Joseph McKinley Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 I was curious if it's possible To add length to a power cable for a fish finder. I'm installing it into a kayak, and the cord is Too short. Can I extend the length without creating interference into the unit? I'm considering adding a plug next to the mount, to plug into a dedicated power plug for power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Tennessee Boy Posted May 20 Super User Share Posted May 20 Yes you can. The only way you can mess it up is to use wire that is to small. Small wire run over a longer distance will result in lower voltage at the plug. A small fish finder does not pull a lot of current. A kayak will not require long wires. Hard to mess it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnbt Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 Garmin has a chart for replacing their power cables, and the wire size for extending them. "If the installation requires a power cable extension, extend the power cable using the appropriate wire gauge for the length of the extension." https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=aLjDGPpDM47pHY7gcp8dk6 For instance, line one of the chart: Device Series Part Number Gauge Size Under 15 ft Under 23 ft Under 36 ft STRIKER series 010-12199-04 22 AWG 16 AWG 16 AWG 16 AWG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airshot Posted May 20 Share Posted May 20 My Lawrance unit shows a power cable extension in the accessories availiable book. Try contacting your mfgr. Mine shows plugs on each end for a plug and play... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McKinley Posted May 22 Author Share Posted May 22 Awesome. Thanks for the replies. I figured it was 16 gauge, so I went n extended the length to what I need. Wrapped it in plastic sleeve from an auto parts store, n went overboard with wrapping it electrical tape. Works like a charm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Darth-Baiter Posted May 24 Super User Share Posted May 24 i wish fish finders had shorter transducer cables. i have 25 feet or so wadded up and tucked into my kayak. i could get by with 5 feet. the clump will occasionally fall loose and jam up my storage area. power? i run my battery nearby. 2 feet away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bankc Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 3 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said: i wish fish finders had shorter transducer cables. i have 25 feet or so wadded up and tucked into my kayak. i could get by with 5 feet. the clump will occasionally fall loose and jam up my storage area. power? i run my battery nearby. 2 feet away. I coil my transducer cable up and secure the loop with a couple of zip ties. Then I use carabiner to quickly secure the loop to a plastic pad eye behind my FF screen on my kayak, so it doesn't flop around. I'd shorten it, because I'm pretty good at soldering so I bet I could pull it off, but I'm afraid that going from 25 feet to maybe 2-3 feet would mess with the impedance too much. Also, instead of using shrink wrap and electrical tape on a boat, I prefer to use liquid electrical tape. A couple of thick layers of that stuff keeps connections water tight and seems to last longer than the other two options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted May 24 Super User Share Posted May 24 Cords are like haircuts. You can always take more off. You can't add more back on. Better safe than sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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