Garmin Echomap Wiring Power Connection

LakeHartwell

I have a 2014 Sportdeck SS203.  I am installing a new Garmin chartplot.  I set up the Garmin by direct wiring to a battery at home.  I am having trouble finding the correct points to connect these 2 wires without causing any problems.  I don't really understand if I need to be wiring straight to the fusebox or directly to an auxilary hot/ground.  If anyone has done this, please help!!!

cjjjdeck

When the dealer installed my unit he wired it to the "Acc" switch located on my helm dash.  This way the circuit was protected by the circuit breaker assigned to the switch and would have the extra safety of the unit being controlled by the Master Switch. 



You can run a wires directly from the battery, just make sure you have an in-line fuse installed to protect the unit.  The downside of this is that you run the risk of leaving the unit on after you leave the boat and return to find you have a dead battery.

If you decide to direct wire it, you may find that you have a stack of wires piling up on your battery terminals.  Below is what I think is a very cool solution, from TH Marine, to improve this situation dramatically.  I just ordered a 5 terminal for my own boat to clean up the battery post pile up.

Here's a link to a YouTube video on the product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9idVp5T6pU

Found them available on Defender: https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=5793302



 

LakeHartwell

Thanks for the quick and detailed response with photos!  (I have requested a wire schematic to make sure I don't grab a hot off something I shouldn't.)  I can kind of walk back the main line to where it starts splitting off.  Those wires are packed in their tightly behind the power switches but I guess I should be able to follow the wire behind the ACC switch.  I actually temporarily wired it to a  female line that had a rubber cap on it that was not being used.  I got the Garmin unit to work but didn't permanently wire yet.  Is there some different color code for hot/grounds on these boats?  I am pretty religious about turning off the battery on the boat and will remove the Garmin since it stays at a marina. That hydra looks like something I need as I just pulled the battery to charge it and had about 4 connects to the pos post!  I'd prefer to use an existing behind the dash since the Garmin wires are so small.

cjjjdeck

There is a wiring color code that is the standard for the marine industry from the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC).  I give this chart with every wiring diagram request.  However, BE WARNED, you never know what boat dealers or previous owners have done with their  boats.  Most owners are oblivious to the wiring standard and often use whatever they have lying around.  This is  the wiring standard the boat manufacturers use (see below & attached).

Bear in mind, a system may have more than one wire used.  Usually the "main" color still associates with the system in the color chart and a color stripe may be used on the wire to associate with a part of that system.  For example, Navigation Light's wires are "gray" in color.  The front navigation lights may be all gray in color and the anchor light may be gray with a color stripe on it.

I have a request in for your wiring diagrams and  will send them to you via Personal Message.

LakeHartwell

This is a huge help! Thanks!  I found out really quickly that a boat is not a tractor. lol