw key, motor screws) are printed without a code: quote the item number from the diagram when asking us to source them.

Drawings in the Downloads

• General dimensions – dimension drawing titled 317707-VIP250/24V (as printed).
• Aluminium flange VP112050 – VIP250 aluminium flange general dimensions; 5083 or 5086 aluminium alloy, welded without the thruster fitted, flatness checked after welding (image-only drawing: height under flange 308 mm).
• Mounting base VP112000 – VIP250 GRP mounting base general dimensions (isophthalic polyester resin + glass fibre).
• Print the drawings at 100% and do not rescale.