Installing a switch panel to eliminate my birds nest

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Earlier in the thread I mentioned the set up I’m replacing. SAE connectors coming off of an SLA battery with a splitter that plugged into what I needed. Everything had fuses. I was going to still use SAE connectors 10awg from the battery to the fuse box for the new wiring. Until I dumb up on a website about the SAE stuff then looked at my old stuff to con firm. It’s rated for only half the voltage marine wire is and is only except able in certain applications. Definitely not main battery cable. Here’s where I go crazy. While looking up 10 awg wire and connectors to do this correctly it hit me. I’m moving my trolling motor battery from the side of the boat to the center (about 3 feet) and already have everything to do it with. Sure enough I’ll have plenty of wire left for the battery to the fuse panel. It’s 8awg is the crazy part but I won’t have to worry about it not being enough. Everything else 14 awg I shouldn’t have to worry much about voltage drop.
Besides when this small battery goes I’m up grading to a larger SLA or Lithium. It’s always held up though. These lights may do it in but everything is led and draws hardly anything. Depth finder about 1/2 amp per hour. That was the old one I need to see what the Garmin is going to do.
 
I finally got back at it. While it rained yesterday I sat on my stool in the shop and finished re wiring that switch panel so it’s ready to go in. I started to put some ends on the 8 awg battery cable and looked at the fuse I had for the battery itself and it was a huge maxi fuse holder and I’m trying to keep things neat. I found an inline 8 awg watertight AGU fuse holder that’ll work.
It dawned on me that I didn’t even know what size fuse I needed. I added everything up and if I was to turn on everything at once I’d be pulling 30 amps.
Should I add about 25% to that and get a 40amp. The entire boat will be 14 awg tinned copper wire except where I splice it onto the appliances most of is lighting with 18-22 awg. The GARMIN is 22 and it’s cord runs 4-5 foot leaving 6 foot of 14 awg to the fuse block. Which brings up another possible issue. I’m running all the wires down the opposite side of the boat than the fish finder. The transducer instructions say not to run the transducer cable next to any electrical wires. I was going to run it with it’s own electrical wires down the side under the robs next to the gunnel. There’s no other way to get to the battery or transom. Unless I run the fish finder’s wires to the bow and hook it to the trolling motor battery but I’ve had the trolling motor interface before running both off the same battery. If it’s that sensitive then why do they give you the option to mount the transducer to the trolling motor. Granted they give you a pad that may shield it. There’s minimal installation instructions in the box which leaves a lot of guessing. If I ran the transducer cable and wires in separate looms would that work? Or use something thicker like tubing? Then again they both have to plug in the unit within an inch of each other.
Am I worried about nothing?
I sent Garmin an email also asking about a warning I read about not letting the thing sit out in direct sunlight to much and get hot. Hello I fish in Texas in an open jon boat. I’ve got spots on some lakes that I’ll go to shore and cool off in the shade awhile. I don’t always stay out in the heat of the day but if I think I can get a bite I hang in there a while. Mainly if I decide to stop hunting catfish and start bass fishing. I used to fish tournaments and its possible to get bit if you know Where they are that time of day. Sorry for the rant but the litterateur with a new fish finder leaves me with more questions than answers. Same way when I found the manual online.
What do you gentlemen think about my fuse and then fish finder situation?
More ran today so I’m going out to the shop and cut some aluminum angle I need and what other prep work I can do for the boat. Thanks for the time.
 
I’m determined to launch the boat this Saturday but the weather is trying to stop me. We got a light rain today and it was supposed to be thunderstorms so I did prep work inside the shop by cutting aluminum angle and painting it. Around 4:00 I was telling my wife I could have working on the boat out and got what I got done today tomorrow because it’s supposed to be icy tomorrow. Im sending the fuse block I bought back because the positive post was loose and when I tightened it a little I could tell with vibration this thing was going to be a problem. Needless to say I tried to save money and got what I paid for. I now have a Blue sea on order that should be a good one.
Any way I thought I’d share what I found online tonight. Blue sea has a calculator for wiring a boat with all anchor marine products. I wish I would have found it early on.
I entered a 12 volt system battery CCA then one at a time the accessory with its amp draw and length of wire. It gave me the size wire and fuse for everything I have. Most of my wire came out to be 18 awg and I used 14 awg on everything. I still would have went at least 16 awg but I would have saved some money. Anyway I got my fuses sizes , battery fuse size as well. Once the moisture stops coming down I’ll bundle up and get to work. Unless my cover is completely iced up and I can’t get it off. Lol
I made a list tonight. I have exactly 12 different things to complete before Saturday.
 
I’m determined to launch the boat this Saturday but the weather is trying to stop me. We got a light rain today and it was supposed to be thunderstorms so I did prep work inside the shop by cutting aluminum angle and painting it. Around 4:00 I was telling my wife I could have working on the boat out and got what I got done today tomorrow because it’s supposed to be icy tomorrow. Im sending the fuse block I bought back because the positive post was loose and when I tightened it a little I could tell with vibration this thing was going to be a problem. Needless to say I tried to save money and got what I paid for. I now have a Blue sea on order that should be a good one.
Any way I thought I’d share what I found online tonight. Blue sea has a calculator for wiring a boat with all anchor marine products. I wish I would have found it early on.
I entered a 12 volt system battery CCA then one at a time the accessory with its amp draw and length of wire. It gave me the size wire and fuse for everything I have. Most of my wire came out to be 18 awg and I used 14 awg on everything. I still would have went at least 16 awg but I would have saved some money. Anyway I got my fuses sizes , battery fuse size as well. Once the moisture stops coming down I’ll bundle up and get to work. Unless my cover is completely iced up and I can’t get it off. Lol
I made a list tonight. I have exactly 12 different things to complete before Saturday.
Wasn’t expecting the cold front. I forgot I had a pork butt thawing in the fridge to cook today. My pit is made out of some pretty thick pipe maybe it’ll keep the heat. Then all I have to do is put the thermometer in the meat and monitor it from my phone and wala we have pull pork tonight. I was talking big last night but I may not get much done for the boat today. We’re getting a winter mix of sleet and rain and I can’t think of any more prep work I can do in the shop and IT IS COLD! Besides if I need to do some house work to catch up on my brownie points with the Admiral. I been getting that look lately. Lol
 
I’m determined to launch the boat this Saturday but the weather is trying to stop me. We got a light rain today and it was supposed to be thunderstorms so I did prep work inside the shop by cutting aluminum angle and painting it. Around 4:00 I was telling my wife I could have working on the boat out and got what I got done today tomorrow because it’s supposed to be icy tomorrow. Im sending the fuse block I bought back because the positive post was loose and when I tightened it a little I could tell with vibration this thing was going to be a problem. Needless to say I tried to save money and got what I paid for. I now have a Blue sea on order that should be a good one.
Any way I thought I’d share what I found online tonight. Blue sea has a calculator for wiring a boat with all anchor marine products. I wish I would have found it early on.
I entered a 12 volt system battery CCA then one at a time the accessory with its amp draw and length of wire. It gave me the size wire and fuse for everything I have. Most of my wire came out to be 18 awg and I used 14 awg on everything. I still would have went at least 16 awg but I would have saved some money. Anyway I got my fuses sizes , battery fuse size as well. Once the moisture stops coming down I’ll bundle up and get to work. Unless my cover is completely iced up and I can’t get it off. Lol
I made a list tonight. I have exactly 12 different things to complete before Saturday.
Those charts are helpful, and Anchor makes excellent products. Wiring can be surprising. Some things use way less than expected, some use way more. It is always better to have a little extra wire thickness. You may reconfigure some things as you see need, and if you went with bare minimum, you may be sorry. So I generally go with 14 ga. wire for general circuits and go bigger as needed.

The only thing I use really thin wire for is LED lighting. And even then, I use a good-quality, tinned wire. I hate wire corrosion!

Keep at it. Get your pulled pork done and get back to the boat when the weather gets better. Spring will be here before you know it.
 
Those charts are helpful, and Anchor makes excellent products. Wiring can be surprising. Some things use way less than expected, some use way more. It is always better to have a little extra wire thickness. You may reconfigure some things as you see need, and if you went with bare minimum, you may be sorry. So I generally go with 14 ga. wire for general circuits and go bigger as needed.

The only thing I use really thin wire for is LED lighting. And even then, I use a good-quality, tinned wire. I hate wire corrosion!

Keep at it. Get your pulled pork done and get back to the boat when the weather gets better. Spring will be here before you know it.
Yes sir, I easily made some great pulled pork and a pot of beans yesterday.
I’m in total agreement with you on the wiring. I ran out of some stuff but it’ll all be hear on time. Im going with 16 awg for led. The other fuse block came today and it’s built a lot better. They couldn’t pay me to put that cheap one in my boat.
Supposed to be getting a little more ice here for the next two days so I’ll be putting a closet rod and shelf in the laundry room for the boss. Then we only show 5% chance and warming up some on Friday for four days. I may not launch Saturday but I will within those four days. I’m going work smooth and steady Friday and not rush and make mistakes.
Ive always said (as I’ve gotten older) there’s never enough time to do it right but seems to be plenty of time to do it again. I hate having to redo anything. If I don’t like the way a crimp looks or I can pull it out it gets done again. I also hate corrosion. Of anything. That’s what got this rebuild started.
 
I had some honey do’s handed to me so I just got back on the boat early this morning. I think to early. I started in the bilge area removing old wires. I have no idea how or why I did it but I looked in my hand and I had a long piece of brown wire in it. That’s not right. I looked at the bilge pump and sure enough it sit there with about 2” of wire sticking out. Now I only buy the best marine heat shrink connectors I can find. And good heat shrink tubing as well. But there is nothing I trust to be submerged that I need to stay on top of the water. I threw that piece of wire in the trash and pulled my phone out and ordered a new pump.
I finished removing all the old copper wiring and installed the new fish finder and ran the lines for it. Tomorrow I’m hoping to get the rest of the wire ran and install the new switch panel and fuse block.
Im getting closer to taking a break from working on it for a while and getting some fishing done.
 
I had some honey do’s handed to me so I just got back on the boat early this morning. I think to early. I started in the bilge area removing old wires. I have no idea how or why I did it but I looked in my hand and I had a long piece of brown wire in it. That’s not right. I looked at the bilge pump and sure enough it sit there with about 2” of wire sticking out. Now I only buy the best marine heat shrink connectors I can find. And good heat shrink tubing as well. But there is nothing I trust to be submerged that I need to stay on top of the water. I threw that piece of wire in the trash and pulled my phone out and ordered a new pump.
I finished removing all the old copper wiring and installed the new fish finder and ran the lines for it. Tomorrow I’m hoping to get the rest of the wire ran and install the new switch panel and fuse block.
Im getting closer to taking a break from working on it for a while and getting some fishing done.
I've found these solder shrink tube connectors to be amazing for this job. Just put the wires in, hit it with a heat gun or small torch and you're set. https://www.amazon.com/Kuject-Conne...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
 
I’ve watched videos on those connectors and wondered how strong they were. I don’t know much about solder also wondered how strong of a connection since the solder melts so easy. I was seriously thinking about using them but I’m chicken and didn’t want to wire the entire boat with something new. New to me that is.
Do they do as well as they say? Ive been using Achor marine stuff and I’ll heat shrink the connectors then slide a heat shrink sleeve over that.
But with all that like I said I’m chicken and wasn’t going to splice something that I might really need to stay afloat some day. I don’t have a lot of flotation in the 1983 except the 2” foam board under the floor.
I’m glad you replied speaking good things about the connectors. Now I gotta try them out.
 
I recently saw an ad for those heat solder connectors and am curious.

A quality heat-shrink crimp connector with hot glue inside works VERY well. We use them on trailers, which tend to be the worst for never getting the salt rinsed off, and they are excellent. For years now, the LED lights will fail before the rigging, and that usually takes a long time.
It's hard to argue with proven results, but I plan to buy some of those shrink-solder connectors and give them a try on my personal stuff first. There was a time when the glue filled shrink fittings were new, too.
 
Seems to me like any type of polymer would melt before you got a good hot solder joint, including the wire insulation.

I prefer to stick with shrinkable crimp sleeves, it ain't that hard to squish 'em and you know they work.
 
Hey, you never know. The low temp solder might be the bomb. I'll use on personal stuff for awhile before I'd try them on a job.
 
Wasn’t expecting the cold front. I forgot I had a pork butt thawing in the fridge to cook today. My pit is made out of some pretty thick pipe maybe it’ll keep the heat. Then all I have to do is put the thermometer in the meat and monitor it from my phone and wala we have pull pork tonight. I was talking big last night but I may not get much done for the boat today. We’re getting a winter mix of sleet and rain and I can’t think of any more prep work I can do in the shop and IT IS COLD! Besides if I need to do some house work to catch up on my brownie points with the Admiral. I been getting that look lately. Lol
To bad you aren't closer to me....I could come over and supervise in trade for that pulled pork....lol...
 
To bad you aren't closer to me....I could come over and supervise in trade for that pulled pork....lol...
We could make a deal on that one. Everything I’ve done I did it by myself. I still haven’t mounted the panel I change location twice. I replaced one of the rocker switches with a switch switch for my nav/anchor lights. Just about have all the new wire ran and new add ons installed. Just some leds for the inside of the boat for night fishing. I’m running the Garmin straight to the battery with inline fuse and the bilge pump to the battery with its own manual/automatic switch. Doing that and combining the nav/anchor lights to one switch I’m only using about half of the 6 gang panel now. I need more stuff. Lol: Oh I am going to use another switch on it when I get my led spot light for the bow. I’m running wire for it along with others so all I’ll have to do is hook it up. Before I get it though I have a big submersible led green light for night fishing crappie and catching bait with my cast net.
Got 5 new rod holder bases made to fit the top of the round gunnels on the boat. They’re heavy duty for half inch holders like maybe Monster holders or Fishbites. Drift masters priced themselves out of the game.
 
Consider adding a few good quality lighter plugs on your boat. I have many accessories that use a lighter plug/ socket due to ocassional use only. I have one that is on a long coiled wire directly to the battery that is about 8' long, use it every so often, but sure glad to have it when I need it!! By having a socket, you can use a number of different plugs in those sockets to power a variety of electronics from spit lights the phone charge cords and even the ocassional video game for the grandkids when they get bored !!
 
Douglasdzaster, if you don't mind my asking, where are you sourcing your elect connectors & wire? Some of the online places I've looked have crazy prices.
It’s not cheep and when I see I’m going from one size to another i get step down connectors. All of the Ancor Marine stuff has come from Amazon. Some of it is only three to a box and I’ve gotten really good at making my connections correctly.The downside besides being expensive is I only buy for what I figure I’ll need. Then the day I got a new pair of ratchet crimpers I ruined 5 connectors and had to order more. So I don’t have a 100 extra of anything laying around like the other brands Amazon sells. Which a lot of it seems to be decent but I don’t need 300. Then I found the Ancor stuff and decided I won’t be redoing any wiring for a long time and I like the piece of mind. Now I have to build my wife a greenhouse and she don’t want any throw together kit either. I still have to sneak in the new rod holders for the 1/2” threaded bases I now have. I was going to get Driftmasters like the 3/8” ones I have so she may not notice but there the same as Monster holders. Then I found Fishbites which are real close to Monster but not as hard on the wallet I hope they work out. Harbor freight even has some decent 14/16 awg marine heat shrink butt connectors and actual marine shrink wrap as well. With the adhesive in it too. That’s the stuff I keep for in a pinch. I have never spent the money to make sure I get the best on any one project before and I’ve gone overboard on this one. The boat will never see saltwater but I’m putting it together like it’s going to be stored in it. I bought a new Garmin that does all kinds of things but it’s a small screen. My old Lowrance just wasn’t cutting it anymore. I couldn’t believe the one I got does everything the bigger screens did but they cost three times as much. I’m just about to the stopping point I set as my goal and ready to go fishing before doing anything else to the boat. And boom goes the dynamite with my wife’s car. I got to get a bunch of things done to it that I guess she just didn’t realize over time so I could have took care of things earlier. Brakes and rotors,new belts and more. All happened since the last oil change. I got my regular email yesterday from TPW with fishing updates and it ended with big catfish are in deep water on Lake Somerville which is just what I’m rigging out to drift fish for. I’m even not going to use juglines anymore because I want at least 30 lbs pulling on the end of an 8’rod. Not to mention the stripers and sand bass have started up also on that lake. I’m considering when I finally do get to make the hour drive over there to stay and camp for about 3 days. But my wife worries when I’m out by myself which means I have to find someone that can go with me hopefully during the week when it’s not crowded.
 
Hey, you never know. The low temp solder might be the bomb. I'll use on personal stuff for awhile before I'd try them on a job.
I’m going to try it out on my next pigtail I put on the Trailer. It’ll get bounced and miss treated way more than on the boat and I’ll be able to check it regularly. I think that’s a fair test.
 
Consider adding a few good quality lighter plugs on your boat. I have many accessories that use a lighter plug/ socket due to ocassional use only. I have one that is on a long coiled wire directly to the battery that is about 8' long, use it every so often, but sure glad to have it when I need it!! By having a socket, you can use a number of different plugs in those sockets to power a variety of electronics from spit lights the phone charge cords and even the ocassional video game for the grandkids when they get bored !!
My switch panel has a cigarette plug and two phone charging ports which also will charge my headlamps and rechargeable spotlight that I made sure before I bought it. I can use it while it’s recharging. That’s all in the stern I ran an extra 14 awg to the bow for a someday led spot light mounted and I was thinking it should handle another cigarette plug on the bow as well or I can use my trolling motor battery that’s right at the bow. I’m getting a big bright green led submersible fishing light and I think that’s what’s on its cord. I know the 14 awg will handle it because the only time ill switch on the spot light is for a second to keep my bearings running at night and never at another boat heading towards me. Great idea about for the grandkids by the way. I have one that will throw a lure all day but cannot sit and watch a pole.
 
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