MG Tour Pro - NMEA 2000 Network Connections

[RazorCat]

Trying to decide how to connect my new MG Tour Pro to the existing NMEA 2000 network. I have very limited access to the bow of my Sabre FTD. No intentions of cutting an access hole in the pedal area. I will be adding another Perko clam shell opening in the pedal well to allow room for more cables.
My NMEA 2000 backbone (Tees, network power, terminations) is located under my console.
Is it acceptable to add the required Tees to the backbone under the console, and extend cables (4 meters) to the Tour Pro and my Lowrance HDS?
Or is it more advantageous to extend the backbone and install the required Tees and termination at the bow?

[fishin couillon]

You can install either way.....probably same amount of work....

[RazorCat]

Thank you. Extending another 4-5 meter cable off the backbone under the console to the bow area will be easy enough with a fish tape.

[NoCAL]

I see a lot of people do it this way and as mentioned it will work. However it completely defeats the infinite expandability of a correct NMEA work. When you extend the network up to the bow, adding components is as simple as adding a T and a short cable. When doing it under the console, everytime you want to add something, you have to fish cables up there. Most people think they will never expand but then there is a new trolling motor and then multiple graphs and then remote GPS receiver etc. Personally, I’d just do it right, just in case!

NoCAL

[RazorCat]

I see you point. But, in my case I’ll only ever need 1 hookup for a single graph up front, and 1 hookup for the TM. Shouldn’t need any additional GPS capabilities I hope.
And turns out I had a spare 4 meter cable, and the extra Tees I needed. I can always expand later if necessary.
Thank you guys for the assistance.

[PMantle]

Why do you want to do this?

[RazorCat]

Trying to get clean looking install in front. One or two straight cables vs. 2 Tees and extra cable laying in the well. A separate cable from each device through a 2nd Perko clam shell to the NMEA backbone under the console. Limited access to the bow just makes this method easier. NMEA, Ethernet, and power cable thru one, transducer cables feed thru the other covered opening. Excess transducer cable will be fed back thru the opening and stowed under the well. And I have room for additional cabling if I add Livescope later.

[06x6spdGTO]

The preferred method would be to extend the powered backbone rather than a extended drop cable. In Xi5/Xi3 (slightly different system than Tour Pro), extending the drop cable has shown to cause issues in the connectivity to the MFD due to lost messages.