Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

mikex624 · Apr 25, 2012

I am by no means smart when it comes to electrical work so i need help doing this.

How do i connect my fish finder wire to a 12 volt battery that i have pictures of.

I am guessing female slide connectors? but i have no clue. Help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Fireman431 · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

Red is positive and black is the negative. Use standard crimp connectors, preferably the ones with the thicker covers.

mark1905 · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

To be exact, you need a yellow female spade connector.. like this:

They sell them at any Radio Shack or auto parts store.

Don S · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

Yes, you need a female spade connector as Mark1905 stated, but probably not the yellow ones. Your wires are probably 18, maybe 16 ga. and the yellow ones are for 12 to 10 ga. wire. Radio shack has the smaller ones to. Take the harness with you to get the right size, and I would strongly suggest you get the fully insulated ones as well.

Jlawsen · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

West Marine had some waterproof ones with a shrink tube collar that had a glue inside. Even if you didn't get the crimp right, they'd hold. All you had to do was hold a bic lighter under them and they'd shrink right down. I have a die style crimper so I don't pay the extra money for them but a lot of folks don't so that's why I'm mentioning these from West Marine.

mark1905 · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

Don S said:
Your wires are probably 18, maybe 16 ga. and the yellow ones are for 12 to 10 ga. wire.

Yeesh.. that small a gauge of wire for a trolling motor? I was assuming the yellow because I was sure that a high torque electrical motor would be equipped with a decent gauge..

1980Galaxy · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

He is wiring a fish finder, not a trolling motor...

mark1905 · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

1980Galaxy said:
He is wiring a fish finder, not a trolling motor...

:facepalm:

It's been a long.. long.. LONG.. day.

..and you know.. I was wondering why he was using such a tiny battery. It all becomes clear now. Waiter.. can I get a drink?

Don S · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

mark1905 said:
:facepalm:

It's been a long.. long.. LONG.. day.

..and you know.. I was wondering why he was using such a tiny battery. It all becomes clear now. Waiter.. can I get a drink?

Prayin' for a "Delete" button about now?

Been there myself many times

mikex624 · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

ok so you guys are saying just take the wire to radio shack and they will tell me which ones i need?

Don S · Apr 25, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

Take the battery too. Make sure the connector fits the wire and the terminal on the battery. Try to get nylon covered connectors, not poly, they crack and fall off when crimped.

Fireman431 · Apr 26, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

You don't need to take all that crap to the store with you. That is a narrow terminal battery. The standard width crimp connectors will work, but they specifically make a narrow connector as well. Radio Shack or similar store will have them as that is the same type of battery that is in a home alarm system or back-up power supply.

That is a narrow gauge wire, more than likely no larger than 18g. Get the crimp connectors with the red nylon sheathing. The blue would work, but that gauge technically takes red.

Zeker · Apr 26, 2012

Re: Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

I don't recall anyone mentioning the need for a fuse (ideally waterproof) on the red (positive) wire of the fish finder. From the pic the battery appears to be a rechargeable gel cell 12V that should power a fish finder about a month without recharging. I used a gel cell successfully as a temporary dedicated power supply for a fish finder until I figured out why the unit would lock up when I restarted the motor.

Help with wiring fish finder to my battery!

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