hooking up 2nd depth finder

[trouttamer]

good morning,
i fish out of an alumacraft navigator that has a depth finder included on the SC. there is wiring at the bow, that i was told is for a 2nd depth fider. i have the depth finder, how do i go about hooking it up?

thanks, trouttamer,
fishns' great in NY upstate

 

[Silvertip]

Re: hooking up 2nd depth finder

Find the wires up front. There will be two just laying up there. Use a voltmeter or test light to determine if there is +12V available. If not, check the fuse panel to make sure a fuse has been installed for that circuit. When you find the two wires, connect the locator red wire (+12V) to the +12V wire in the boat (probably red). Connect the locator ground wire to the ground wire in the boat (probably black). The transducer mounts on the bottom of the trolling motor.

 

[trouttamer]

Re: hooking up 2nd depth finder

thanks silver tip, sounds simple enough. this will be my project, still ice on the water now, though the boat comes out of storage in 5 wks.

 

[trouttamer]

Re: hooking up 2nd depth finder

silvertip if i snip the wires on the fishfinder and splice them to the pre-existing wires then this should work? correct? is it this easy?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: hooking up 2nd depth finder

Why do you feel you have to snip the wires on the locator? If its simply that they are too long, its ok to shorten them but why not just bundle them neatly and use a plastic tie wrap or even electrical tape to form a neat bundle. That way the locator can be used on another boat down the road if necessary. The positive lead on the locator will typically have a fuse in it. Do not eliminate that fuse even if there is one in the fuse panel for the boat.

 

[imported_Ady]

Re: hooking up 2nd depth finder

Sounds like you are considering having 2 depth finders off 1 transducer, you cannot do this as the depth finder itself controls the "ping" and both units are likely to do this at separate times. This will destroy the display information. As said already, a secondary finder should have it's own transducer on the trolling motor or at the stern. I had mine on the stern until I bought a new troller with built in transducer.