www.iFourWinns.com

Dedicated to Current and Future Owners
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 12:43 pm

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:48 pm 
Offline
Seahorse

Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:41 pm
Posts: 24
Location: Grand Rapids
Hello everyone, new FW boater here. Just bought a 2004 Sundowner and am would like to install a Standard Horizon chartplotter directly to the fuse panel. I have very little experience with this type and would actually like to learn something useful by doing it myself. The fuse panel has two empty slots so I figured I connect the ground wire to one and the positive to the other one? Am I completely off base? I've spent some time researching other posts and other sites but couldn't find any help.

Thanks


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:05 pm 
Offline
email admin your custom rank

Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
Posts: 5661
Location: Long Island NY
This is actually a pretty easy project, you have to figure out how the fuse panel is set up as far as where the power comes in from the battery and how it gets back. Using a digital voltmeter, you can see where you get 12 volts and which is the pos side and which is the neg side. On mine all the fuse receptacles were filled but there were spare terminals on the pos and neg side. So the way I wired it up was use a fuse holder attached to the pos lead, and crimped on a terminal to the end of the fuse holder wire. This gets put on the pos terminal on the fuse box. The negative lead from the chart plotter also gets a crimped on terminal and gets attached to the neg terminal on the fuse box. They are sometimes on opposite sides of the fuse box. The way to tell which side is pos. and which is neg, is to watch when you hook up the voltmeter probes. If it reads +12, then the terminal you have the red probe touching is the pos, and the one you have the black probe touching is the neg terminal. If it reads -12V then its the opposite.
The more challenging part is mounting the transducer if the plotter is also a sounder (depth finder). For that you have to install a transducer (either on the transom, or in the hull of the boat if the hull is not cored). If its a cored hull you can't use a shoot thru the hull model. You have to drill a hole in the transom to run the transducer wiring up through the the transom to the plotter unit. Make sure to seal any holes well with marine sealant.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:02 am 
Offline
Seahorse

Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:41 pm
Posts: 24
Location: Grand Rapids
Once I figured out where the negative side was, it was a simple install. Kinda embarrassing how easy it was! Now I know what to look for and on to the next project. Will be installing a marine radio/antenna and Smart Tabs. Thanks for the help.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:15 am 
Offline
email admin your custom rank

Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
Posts: 5661
Location: Long Island NY
Glad to help. Yes its easy, the digital voltmeter is your friend. Now get a VHF radio that can be interfaced with the GPS. That way, the radio knows your position and you can send a distress signal to the Coast Guard by just pushing a button. You will have an easier time if you want to do this if you get a radio that is the same brand as the GPS. Standard Horizon is a very good brand for either. I have a SH radio and a Garmin, all I had to do is figure out how to interconnect the two. Not hard really. Just very small wires, I wound up soldering them because they were too small to crimp.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group