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Wiring new fish finder myself

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Jacob Dixon

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I just purchased a new 2017 Bennington SSRX about a month ago. I'm having the center plastic console piece on the helm custom made so I can remove the gauges and put in my Lowrance HDS 7 Gen 2 Touch. I'm also going to wire the NEMA 2000 to it to get engine data.


i was looking under the boat while I was in the water and trying to find the best route to run new wires. The current fish finder has it on the port side running into the pontoon and no idea from there. It looks like underneath is it covered by metal to keep water from hitting the wood floor.


Does anyone have pictures of them running wires to the helm or give any suggestions? Is it possible to do while in the water since I don't have a trailer?
 
You'll either have to remove underskinning or run up outside edge then across. You might run across the rear then up the starboard side. Either way your going to have some fishing of the cable. The stock uses cable clamps screwed to the underside so you can't just pull a new line using the old. 
 
I added LEDs to the center toon.  Through the boot under the console you get access to the underside of the deck, but your outside of the toon.  A piece of coat hanger and some nimble fingers help to guide the wire to the stern, small gap below deck perimeter, try to weave wire through "M" pieces that support deck off of toon.  At the stern, it depends on if you have extended rear or not, I do not, I used a fishtape, I removed black plastic cover over gas tank,  sent fish over to corner, hooked up wire and pulled through.  In your case obviously you will have to continue over to port and then drop down on toon.  Measure out how long the outside path will be, you may need an extension.  Also, you will probably have a molded connector on your wire which could be a problem, may want to run from stern to console.  I did not try but you might be able to send a fish tape in the existing black plastic conduit/sheathing from console to the rear, or vice versa.  Another option is to use a shop vac on the conduit and see if you can suck a pull string through it, maybe try some light yarn, maybe tie a very small piece of fabric to it, then use that to pull a stronger string, then your wire.  You should be able to do this wet, except maybe that vac part.  Good luck.            
 
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My cable dropped down out of helm, crossed over to port side, then ran down through the M brackets, just laying on the toon. It was easy for me to run a new one, as I had no underskinning. 
 
My wires do have the connectors molded so that could cause a problem. I'm going up there Saturday and Sunday so hopefully I can get a better idea of how I could do this based on all of the info you all provided.


I'm also trying to talk to a dealer about connecting my engine to my fish finder with NMEA as well.
 
If you need to, you can remove the crimped on terminals from the molded plug.  
 
mattb said:
If you need to, you can remove the crimped on terminals from the molded plug.  
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I contacted another dealer and they were willing to help.. however they said it was going to be about $600 in parts just for the NMEA stuff. They were going to get the Yamaha Command Link HUB and all that crap that wasn't needed because i'm NOT using Command Link! 


After my own research it seems I just need the Navico Yamaha Engine Interface cable ( 000-0120-37 ), a Lowrance NMEA 2000 starter kit, and possibly an NMEA extension cable.


I may just have to buy a damn trailer and run this crap myself anyways
 
Where are you located?
 
Too cold to get wet or too far away?
 
mattb said:
Too cold to get wet or too far away?
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I have a dry suit (I'm a diver) so it isn't too cold. However the sonar stuff is in the water.. don't really have a water proof drill to drill the brackets into the little bracket mount they have coming off the pontoon.
 
Gotcha, any chance the old transducer holes match the new?  You should be able to back it onto a beach and expose that bracket enough to drill. Take along a 2x4 to use as a fulcrum on a rock.
 
That is not a bad idea... however I have to double check the wires will reach the side it currently is on (port). It is possible I have to put it on the starboard side which doesn't have holes. But still that may work!
 
Is there a bracket on both sides?
 
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You could also take along a bunch of friends. Back up close to beach. Have them sit up front, and it might get the rear of the toon up high enough to get to the bracket.   :D
 
SEMPERFI8387 said:
You could also take along a bunch of friends. Back up close to beach. Have them sit up front, and it might get the rear of the toon up high enough to get to the bracket.   :D
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Believe it or not I've actually thought about borrowing a large lift bag from a local dive shop to lift up the back of the boat while it is in the water lol
 
I was thinking about something like that but figured you'd ask me if I was nuts ....  :blink:
 
If you don't have to cross over the stern that wiring should be fairly easy.  The boot is big enough to allow the connector/ transducer through, and there should be no problem running it down through the M supports to the stern.  Make a couple of hooks out of coat hanger wire to help fish it to the stern. Lift that sucker and drill some holes.
 
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