Thread: Where to get power from?

Originally Posted by Cray

If it was me, I would add a dedicated fuse panel. Wire it directly to cranking battery with a 15 amp fuse at battery using 12 gauge wire twisted to help prevent any interference. Then I would wire each unit to its own seperate fuse on the fuse panel with its appropriate size fuse. That way you would have good solid power. Plus if you had a problem you know exactly where to start trouble shooting. Plus a lot less chance of interference.

A lot of the older,cheaper units perform fine on the boat power because of small power requirements. Newer units are much more sensitive to low voltage and amperage fluctuations. Thus the need for seperate power supply.

Cray I was just thinking is there a need for the 15 amp fuse at the battery since everything connected to the fuse panel will have its own fuse? I do not totally understand how electricity works so I'm not saying your wrong but was just curious if there was a reason behind that? Is that just added protection? With spending the kind of money it cost for these new fish finders I definitely dont want to take the chance of frying one for sure!

Originally Posted by sweathermon

Cray I was just thinking is there a need for the 15 amp fuse at the battery since everything connected to the fuse panel will have its own fuse? I do not totally understand how electricity works so I'm not saying your wrong but was just curious if there was a reason behind that? Is that just added protection? With spending the kind of money it cost for these new fish finders I definitely dont want to take the chance of frying one for sure!

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Just added protection for the wire running from battery to main fuse panel. Figuring you would have a longer run on it rather than installing it close to battery and having 3 long runs from finders. I use the rubber spade fuse holder with the rubber cap to seal fuse. Can get them at most any parts store today. Install a ring eye on one wire to attach to battery then solder and heat shrink long wire to the long wire.

Here is size I prefere
https://www.delcity.net/store/Mini-B...SABEgJHb_D_BwE

And something on this order to hook individual wires to. Blue seas is another place for marine stuff.

https://www.delcity.net/store/ATC-&-..._10960.h_26034

Fuses protect the wiring.
You can ADD a fuse to protect the device (fish finder).
Electrical interference typically comes from electrical motors. Trolling motor being the main culprit. However bilge pump, live-well pumps also create electrical interference and they are typically powered off the starting battery, same fuse panel most connect their sonar units. Best to run separate wiring back to the battery for the sonar units. That includes the neutral wire. A separate 15amp fuse block and neutral block is a great suggestion. Remember, the fuse at the battery protects the wiring, the fuse at the fuse block protects that circuit and/or device. Never put in a fuse larger than the wiring can handle.

Thanks for the feedback guys! I really like to try to understand why to do something a certain way and learn as much as I can so maybe someday I wont have to be asking all the questions maybe I can help answer some! Hoping to get everything installed next weekend. Got 2 hds5 gen2 units and an hds7 gen3 unit to put on and I'm super excited! One other question if you all might know, can you hook an lss1 transducer to an lss2 box? The setup I bought the lss1 box had water inside it and I can't get it to come on and they seem to be kinda hard to find. Just wondering if I can't come up with one if an lss2 box would work with it? If nothing else I will call lowrance Monday and see what they say.Thanks again guys!

Originally Posted by sweathermon

One other question if you all might know, can you hook an lss1 transducer to an lss2 box? The setup I bought the lss1 box had water inside it and I can't get it to come on and they seem to be kinda hard to find. Just wondering if I can't come up with one if an lss2 box would work with it? If nothing else I will call lowrance Monday and see what they say.Thanks again guys!

Yes LSS 1 xducer can be plugged into StructureScan HD box ...

Some report better functionality using the Sonar modules ...on the premise that it frees up resources for the head unit processor ...

Rickie

As Rickie say's you can interchange them. I have seen reports that guys felt the lss1 actually performed better than the lss2 transducer on the lss2 box.