Wiring up depthfinders/electronics
MACK
Posted 3/29/2006 7:35 AM (#184684)
Subject: Wiring up depthfinders/electronics




Posts: 1080


When you guys are wiring up your electronics, are you all running your positive and negative cables directly to the starting battery? Or are any of you running your positive and negative cables to your fuse box panel in your boat, if your boat is equiped with a fuse box panel?

Any pros/cons to running directly to the fuse box panel vs. directly to the starting battery?
mikie
Posted 3/29/2006 10:23 AM (#184706 - in reply to #184684)
Subject: RE: Wiring up depthfinders/electronics





Location: Athens, Ohio
running them directly to the battery requires an in-line fuse or breaker unit on the + wire.
If you can get to your fuse box I'd take everything off that if it was me. m
MACK
Posted 3/29/2006 10:29 AM (#184707 - in reply to #184684)
Subject: RE: Wiring up depthfinders/electronics




Posts: 1080


The way I see it...there's the two options:

1) Use of the fuse box panel in the boat (if you boat's supplied with one) utilizing it with the correct amp fuse

or

2) Running directly to the starting battery with the use of an inline tube fuse like what Mikie has said.

Right now...I've wired directly into the fuse panel with the correct amp fuse.

Just wasn't sure if there was any cons to doing that that'd make me go back and run the extra wire back to the battery to hook up to it directly and use an inline fuse with it.

I'm thinking I'll be just fine..but...just out of curiosity sake...wanted to ask to see for sure.
VMS
Posted 3/29/2006 7:05 PM (#184764 - in reply to #184684)
Subject: RE: Wiring up depthfinders/electronics





Posts: 3480


Location: Elk River, Minnesota
It's really going to be 6 of one and half dozen of the other. I would look at it in two ways: Which is easier, and/or which looks better when it is all done? The advantage of going to the fuse panel is you have one less lead at the battery. I know on my starting battery, there were 3 leads to begin with before any rigging took place. so...more leads means more wires at the battery.

But...if you can hide/protect the wires very easilly and keep the job looking clean, it doesn't hurt to go to the battery either. But...as others have stated, you need to make sure you have the correct fuse...definitely don't want to have a melt-down at a time you least need it.

Steve