Wiring Fish Finder to 12 V Minn Kota Battery Power Center

[Dale Fletcher]

I need to Power my transducerfor my Fishmark 480 fish finder. The wires are about 24 gauge. I have a Minn Kota Battery Power Center with lugs about 1/2” in diameter. What technique do I use to connect the very small gauge wires to the lugs? I have not been able to find a connector spade that will do the trick.

 

[fishrdan]

You'll be hard pressed to find the "proper" 3/8" ring terminals for 24ga wire. Just use a 3/8 ring terminal for larger wire, crimp and solder. Use a couple layers of heatshrink tubing (slide on before crimp and solder) as a strain-relief, so the soldered wire doesn't bust off the terminal.

Better yet, run some heavier wire (18 or 16) from the fish finder location to the battery box.

 

[dingbat]

Considering the frailty of 24 gauge wire, one would think anyone (company) would be stupid enough to use them on a power connections to save a buck.

If it is truly the case, splice a piece of 14 - 16 gauge to the end of the power wires then crimp on a suitable 1/2" ring terminal. Might be easier to find 1/2" ring terminals in 12-10 gauge wire sizes

 

[Silvertip]

Let's get back to your original post where you said "power your transducer for .......". You don't run power to the transducer. You run +12 volts and ground to the head unit and I seriously doubt those are 24 gauge wire. The transducer connects to the head unit. Just getting terminology straight here. If this is what you really meant, that is not what you actually wrote.

 

[gm280]

I read all the replies and I personally don't know if wiring your locator to the trolling motor battery. Remember, and surges from the trolling motor will be felt at the power supply I.E. the battery. And the locator could act finicky doing that because of the brushes making noise while running that travels on the power lines. Don't know your setup, but a much better idea would be to use your cranking battery since you will be using the locator mostly when trolling...or that's what I do.