Lowrance HDS 5x

[silverviper]

I need help wiring a fish finder. My wife bought herself a Crestliner pontoon a month ago. (I told her its her payments). She was nice enough to buy me a Lowrance HDS 5x fish finder. I'm a computer techncian, but when it comes to wiring this thing, I am lost. I am very greenhorn when it comes to wiring. I looked through the manual and it gave me little insight, as well as the Lowrance website.

I was able to mount and install the transducer and brackets for the fish finder. The problem is the Power/Data cable that plugs into the back of it. The cable itself Y's into two different cables. First the power cable: I wired the Red & Black wires to the battery. The unit powers up & turns on. There is also a yellow "Accessory 'wake up'" wire. I have no idea where to put this wire. I do have a fuse box under the steering column. Nothing on it says accessory. Do I even need it?

Also on the Data portion of the Power/Data cable there are four wires. blue/orange/green/yellow and a shield for ground. This says it hooks up to a NMEA 0183/RS-422. After reading about this it sounds like this is for accessories to add such as GPS or Radar?? Do I need to hook up these wires? Would it give me information on the fish finder such as fuel usage/rpm's/speed.. ect.??

Like I said, the unit works running just the positive and negative to the battery, but this NMEA is throwing me for a loop.

Thanks for your help.

 

[walleye1968]

Re: Lowrance HDS 5x

if you have just the base uint the red&black is all you shoud need
tape off the other wires

i was looking to upgrad to this unit frome a lcx 17m
untill my plant closed

 

[cfmitch]

Re: Lowrance HDS 5x

I know this is an old post, but I just purchased the HDS 5 and have questions about the wiring. I too have the multi colored wires in the second cable. I also have the built in GPS and I just can not find how I am supposed to wire this unit. I know the red/black go to the battery, but have no idea about the second cable. One portion of the installation says that I have to purchase the NMEA 2000 Starter Kit (124-69). Do I or does the red/black operate the whole unit fish finder & GPS?

 

[Oldskool]

Re: Lowrance HDS 5x

The red (positive) and black (negative) wires simply power the unit itself. If you wish to have the unit also serve as a GPS, you will in fact need to purchase the NMEA kit; it is what actually receives the satellite signals and feeds the data to the unit.

 

[Jason Gilstrap Lowrance]

Re: Lowrance HDS 5x

The red (positive) and black (negative) wires simply power the unit itself. If you wish to have the unit also serve as a GPS, you will in fact need to purchase the NMEA kit; it is what actually receives the satellite signals and feeds the data to the unit.

Oldskool is right on.

 

[cfmitch]

Re: Lowrance HDS 5x

Thanks guys for the info. I had the idea I'd have to purchase the kit, but really wasn't sure. Oh well what's another $45 after spending $700, right? Thanks again.

 

[PUP300]

Re: Lowrance HDS 5x

I have the HDS 5 and hooked up just the red and black to battery. I taped off all other wires including yellow. My GPS runs just fine. I was under the impression all the other data cables are use linking other radars or sonars.

 

[bruce40]

Re: Lowrance HDS 5x

You dont need the NMEA 2000 starter kit unless your going to network the head unit to your motor or radar.

The gps is internal on the HDS, no puck. All you need is power, ground and transducer wired up to make the unit work. Make sure to use the 3amp fuse that came with the unit.

If your motor is nmea 2000 compatible you can get all sorts of data displayed on the head unit. (speed, rpm, fuel, trim, temp, water press.,engine hours, battery vol., alternator output)

I just got a HDS and networked it to my 115Etec, pretty cool stuff.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Lowrance HDS 5x

Welcome to the board. Lot of people to help here.

HDS 5X is only a Fish Finder / Sonar no internal GPS.
HDS 5M is the GPS/Sonar combo.

If you have the 5X it has no built in GPS or antenna. The network kit will not help unless you have a GPS to connect it to.

If you have the HDS 5M then you do not need the Network kit as it has the GPS built in. The Wires are to connect to a DSC radio so when you push the distress button the radio will send out your postion. Of course the Radio also needs a MMSI number programed in.

So which unit do you have?

By the way much better to start a new thread.