Cut the wire or don't cut the wire?

[rudilb]

I want to install a new Garmin Fishfinder 90 - preferably epoxy'd in to the hull. Only major problem is that the plug on the end is big enough to block a bath drain and the unit is sealed at the sensor end. Getting it through the bilges is not going to work and even if I could do that, getting it up through the console will require a gland the size of the Elephant man's (no offence to any ribber who has that most debilitating of diseases...) The old garmin lead that I have now destroyed had an intelligent minor connector to get it through glands. The new one does not.

Now I know that all the official advice is never to cut the wires on a sounder but has anyone got any experience of this? If I cut it and then carefully solder each connection back again without removing any of the length will this affect the resistance? Or does anyone else have a good suggestion on what to do.

All help much appreciated!

[Sonar]

Originally Posted by rudilb

I want to install a new Garmin Fishfinder 90 - preferably epoxy'd in to the hull. Only major problem is that the plug on the end is big enough to block a bath drain and the unit is sealed at the sensor end. Getting it through the bilges is not going to work and even if I could do that, getting it up through the console will require a gland the size of the Elephant man's (no offence to any ribber who has that most debilitating of diseases...) The old garmin lead that I have now destroyed had an intelligent minor connector to get it through glands. The new one does not.

Now I know that all the official advice is never to cut the wires on a sounder but has anyone got any experience of this? If I cut it and then carefully solder each connection back again without removing any of the length will this affect the resistance? Or does anyone else have a good suggestion on what to do.

All help much appreciated!

Yes I have cut several of mine and soldered the wires together then used self amalgamating on all the individual wires then around the whole thing ..
Never ever had a problem with them.

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by rudilb

I want to install a new Garmin Fishfinder 90 - preferably epoxy'd in to the hull. Only major problem is that the plug on the end is big enough to block a bath drain and the unit is sealed at the sensor end. Getting it through the bilges is not going to work and even if I could do that, getting it up through the console will require a gland the size of the Elephant man's (no offence to any ribber who has that most debilitating of diseases...) The old garmin lead that I have now destroyed had an intelligent minor connector to get it through glands. The new one does not.

Now I know that all the official advice is never to cut the wires on a sounder but has anyone got any experience of this? If I cut it and then carefully solder each connection back again without removing any of the length will this affect the resistance? Or does anyone else have a good suggestion on what to do.

All help much appreciated!

Is it a RJ45 connector(Ethernet style of plug)?

Jim

[rudilb]

[QUOTE=bedajim;350593] Is it a RJ45 connector(Ethernet style of plug)?

No. It's a waterproof round one with about eight female round pins. Roughly an inch and a half across.

[Erin]

The instructions with my Airmar P79 sounder said it was ok to cut the wire so long as it was carefully soldered back together and the screen wire/braid was laid around the joint as best as possible

[jyasaki]

I've heard of a lot of people splicing their sounder cables.

Make sure you do a good solder job, and waterproof the splices thoroughly.

If, upon dissection, you find that the cable is shielded, you can wrap some foil around the insulated splices, making sure it shorts to the shields on both sides, and shrink tube the mess together. You may get the sounder signals leaking over to your VHF otherwise (sounds like annoying little ticks.)

jky

[rudilb]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

(sounds like annoying little ticks.)

jky

I tend to get those from certain passengers anyway...