Installing/wiring upgrades

Keithsen · **Posted:** Sat Dec 29, 2012 11:10 am

Hi all
Thanks in advance for help!2004 H190 is my first boat. I've purchased minn Kota terrova, humminburd 798 and blue water Add A Battery. Need to Install all.
I have replaced motor 3 times in my jet ski, besides other DYI..I'm relatively tooled up and inclined.
I still would love to save time and trouble with any thoughts and suggestions, especially from those with experiences close to or same applications.
My main concerns:
-routing wiring as cleanly as possible for all upgrades...haven't fished wire on boat yet.
-transom mount transducer...best location on my hull. Transom best over through hull??
-I'm a little intimidated about screwing up Add A battery system:
-the start wire from ignition
-the house wiring...best way to identify for disconnect from current design to connect to switch
-large ANL fuses needed off relay/ACR and...best place to get supplies with out ordering off Internet...I have 4/0 cable for batt to switch so good there..I think?!
AGAIN...thanks for help!!! Calm nerves make these projects fun compared to stressful.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Sat Dec 29, 2012 1:59 pm

I would use tinned wire, it is marine rated. Its more $$ but will not turn GREEN on you. I would stay way from the Add-a-battery system. For many reasons, cost & you can not start your engine on ether battery alone. I can go into more detail if you like.

I would install a dual battery setup!! You could add a battery combiner. If you are using shore power, you will need to add a dual battery charger.

The smaller the boat the harder it is to seperate the house from very thing else. You may not want to bother with that. Just take the POS wire from the battery to the COMM side of the dual battery switch. Than run a POS wire to each battery. Than just ground the 2nd battery to the first one or to the engine block.

If it was me, I would use #2 wire depending on the run, the cost to upgrade is small. The shorter the better!

Keithsen · **Posted:** Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:48 am

Thanks Paul
I am curious of more of your knowledge on the add a batt system for sure please...for instance I thought 1 thing it does IS start the engine off the the cranking/starting batt by default and you can use both at once if needed. I will purchase a 10amp- 5/5, onboard charger...but figured with the amount of cruising I do...the engine alt will do ok charging both batts at same time when engine on. And use onboard to be sure charger to complete at home. Trolling will take most of the electricity.
As far as house separation, there are 4POS connections to my motor now at starter:
-#1 being the start wire from ignition
-#2 being a sm cluster from alternator
-#3 being the bundle going up front
-#4 starter from batt..
Does this sound correct??
From diagram for this system I need to Power to engine from 1 side of ACR/isolator and power house circuit from other side of ACR/isolator....this is how it charges both but draws for specific batt depending on task...no?
Thanks!!

Paul I. · **Posted:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:03 pm

As to the wiring: I don't know your boat, so I don't want to mislead you. Seloc makes manuals on this if you really want to try to separate house from starting.

To me, on smaller boats it's not that big of a deal to not have them separated.

As to the Add-a-battery: You can never start the engine on ether battery alone. The 2nd battery must be used in parallel with the 1st battery. Which could discharge the 2nd battery into the 1st one if its that bad. With a dual battery set up, you have full control. You can start on ether battery alone or both.

Most boater with dual setup, switch back & froth between the 2 batteries in starting. In this way they know that ether battery alone is good and can start your engine. With the Add-a-battery as mentioned, you can only start on the 1st one & the 2nd one can only help.

For me keep it simlpe, I would use a dual setup and A battery combiner if I wanted to take it to the next level.

To:From diagram for this system I need to Power to engine from 1 side of ACR/isolator and power house circuit from other side of ACR/isolator....this is how it charges both but draws for specific batt depending on task...no?

I would have to say "yes".

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:36 pm

I put in a simple dual battery system with a 1.2.Both.Off switch and it works fine as long as you alternate the use of the batteries. One trip you run it on #1, the next on #2, only use Both if either one is too weak to start it. You can run it on Both if you want to charge both at the same time but never leave it on Both when not using the boat since a bad battery will pull the juice out of the good one. A battery combiner can be added and then you don't have to remember to switch. When I put this in I replaced all the OE battery cables that were crap by this time (like 8 years ago so the boat was already pretty old then) and used 2 gauge for the shorter runs and 1/0 gauge for the one longer run from the switch on the starboard side to the battery on the port side.

As far as transducers, there are basically 3 kinds, the one most people use is the transom mount. There is also the kind that shoots through the hull and is fits into a mount that is glued to the bottom of the hull and filled with oil. Lastly there is the kind used on bigger boats and requires that a hole is drilled through the bottom of the hull and its mounted like a through hull fitting. That last type is more work than most people would want to do. The transom mount is probably the easiest to mount but it is important to mount it on a part of the transom that does not get turbulence (not behind a strake, or trim tab) because bubbles in the water will cause it to not read properly). The ones that use the glue to the bottom of the bilge mount do not have this problem, but they require that you have access to a large enough area to mount it properly. Also they work right only with a solid glass hull, if the hull is cored (most FWs if not all do have solid glass bottoms) they will not read right at all.
If you do a transom mount, the better ones come with a template to help you get it right. Make sure you seal the holes you need to drill in the transom if you do use a transom mount. You do NOT want water in the transom. Also you may have to adjust it by trial and error to get it to read right at all speeds. I just got a new Garmin combination GPS/fishfinder so I will be installing a new transom mount transducer on my old boat. It was time to upgrade from the (at least 15 year old) Humminbird.....

Keithsen · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:38 am

Thanks guys
I already invested in all the units I spoke about so "trigger has been pulled".
Going to keep moving forward on the isolated batt system...I appreciate how the standard 2 batt systems work and aprreciate your values on them. I'm waiting on the ANL fuses to hook up isolator correctly..otherwise I've fabricated the panel a few weeks ago to put in engine compartment to organize everything well...pretty much all 1/0 as I had several feet on a roll from a trailer batt upgrade.
Paul I'll look into the seloc manuals...but think I'll take the time to simply disconnect 1 at a time the 2possible eyelet electrical connectors going to starter that are the 1 being analternator lead and the other is the house lead...then I'll know which is house...which needs to connect to 1 side of this systems switch.
On transducer:
Lou hind site 20/20 right!...I couldn't wait to trade the transom mount for through hull from hummingbird...had to play!! They trade for free....
BUT once you mount or mess with at all...they won't trade and I already used shorter screws (as not to go through hull) to mount n adjust. End of day I wish I had proper through hull...I don't mind getting dirty and in tight places...hulls have a dozens holes already...just need to seal correctly.
Anyhow...I've decided today to go ahead and drill the hole for wiring and run correctly as its been "rigged" for testing.
Cons on transom is probably the average complaints...loose res at high speeds...just makes sense to me a through hull (not inside hull) would simply have no obstructions or cavitation/turbulence to deal with...maybe some day a Y cable to get best of both worlds....I understand the humminbird interface simply takes best signal being provided from the 2 transducers...I also can "Us2" the Y cable from transducer on my minn Kota...but as of now my slow images are quite awesome (little more adjusting) but is the high speed marking,tracking,imaging I would like to improve.
Other issue I'm just gonna live with is on the transom mount (either side, behind motor on hull or to side) I can see the prop "rope" in image...approx 10-20 miles per hour...I guess not a biggy as I know what it is, it's not really at water depth I'd be marking, or at speed I'd be fishing??.?
Mounting trolling motor today too.
Thoughts thanks all

Keithsen · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:41 am

Also guys...how does a dim wit put attachments in posts?
Then this dim wit would include/provide a few pics.
...just see where to add...for profile either.
Thanks

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:16 pm

Dimwit Picture posting Tutorial

Keithsen · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2013 5:24 am

Thanks cpt Morgan.

Can any other readers/do it your selfers chime in on the the systems I'm installing?
...last thing I'm realy dealing with or worried about is the house wiring connection at motor side.
Is a 190horizon volvo penta sx. No current switches...it connects directly to the starter.
...going to wing it this AM...just would be cool if I had a supervisor!!....for once. Lol

ric · **Posted:** Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:38 pm

Tinned wire, AND I always put this on every wire I run. Even my speaker wires.

Braided wire covering and heat shrink the ends. Looks super professional and keeps things safe.

www.iFourWinns.com

Installing/wiring upgrades

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