Installing a fish finder on the bow

phishenphool · Post by **phishenphool** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:20 pm

Here is what I got. I want to mount a lowrance 51x on the bow of my 2008 basstracker 170tx. I have all the hardware and transducer mount.
Do I need to run the wires to the fuse box or the battery? Which fuse slot do I tap into if it is the fuse box?

DPetty · Post by **DPetty** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:44 pm

You can attach it to your fuse box but, most people run the power wires directly to the cranking battery with an inline fuse in an effort to reduce electrical interference and additional drain on the troling motor battery or batteries.

SloppySeconds · Post by **SloppySeconds** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:12 pm

Hard-wiring it direct to the battery with the inline fuse is probably the best way to go, but it can be a pain getting the wires all the way back there. If you decide to go that route, you can use an electrician's fish tape to help feed the wiring through your existing conduit (assuming your boat has some).

Another possibility is that your boat probably has some wiring near the bow - like a motor trim switch or light switch. Depending on how the boat is wired, you may be able to tap into the wiring that is already there. Sometimes, the manufacturers will put an extra bus near that dash panel, allowing you to wire additional accessories using the existing wiring. For example, my 1997 Ranger has a bus on the back of the bow panel that allowed me to wire a fish finder directly to it. It has both pos/neg terminals, and I just use the inline fuse. The power comes off the starting battery. It makes it much more convenient, since you don't have to run wires all the way back to the console or the starting battery.

If you don't have such a bus in the bow, you could run wire back to the console where your main fuse panel is. Just make sure to use the right amp fuse. If you have any doubts as to your wiring, just wire straight onto the starting battery with the inline fuse supplied with the unit.

Good luck!

cbwiii · Post by **cbwiii** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:36 pm

My 2005 Tracker had a wire at the bow for just that purpose. Call Gone Fishin in Dixon and ask for the service mgr. He seems to know the Tracker line inside and out, and has been helpful both when I installed a finder in front and when I installed a GPS. (Make sure you service it there in return; they do a great job!)

phishenphool · Post by **phishenphool** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:51 pm

SloppySeconds wrote:Hard-wiring it direct to the battery with the inline fuse is probably the best way to go, but it can be a pain getting the wires all the way back there. If you decide to go that route, you can use an electrician's fish tape to help feed the wiring through your existing conduit (assuming your boat has some).

Another possibility is that your boat probably has some wiring near the bow - like a motor trim switch or light switch. Depending on how the boat is wired, you may be able to tap into the wiring that is already there. Sometimes, the manufacturers will put an extra bus near that dash panel, allowing you to wire additional accessories using the existing wiring. For example, my 1997 Ranger has a bus on the back of the bow panel that allowed me to wire a fish finder directly to it. It has both pos/neg terminals, and I just use the inline fuse. The power comes off the starting battery. It makes it much more convenient, since you don't have to run wires all the way back to the console or the starting battery.

If you don't have such a bus in the bow, you could run wire back to the console where your main fuse panel is. Just make sure to use the right amp fuse. If you have any doubts as to your wiring, just wire straight onto the starting battery with the inline fuse supplied with the unit.

Good luck!

Thanks to everyone who responded. I installed it last night and yes there were wires prerun to the bow which made it a super easy job.