Electrical Question - lost power to Fishfinders

[Texas Transplant]

Okay. After doing all my work on mounting the new transducer and installing the new units (console unit and the new Humminbird Interlink capability). Everything was working fine.



Yesterday, got out there to re-route and tie up the extra cabling under the console. Got that all done, and then put one of the sonars on and was going to power it up and verify everything.



No power. No power to any of the units.



Did some work and re-worked a 'poor' connector. No good. Checked all my fuseable links, they are okay.



Biggest question that I have is: Where is the 'ground', typically, on a boat? On a car, it's easy. Fiberglass boat - NOT. My boat, does not have an 'electrical block', but rather a wiring harness and lot's of switches with breakers.



Any suggestions? Getting tired of trying to crawl under the console and work on this stuff. I'm not exactly 'Trep's Size' - so . . . .



Thanks.



Tex

 

[Aroldo Hernandez]

Same thing happened to me on my boat I would power up my fish finder and in time it would shut down by it self. I got a volt meter reader and my ground connection was bad. The black wire that I was usinf g for ground would bring my volts down that would shut it off........P.S. get you a volt meter to check your power, "It's a must do thing".

 

[Mebassn]

Tex, where did you tie into the power? If you run power directly from the battery (recommended) then the ground should be the neg side of the battery. If you tied into the wire harness try to turn the ignition switch to the on or acc position or turn the master power switch on then try.



Eric

 

[Texas Transplant]

That's part of the problem, trying to 'figure' where it's 'grounded' from. Yes, have a voltmeter.



I have a strong suspicision that the ground has been 'weak' for awhile - regardless. Just guess that I need to figure out and try and trace back the ground wire also. I'm very tempted to run new power to the units, for they all get it from a common tie in (or so it appears).



Still working on it.



Thanks.



Tex

 

[Tony Payne]

Tes - that is what I would recomend - running new power to the units - isolated from the rest of the boat - this will give you the 'best'.



After that, if you can find a place to tie in, I would also run a new ground from the battery to the panel - in my boat, they had so much of the ground daisy chained that a weak point 'anywhere' caused problems 'everywhere' - so, running a new ground to the panel strengthened all of them.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Sim,



Think that I have pretty much talked myself into running new wires. I've pulled enough transducer cables back through the boat, what's two more wires. I also think that I will make a serious attempt to find the 'main ground' coming into the console from the battery.



Later.



Tex

 

[Bryan McDonough]

I'd bet you can find it on the master switch harness.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Well, I'm ready to attack it later today. Got my new wiring harness for the power to the depthfinders; connectors; battery take off's; fusable link and such and will be re-wiring the depthfinder power later today or Sunday after I return from a trip to Houston.



I'm going to see if I can trace back the negative source first, just to be certain.



Thanks for the help and assistance. I'll report progress/success, as it's completed.



Tex

 

[Bruce Freeman]

On most boats the common ground is also a post under the dash.



BF