Fish finder wires??

[birdstrike]

I'm ready to shorten (splice) the wires from my fish finder to the transducer and temp probe. I must have 60' of wires running around in my 14 ft boat and I'm just tired of it. I've tucked those wires here and there and twisty tied them and they are still getting hooked, tangled, and just a plain eye sore. So... I email Humminbird and aked them about shortening the wires to which they repied "NO". Now I'm seeking the real truth! Has anyone shortened these wires and did it effect the performance of your electronics?

Thanks, steve

[MarkW]

They are right---NO!!! I would not plice,cut,shorten any of the transducer wires. It will definitely cause you problems. Now, as far as the power and ground wires---cut and splice them all day. Don't touch the transducer.

[Fishnhunt]

If I were you I would just hide them the best you can.I'v tried to splice them back together every way I could think of with no luck at all.I'v never seen any wires like them before.I'v got 2 or 3 units laying around if you figure out how to do it let me know.I'v had to many lab pups,they love chewing my boat wires.LOL

[Chefdave]

I have spliced transducer wire before but only out of necessity, I hit something with my t-motor and put a really bad gash in the wire. So bad that it didn't work. If it hadn't been on an older Eagle depth finder, I never would have done it, but I figured what the heck. The wire for the transducer is actually two wires, one surrounding another, I had to splice them separately which meant very carefully removing the outer insulation, pulling the outer wire aside stripping the the inner wire and splicing the two separately. then sealing the whole thing back up so it was waterproof. What a pain, but like I said I really didn't have anything to loose. If I were you, I'd do like the other guys said and leave em be.

[VMAXX]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-24-06 AT 11:08AM (EST)[/font][p]I've never done it on a humminbird....but have fixed plenty of breaks in lowrance transducers.Its a simple co-axial wire theirs a solid wire in the middle surrounded by foam then a mesh wire sheild, simply keep the 2 seperated and solder,just make sure to keep them seperate. Birds may be a little different in wire configuration? The guy to talk to and explain your prob. would be......
Greg Walters at Humminbird [email protected]

Lowrance makes a splice kit by the way



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Vmaxx >)))^((">

[birdstrike]

Don't you just hate it when the truth is not what you wated to hear!! X( looks like I'm back to the drawing board. Thanks guys, you saved me from an expensive mistake.

Steve

[birdstrike]

Thanks, did a little more research and you're right, it's a two in one wire line with the ground shielding the other wire, the two sperated by foam insulation. I've hacked that stuff before. I think it's doable, now, do I have the nerve to do it???


Steve

[fishhunter]

i bet you could get some of that shrink cover, they use for trolling motors, and rap your loose wire in it and shrink it, i got some of it at a boat dealership a few years ago, when i added a trolling motor, used it for the power lines, may be easer than cutting and splicing. happy hunting

[orca]

I have a matrix 27 on the front of my boat. The wire got caught in my trolling motor bracket and got cut. I repaired it and it works perfect. The repair was done last april and is still working perfect. You can email me at [email protected] and will tell you exactly what to do.