Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › Where do you run your transducer wire b/w TM head and bow sonar?
Jones TrollingMotor.
I just finished installing 2 sonars in my new-to-me boat, one of the final remaining things I need to do is secure the bow transducer cable from the head of the trolling motor back down to the sonar. In the past I’ve always zip-tied this down the foot-pedal cable, but I’m told that’s verboten as it can lead to interference issues. The motor is a MK maxxum, boat is a pantera classic so it has a built-in foot-pedal tray which is farther forward than any other boat I’ve seen, and seems to require some slightly different rigging if I don’t want to run the ducer wire down the TM cable. How do others handle this? I also posted in the humminbird forum at BBC, but thought I’d get a more info specific to this foot-pedal layout here. Any thoughts, tips or helpful hints (or install photos!) are welcome and appreciated. Thanks!
Run the wire up the shaft with wire ties. Once the underside of the motor is reached the cable follows the mount down. Either drill a small hole to notch the top of the switch plate for the wire (remove the plate, create the notch, drop the lead in the space behind the switch plate, and re-install the plate with the wire in the notch) or use a clam shell to cover a hole in the flat surface behind the mount. This necessitates a loop in the wire to allow for the stowing and use of the motor. It is an easy feat to run the wire from the port entry of the wire to the electronics either in the foot well (as designed) or on the deck to the starboard of the foot well.
Thanks! If I understand correctly you are doing what I’ve always done up the motor shaft—no question there—then rather than tie it to the foot-pedal cable you are tieing it to the side of the mount until it gets to the deck, then drilling a small hole and running it under the deck to join the rest of the cables. Sounds fairly clean, I will likely try it on the foot-pedal cable first and see about interference, but if the sonar is affected will look to something like this. Thank you!If others have a good solution without drilling any more holes in the boat, I’d love to hear about it.
I have the same set up/TM though a 42″ shaft but with Lowrance electronics. Couple things. Use electrical tape instead of wire ties to secure to TM shaft and TM cables cover. Wire ties can cut into transducer wire where wide tape doesnt. Also, dont use the velcro wire ties which seemed like a good idea when I read about it here. Mine are coming off as the velcro grabs and holds weeds/moss/etc. Our VT F&G friends get a little excited about that and rightfully so as we go from Champlain to other bodies of water in VT/NY. Where you are there isnt the moss we have down south so it may not be an issue. They did work well to secure cable but the moss/weeds stuck in the Velcro is a problem for me.My transducer cable runs down cable to foot peddle and then just snaked around peddle with enough slack to screw into the Lowrance. I think there is enough cable for the 50″ shaft MK. No holes drilled. If I recall the HB is plug is part of the mount. At lest it was on my old unit on my last boat so that may make a difference. Good luck, cant wait to see it.BrianLast edited by schodackbassman on December 5th, 2014, 7:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
schodackbassman wrote:I have the same set up/TM though a 42″ shaft but with Lowrance electronics. Couple things. Use electrical tape instead of wire ties to secure to TM shaft and TM cables cover. Wire ties can cut into transducer wire where wide tape doesnt. Agreed with the electrical tape. I have see a lot of transducer cables cut with wire ties.
Try the Velcro cable wraps for attaching cable to shaft. You can cinch them down tight, and with a wider surface area. they wont cut your wire.You can purchase them at Lowes or Home Depot, or even Harbor Freight.
I run the transducer cable up the shaft, using electrical tape to secure it. A good quality electrical tape will stay on even when it gets wet and doesnt pinch the cable. When you get to the bowguard, its a real trick on getting enough slack to go around and still “look” good. remember, you can secure at the bottom of the upper shaft, then at the top of the bowguard, but not on the upper shaft. If you do, the trolling motor looses its ability to adjust water depth. Once you get to the bowguard, come down the center of the upper arm. There are two small holes there that you can loosely put a small zip tie i to make a loop for the cable. Go to the hinge and leave slack. Beside the mount, drill a hole and take the cable inside the hull from there. Use a cable cover that comes with the Humminbird or a clam shell to cover the hole. Going under the to the point where the DF is mounted and back out. The excess cable is coiled and put under the deck.Hope this helps.John Jones Trolling Motor Services870 773 3474Motorguide/MinnKota/PowerPole/Lowrance/Humminbird
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