Locator Wiring Question

Hello!

I just recently began running the wires for my new locators and just wanted to ask what the proper way to connect everything is. I typically do the ole’ “farmerizing” technique of splicing and twisting the wires around each other, followed by some electrical tape to wrap it all up, but apparently that way is absolutely awful and the cardinal sin of boat electronic wiring according to some that I’ve talked to on the subject.

My question is this: is the way I usually do it detrimentally worse than the “proper” way with the actual crimp on connectors and shrink tube hose? Is it much more of a personal preference and piece of mind thing, or actually beneficial and worthwhile to do it the “proper” way?

Thanks for any help at all. I’m using 12awg wire as my main wire from power cable to battery by the way and my locators are 93SVs from Garmin.

There’s a right way and a wrong way, but for freshwater use you “could” get by half-assing it in low draw items, but why bother when doing it correctly doesn’t take much more time at all?

They make waterproof crimp connectors that you simply heat up with a heat gun after crimping. Online kits are super cheap.

I use them for low draw accessories all the time.

For main power sources, trolling motors, or power supplies to power distribution blocks I solder my connections with lugs.

A heavy wire with a crappy connection is no different than an undersized wire…and is asking for trouble.

Do it right the first time and those extra couple minutes will save you or the next owner hours of headaches down the road

What B man said x2

Yeah boat wiring is something you don’t want to half azz. Do it once and do it right. Tined Marine Grade wire of proper size, probably 10-14 gauge run for each fish finder. Water proof connections like B man described.
If you only have one or two, you could use line fuse’s and connect them directly to the battery. I prefer Blue Seas fuse block.

Bad wiring is a fire hazard. I don’t want to be in a boat that’s on fire. Do it right.

Might as well do it right the first time. Or think about it every time you look at or use it, have your OCD kick up, and you redo it just because it was not done right.

I re-did all my electronics wiring like this –
-10 gauge wire connected straight to the battery, with a 25 amp breaker tied into the positive lead about 6″ from the battery.
-That 10 gauge wire ties into a blue seas fuse block I have mounted under my console. Both of my console graphs are wired directly to that block.
-From that block, I ran another 10 gauge lead up to my bow, where I have another blue seas block. Both bow graphs and Active Target module are wired to the bow panel.

All connections are done with marine grade, heat shrink connectors. My voltage readouts are 12.7 – 13.0 on all four graphs.

I used waterproof connectors and Arctic/Polar wire to rewire my snowmobile trailer 8-9 years ago. ZERO issues since then. These connectors had shrink tube ends and had a silicone the oozed out around the wire when hit with a heat gun.

I watched Pontoon burn on the lake 3 years ago, EVERYTHING on it is flammable, especially the seats. It was just a few minutes of flames and heavy, thick black smoke and it was over. No time to get to shore.