Electronics Install Question

[stephensondl4]

I have a question for the forum. When running dedicated power and ground lines for electronics do you still run them through the breaker by the batteries or do you connect them directly to the battery (with a fuse in-line)? I am working on running dedicated power and wanna try and get it as good as I can make them with regards to picture clarity.

I am running power for a Garmin 102 SV UHD at the console and a Humminbird Helix 9 (with non-mega 360) at the bow on my RT188.

Thank you

[jrfuda]

For me - all my non-standard equipment is on its own circuit, so pumps, lights, horn etc are on the original fuse box and switches. Everything else is on a Blue Seas fused switch panel and negative bus bar. I run 8awg from the battery to this panel and bus bar and then the distance and load appropriate gauge wire from the panel and bus bar to each component. Here is an example circuit.
Battery
-8AWG
-30A breaker
-8AWG
-Triple wound ferrite choke on POSITIVE just before master switch
-master switch
-8AWG
-Fused Switch panel with appropriate fuse for each load (POSITIVE) and bus bar (NEGATIVE)
-appropriate AWG wire to each component (I look up load and length and go up a size just to be safe (if it says 14AWG, I use 12AWG). For example, Garmin has this chart: Wire Extension Table for Garmin Marine Chartplotters and Fishfinders | Garmin Support but if you know what the draw and distance is, there are several other sites you can look this info up.

With this setup, even though my pumps, lights, and engine share a battery with all my other electronics I never get interference on my electronics even with pumps and TM going. My TM, of course, is on it's own battery (though technically the TM battery and starter/house battery are connected by the 2-bank charger, I'm pretty sure it is internally isolated).

[Slicefixer]

For me - all my non-standard equipment is on its own circuit, so pumps, lights, horn etc are on the original fuse box and switches. Everything else is on a Blue Seas fused switch panel and negative bus bar. I run 8awg from the battery to this panel and bus bar and then the distance and load appropriate gauge wire from the panel and bus bar to each component. Here is an example circuit.
Battery
-8AWG
-30A breaker
-8AWG
-Triple wound ferrite choke on POSITIVE just before master switch
-master switch
-8AWG
-Fused Switch panel with appropriate fuse for each load (POSITIVE) and bus bar (NEGATIVE)
-appropriate AWG wire to each component (I look up load and length and go up a size just to be safe (if it says 14AWG, I use 12AWG). For example, Garmin has this chart: Wire Extension Table for Garmin Marine Chartplotters and Fishfinders | Garmin Support but if you know what the draw and distance is, there are several other sites you can look this info up.

With this setup, even though my pumps, lights, and engine share a battery with all my other electronics I never get interference on my electronics even with pumps and TM going. My TM, of course, is on it's own battery (though technically the TM battery and starter/house battery are connected by the 2-bank charger, I'm pretty sure it is internally isolated).

^^^^^^^^^^^
Fantastic advice!

I wired/rewired 25 circuits when I renovated my boat. I have a dedicated battery for just the electronics and misc going to a dedicated fuse block and neg bus.

[jrfuda]

I drew out a chart since I've found myself posting a similar answer on here, other boards, and facebook groups.