Location: 31 | Shep - 10/18/2012 11:16 AM
3. If you wire directly to the battery, make sure you fuse AT the battery. Fusing is to protect the wiring from burning up. Does no good if the fuse is at the device.
I can understand the reason to fuse close to the battery to protect the wire, but the component would still be protected even though it's not text book. I admit I should have had more detail with that recommendation though.
IMHO there should be a build in seperate fuse panel for today's electronics because by the time you get through running and fusing each component individually close to the battery, it can get redundant and crowded back there.
I personally found it easier to run one heavier gauge (fused) wire from the battery to a on/off switch at the helm. Then from the on/off switch to a new fuse panel with separate handy plug in type fuses for each of the Lowrance components that I have.
Maybe I'm wrong but I just figured there would be less chance for interference this way and obviously less wires running back and forth to the battery. I also like the idea that when switched off there is zero power to the fuse box. I remember reading on here that people were (maybe) having problems with dead batteries from the GPS searching for a signal while the unit was turned off.
Here's a picture...
Edited by Jerry Newman 10/18/2012 2:05 PM
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IMAG0193.jpg (23KB - 138 downloads)
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