Rigging transducer cable

[MT Sea]

Have a new 208 Adventure. Any tips on running transducer cable from transom you electronics box in dash. Many times the factory will leave a pull string to pull wires through rigging tubes under deck. I could not find anything. Thanks

 

[glacierbaze]

Can't find a string, or can't find a rigging tube? If the tube is there, disconnect an existing wire at the helm end, attach a couple of pull cords to it, and pull the wire out the stern end of the tube. Then use the cord to start pulling everything back forward.

 

[glacierbaze]

A tip for pulling bulky plugs in crowded areas. I buy bags of laboratory tubes, and small bottles for storing stuff, from my local university surplus warehouse, for pennies. Cutting down the end of a ballpoint pen, or using its cap, works well for small single wires. Caps for dental picks work great. Wrap with a little tape.

 

[seasick]

Do you have an old transducer that you are replacing? If so, cut the cable in the aft locker, tape on a drag rope and pull the old cable out while pulling the rope in.
Open the inspection plate in the cabin behind the helm to help with access. You will also most likely have to remove the wall panel below the helm.
If you don't have an old cable, use an electricians tape. Insert under the helm into the rigging tube and push. Hopefully it will go easily aft. Use the tape to pull back either a line of the new cable.
When pulling the transducer cable, do not tape/affix the connector to the drag rope or snake but rather make a bend in the cable about a foot or more back. Tape the loop to the drag line and also tape the connector to the transducer cable. This makes it a lot less likely that the cable will get hung up.
The really hard part is getting the cable up into the electronics box. Again, you need a drag line or snake inserted at the electronics box and snaked down tot he space behind the help. Depending on what size hole you have in the electronics box, the job can be really hard or not so hard. You may need to make the cable hole in the box larger.
Some cussing may be needed

 

[seasick]

A tip for pulling bulky plugs in crowded areas. I buy bags of laboratory tubes, and small bottles for storing stuff, from my local university surplus warehouse, for pennies. Cutting down the end of a ballpoint pen, or using its cap, works well for small single wires. Wrap with a little tape.

That's a neat trick but depending on the make of sounder, the connector may be somewhat large. The Lowrance BLUE connectors are bigger than your photo and bigger than the earlier version Lowrance connectors.

 

[glacierbaze]

I have an assortment of sizes . As you can see, the Garmin transducer plug does not have the screw cap on it. I lost that in the rigging tube, pulling it out of the old boat.

 

[MT Sea]

Can't find a string, or can't find a rigging tube? If the tube is there, disconnect an existing wire at the helm end, attach a couple of pull cords to it, and pull the wire out the stern end of the tube. Then use the cord to start pulling everything back forward.

Thanks got it done with electrician fish tape and a helper.

 

[MT Sea]

Do you have an old transducer that you are replacing? If so, cut the cable in the aft locker, tape on a drag rope and pull the old cable out while pulling the rope in.
Open the inspection plate in the cabin behind the helm to help with access. You will also most likely have to remove the wall panel below the helm.
If you don't have an old cable, use an electricians tape. Insert under the helm into the rigging tube and push. Hopefully it will go easily aft. Use the tape to pull back either a line of the new cable.
When pulling the transducer cable, do not tape/affix the connector to the drag rope or snake but rather make a bend in the cable about a foot or more back. Tape the loop to the drag line and also tape the connector to the transducer cable. This makes it a lot less likely that the cable will get hung up.
The really hard part is getting the cable up into the electronics box. Again, you need a drag line or snake inserted at the electronics box and snaked down tot he space behind the help. Depending on what size hole you have in the electronics box, the job can be really hard or not so hard. You may need to make the cable hole in the box larger.
Some cussing may be needed

Thanks got it done with electrician fish tape and a helper.

 

[Parthery]

I’ve run cables through GWs for over 20 years. Usually a lot of tape on the plug and an electricians fish tape will do the trick.
Plan on losing some knuckle skin, and plan on getting frustrated. Eventually it gets through.

 

[trapper]

In my attempt to ward of insanity, after numerous attempts of try to get wires through the rigging tubes. I fastened some soft bilge pump tubing under my gunnels and ran some of the new electronic wires through to the stern. Certainly makes upgrading electronics a lot easier. They cannot be seen and this ageing body does not have to contort into positions that one questions if there will be a recovery on completion.

 

[Sdfish]

In addition to above suggestions, I also apply some kitchen soap to the front of cable being pulled thru, seems to help. And don't forget to leave a pull cord in place for the next one.

 

[Parthery]

In my attempt to ward of insanity, after numerous attempts of try to get wires through the rigging tubes. I fastened some soft bilge pump tubing under my gunnels and ran some of the new electronic wires through to the stern. Certainly makes upgrading electronics a lot easier. They cannot be seen and this ageing body does not have to contort into positions that one questions if there will be a recovery on completion.

I considered doing the same thing. The problem is you can only go so far astern going under the gunwale. At some point you have to either cut a hole, or dip down through a rod holder, to get into the stern area.

 

[trapper]

Parthert, Yes, I removed the rod holder and cut a small notch out of the top, then reposition it with the wires (cables) fitting in over the top of the rod holder and through to the the instrument panel. Also made a bigger hole in the back of the electronic box as things get crowded up there.

 

[Harpoon]

Fish tape lubed with dish soap.

 

[Facially Endowed]

This...

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[Blaugrana]

I didn’t use any lubricant to snake the wires I did last week. Fish tape worked great but the contents of what is already in the pvc pipes will limit what you can do. I was able to snake 2 8awg plus an nmea cable but think I’m limited out between the two pipes...

Probably running my two transducer cables under the gunnel because the terminal/ end is huge and not sure it’s worth the effort.

Just take pics so you know what you are dealing with on both ends before you start

 

[Hookup1]

When pulling data cable in work we tie a plastic bag to a polly pull rope and suck it thru with a vacuum cleaner. If the tubes are not overstuffed it should be easy job. I have one to do this week for my GT51M-TH.

 

[Fishtales]

a little lube and fish tape snake worked for me for the ducer and bilge alarm.

 

[Hookup1]

Ran transducer wire today. I never have luck with old pull string from the last wire I pulled. They seem to wrap around. Today I used my fiberglass fish tape to re-snake the tube. Worked great!

 

[Blaugrana]

When you snake the transducer cables, do you cut the plug off to snake through the transom or leave as is?

The plug on my Active Imaging is probably 1.5-2in while the cable is relatively thin. Seems odd to create a big enough hole to fit it through when the cable could go through a .25in hole.