BoatU.S. - May/June 2012

With all holes drilled, run a bead of silicon sealant around the base of the binnacle mount and around each hole. Put the binnacle in place, and before running the bolts through, give each a dab of silicon on their ends. Now secure the bolts to the helm with Nylock aircraft-style locking nuts.

TeCH SuPPORT

Degree Of Difficulty

Mounting hardware (usually included with fishfinder)

Silicon sealant $10

Crimp connectors $3

Terminal connectors $4

STEP II: RUNNING THE POWER LEADS

Depending on the length of the supplied wires, you may or may not need to lengthen or shorten the power leads. If you need to lengthen them, be sure to stick with the proper color-coding and tinned-copper wire (boat cable) of the manufacturer’s recommended gauge. Wire-to-wire connections should be made with crimped barrel connectors — never solder — and should be protected by heat-shrink tubing. And whatever you do, don’t cut out the manufacturer’s included in-line fuse — get rid of it and you might fry the unit, as well as invalidating the warranty.

Push the power leads down through the exit hole you drilled, until the plug has enough freedom to reach the unit without extra wiring exposed outside of the helm.

TOOLS:

Phillips-head screwdriver Power drill and bit(s)

Wire crimper/stripper
Wrenches
Wire fish
Fishing rods (for testing your handiwork,
after the installation is done)

PROJECT COST:

$42 (based on West Marine pricing)

MATERIALS:

3M 5200 Adhesive/sealant $14

Adhesive-lined heat-shrink tubing $5

Cable ties $3

Clamshell fitting $3

APPROXIMATE YARD TIME/COST:
This is a straightforward job and shouldn’t
take a pro more than an hour or so.
The national average cost for a marine
electronics installer runs about $80 an
hour but many have minimums, so you can
plan on saving around $100 by doing the
work yourself.

Then run the wire to your helm’s fuse block. Secure the wires every 18 inches with tie-wraps or cushioned clamps, while making sure to minimize droops and slack. If your fuse block has male spade terminals, crimp female spade connectors to the ends of the power leads and protect the connections with heat-shrink tubing.

If it has screw-type terminals, use ring
connectors of the appropriate size. Leave
the terminal ends disconnected, while you
complete the installation.

STEP III: MOUNTING THE TRANSDUCER Finding the perfect location is a must before you begin the actual installation. Stand behind the transom and look for an area as deep on the hull as possible, with no strakes, through-hull fittings, or other items

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