You are so right on so many points. As someone who has made a pretty good living in the electrical/electronics field (licensed electrician and degreed engineer for 25 yrs) as well as doing all kinds of mobile electronics installs in automotive and marine environments (30+ years experience) I cringe everytime I read a thread about someone who obviously has no business doing the work asking for advice on what to do. It rarely ends well and I've made piles of money fixing the screw ups. Can the harnesses be built cheaper? Absolutely, I've got about $75 dollars in setup for my boat that blows those away but I know what I'm doing. If the guy down the street asked me about one of the aforementioned harnesses I'd tell him to jump on it as I'd assume he doesn't have the level of knowledge to make his own.
2009 Triton 21X3 250 Mercury Optimax Pro XS
Minn Kota Fortrex 80
2 Lowrance HDS Live 12s at bow w/ Active Target
Lowrance HDS Carbon 9 and 12 at console
2 8' Power Pole Pro Series
Again, I am going to try to be tactful and explain. Yes, you can purchase a FTZ crimper for around $80. Mistake #1. A new wiring harness should be 8 AWG. The cheap FTZ $80 crimper only crimps down to 10 AWG. You need to upgrade your tool to a $200 ratchet crimper to make 2 crimps on 8 AWG for a new harness. A cheap heat gun for Shrink Tubing is around $35. You are already into it $235 buying tools before you buy wire, connectors, and shrink tubing. That's before you start reading up on how to be an electrician and learn to use your new tools. Knowledge and skill are priceless. Leave it alone, buy a harness and go fishing.
Last edited by electritek; 01-05-2021 at 11:46 PM.
2020 Ranger 521L Tour, 300 Mercury, 112 Minn Kota Ultrex
3 12" Helix Units, Mega Si, Mega Di, Mega 360, Garmin 8412 W LiveScope mounted on Rite Hite Turret.
2020 Ranger 521L Tour, 300 Mercury, 112 Minn Kota Ultrex
3 12" Helix Units, Mega Si, Mega Di, Mega 360, Garmin 8412 W LiveScope mounted on Rite Hite Turret.
Please do not take offense as I respect the job and abilities of electricians. But on a scale of difficulty from 1-10, adding a wire from your battery to power your electronics has to be a 2....and that’s being generous. The hardest part is pulling the wires through the small cavities in your boat...which have to be done with these harnesses as well. (Which the irony here is that you pay so much more for these harnesses yet still have to do the hardest part of the job!)
now that being said yes I agree that people still do screw things up...I have helped many and wondered how things got the way they did.
All of the tools mentioned can be acquired for far less. They may not be “electrician grade” but they can get the job done.
And also (and again) one can get all you need from a vendor all custom rigged that is marine grade wire with appropriately crimped heat shrinked terminals for a fraction of what is being hawked shipped in a few days. No tools needed.
I can agree if someone is just unable to take on such an easy task then pay the dough. Even better take it to the shop so they can rig it all up for you.
this will be my last post as this thread is losing productivity and online pissing matches just aren’t worth the time.
Last edited by BoilermakerZ519; 01-06-2021 at 06:04 PM.
We are a dealer for Sea Clear Power, we all run the harness in our boat.
Very good results!
Check it out.
https://www.precisionsonar.com/products/accessories/wiring-harness/sea-clear-power-wiring-harness
Hey Boiler, we are not dumb. We got $70,000 bass boats, $10,000 worth of rods, reels, and lures. Trust me spending $200 for a wiring harness is the least of our concern. I have one and I love it. I could have purchased the wires separately and completed it but I did not want to neither did I have the time. So I bought the harness with pocket change and installed it myself. We don't need $200 reels and $100 rods, but all the real bass fishermen have them. It ain't about cost or engineering for some of us. By the way I am a Biochemist and Nephrologist, but my boat is my dream--I spare NOTHING when it comes to keeping it like I want it. Hope you fishing!! James.
Just use good AWG wire and marine grade terminals with heat shrink and good inline fuses with matching awg wire and weather proof fuse bodies make good connections and be done. It is'nt rocket science.
Just a basic question. What is best, soldered (sonar pros), crimp, twist ties (sea clear)?
I'm probably just gonna go with how the boat comes at first, but will likely make a change in the future, as electronics are important to my style of fishing.
Is it a bad idea to order one of these (sea clear or sonar pros)? I'm more concerned about quality than price....but if I'm reading right, the way these are done may not be ideal for quality.
I’ve helped install both, and run the sonar pro’s myself. I think the sonar pros is better IMO. It’s laid out better, and as far as people saying soldered connections in a boat is bad, I can’t figure that out. When it’s soldered/waterproof I don’t know what can go wrong.
Phoenix 921ProXP Mercury 250 ProXS
These wiring harnesses really are overpriced, with that said they should work great. Might be worth checking with your local marine shop though, I had one of these made and installed by the local shop for less than it would cost to buy one of the two being discussed.
Same with my shop....it’s amazing what people can sell and sell it for. A lot of very good marketing !!
BULLET 20 XRD/250 Merc Sport XS
www.ncboatguy.com
I think the point several are trying to make is the harnesses being sold are over-priced. They are basing this opinion on what it would cost if you had the skill/knowledge/tools to build your own harness. I don't think anyone should attempt something they are not qualified to do. But, just because you aren't qualified doesn't mean you should get "bent over" for someone else to do it for you. These guys aren't selling a "consumable" item. So, in the long run they know they are not necessarily going to get a repeat sell and thus are trying to maximize their margins. Point is, you don't have to accept the cost...you could haggle with them and/or find someone with the skills/knowledge/tools to build what you need at a competitive price. Because in the end, the prefabricated harness is not made of high tech materials that the normal person couldn't get their hands on. On the flip side, if the price is acceptable to you then do what you want with your money.
Honestly, I get "bent over" every time I buy a Jackhammer Chatterbait. But, I'll accept that. Although if I get hung up...I ain't breaking it off...I'll go swimming to get it back.
Last edited by Dale Hollow Nut; 04-19-2021 at 11:47 PM.