Pro's Tips on How We Run Dedicated Power 

I'm blown away at how helpful this is. And the presentation is simple and informative, not annoying/flashy. Thanks!

Thanks for the helpful video. Just wanted to mention that I found a step down marine grade but connector to connect the 10ga wire to the 14ga graph wire on Amazon. Makes it super simple to connect the two wires.

Just amazing to have a group of guys take the time to help so many people that have not done this before. I truly appreciate your time as it is not easy to do and the time you put into this. Thank you all at Russell Marine!! Great job!

Best darn training video on wiring I have seen. I produce dog training videos for a living and have since 1982 - 99% of the training videos on youtube get a "D" or "F" - you guys nailed it.

Thank you guys at RMP. I just ran the whole thing as you described. Your always a lot of help with some of my questions and usually a solution in my quest.

LOVE this, thanks guys, a ton. My first boat, trying to figure out how to properly connect everything safely. Best video I've seen that helps a lot. Awesome. Cheers!

Great tips! For someone, like myself, who is moving toward multiple graphs on the console and bow, this is super helpful and very informative.

I use a terminal strip at the bow inside the hull. Supplied power cables per unit simply get ring terminals that fit that wire to attach both + and - to the terminal strip. The 10 ga. runs also get proper size ring terminals that also attach as appropriate to the terminal strip. The terminal strip makes the transition from 10 ga. to small ga. wire, and it simplifies the future removal/replacement of any power cable. The fuse is still at the power switch in the battery compartment for ease of access.

Awesome video!! Thanks for the tips!

Very interesting site. Lot of products in local stores... Thanks!

Nice explanation guys! Another benefit of moving that fuse harness to the back - the fuse should definitely be as close to the power source as possible to provide the most protection. I learned that AFTER I did my LiveScope install video, so I had to go back and correct it. Thanks for sharing!

Super good video here. I rig all my boats so I’ve got years of experience doing this stuff and you guys helped me with a couple ideas that I didn’t know about. Doubling up the 16 gauge wire for a 10 gauge butt connector is such a good idea.

Great explanation guys!

Great video. Working on my boat right now

What a video guys , couldn’t have said it better thank you 👍

Thank you guys. Especially the part about splicing larger gauger to small gauge. I can't get any step down connectors where I'm at in time for a derby and I was really Unsure how to deal with this situation.

Very informative video guys. You guys are the best. (Rick U.)

Good info. and update, thanks!

this is great. thanks guys!

Great video!

This is the best video with a detailed explanation on how to connect your electronics! I wish I had this video 7 months ago. If it wasn't difficult to get to my bow wiring I'd move my fuses next to the battery (maybe next time I HAVE to get into the bow). Question, I set up a perko switch for my Power Poles and am thinking about adding a Lithium battery for my electronics and instead of doing another perko switch could I use the perko switch with the power poles?

Do you have a video on tips to help run the wire through the boat?

Hey guys, great video. I have followed all your tech tips in this video. Thank you very much. Question: Can you let me know what you use to power an ethernet switch to battery when factory packaged wire is not long enough... I would think you can use the 10 gauge wire with the buttes. Or should I use a different guage... please give a full tech tip for this on accessories and where to buy each parts you guys use...please would be awesome, hear back. You guys are awesome!!!💯😎

My active target doesn't have a pre-installed fuse. It did come with a fused link to wire in with a 5A fuse

Thanks for the informative video. I have one question: Would you also recommend running a separate 10ga wire for a mega 360 or can I run 10ga to a bus then separate it from the bus to the unit and 360?

Do you make another multi wire pigtail assembly for the negative wires or stack the ring terminals on the battery?

Do run one for the 5 port switch

good stuff. i was thinking the fuse should be between the perko and battery, but i like the way you do it too. thoughts?

Do you recommend or have thoughts on using a Bandit to run Livescope and Graph? I just purchased a boat rigged with this from dealer. Thanks! Donny

Thanks RMP for the video. Question on dedicated power, I have Lowrance HDS9s and I'd like to run dedicated power to them but remove them from the boat while in storage. Can I wire the power directly to the battery using the O-rings and eliminate the need for the on/off switch? There won't be any parasitic draw if nothing is connected to the other side of the power wire, correct?

Great video! I used this information to power my units. I do have one issue. I am running a 93sv at the bow and at console. The one at the bow is 12.7v and the one at the console is 13.6v. Both on individual runs with 10g wire to dedicated lithium battery. Why is there such a difference in voltage?

Are you putting all the ground wires together on 1 ring terminal

Can you run a fuse breaker on the electronic side instead of a Perko switch?

can you explain Humminbird and the required 5 amp SLOW BLOW recommendation and what you use to install according to the manufacture. it is literally impossible to find a 10awg inline fuse holder.

Russell Marine, please advise which company made the recommended 60 a circuit breaker 498bedC . Tried searching on Amazon. Is it Blue Sea?

Why do you choose the 7.5amp fuse over the 5amp?

I ran an 8ga to a fuse panel and have my helix 8 and 7 hooked to it will that be ok

I’ve been using the Sea Clear wiring harness kit in my boat for two years and the units on my boat have clean , clear, and sharp images as a result of the dedicated power and improved fuse connectors. My units run off a lithium battery that is used only to run the units and nothing else.

I like the idea of having the fuses for the individual units at the battery. Easily accessible. But does it not reduce/restrict the flow of current when you’re coming off the battery into a tiny 7.5 amp fuse filament(16-18ga?), then 10ga wire for 20ft to the bow. Seems like the fuse would be better at the unit end to avoid voltage drop. Does the close proximity to the power source negate this reduction in conductor size. Please help me understand electrical theory.

Where are you getting your 10 gauge fuse holders???

Is this to run multiple units? I have just a single lowrance fs9. One unit really needs that big of gauge wire?

So if I’m running 5 units on my boat I will need 2 perko kill switches (3 lines going into one of the switches and 2 lines going into the other switch) or can I double up the ring connectors onto the terminal in the perko switch?

Hi, I have watched your you-tube video about dedicated wire and now have all the items. When making the 6 awg wire, 3 each into 1 lug, then connecting to Perko Switch. Your thoughts on if I want 4 each 6awg wire into 1 lug. Is 4 too many? Suggestions? I will have 2 depth finders and 2 livescope transducers up front, Will all 4 items need power dedicated wire?

nice . very simple I see people over think with to much information .. I wouldn't use a breaker as a switch just install a switch ...

What kind of crimper do you use for the 6 gauge ring terminals?

Would I be okay with running 8 gauge instead of 10 gauge or does it have to be 10? I'm running AT2 and two HDS 12 Live units.

Are you using 10 AWG wire to run the span of the entire boat even for larger graphs like the gps map 8612??

Instead of cutting off the in-line fuse that comes with the sonar units can you just keep them on and also still add your inline fuse to the back by the battery too ? It would just be double fused. Is that okay?

Where should I get power from for the ethernet box? Power from my starting battery or the dedicated electronics battery?

Great info guys. Could you run a fuse block off your battery then 10gauge wire from there to your units?

Install the switch. Run 6 gauge from battery to switch. Run 8 or 6 gauge from the switch to Positive and neg buss at the dash. wire console MFDs straight to the buss bar. Run 8 gauge from the console buss to another buss bar at the bow. Wire MFD’s, etc to bow buss. This is the cleanest, most effective way to wire a boat. You can also substitute a blue seas fuse panel instead of a Buss. This procedure will result in only a few tenths of a volt power loss at the bow.

Can some of the 10 gauge wires for the graphs run on the trolling motor side?

Question so do I need an individual line for each graph ? And one for my active target ? Or can I run one to the console and use it for the two graphs there then one a line from the battery to the bow to run my 2 graphs there and active target ?

I wish you guys were in Florida. I don't trust any of the yahoos at the local marine places to install my new electronics. Guess I will have to take a trip.

How are you solving the memory loss to the graphs once dedicated power is disconnected ?

Can you show the math on voltage drop needing 10 awg per unit?! Unless you’re going 30’ or more it’s way overkill. Also explain how / why you can double the fuse size… lol.

It’s crazy to me how many people will buy this harness for 400-500 bucks when you can make one yourself for like 100 if you just have a little bit of mechanical aptitude and do a little research

I think 10 ga wire to each unit is overkill. You are running 10 ga wire and then going to a 3 amp fuse to the graph with 14-18 ga wire on the factory supplied power cable to the unit. How much voltage drop are you seeing in less than 25 feet? I think if you are seeing a. Improvement from the 10 gauge wire to each unit it has more to do with interferance reduction. I run 12 ga to each of my graphs from a dedicated battery and clip on ferrite cores on the positive and negitive leads just before the graph power cable connection on the dedicated 12 ga conductor. I solder every conection. I also run the dedicated power wires on the opposite side of the boat that the trolling motor wires run on. My graphs are clear and look great. I'm not saying it's wrong to run 10 ga it just costs more money, and you have a better chance of having a bad connection point where the much larger 10 ga gauge wire connects to the graph factory power cable. Especially with crimp connections.

BTW guys, there is no "fuse-breaker" component. You're using a breaker in PLACE OF a fuse. I do not agree on across the board use of a 60A breaker; some do NOT require it. The best protection comes from the lowest amperage that works correctly with a given trolling motor. As an example, the Ghost installation manual specifies a 50A breaker from both 24A and 36A configurations. Using a 60A breaker with a Ghost is unnecessary and will leave an additional 10A to a defect before the breaker trips. Let the breaker perform the protection function as it should - install the TM manufacturer's recommended breaker size, and no more.

👍👍👍👍

Sorry, I meant 10 awg wire into 1 lug

You cant tell me your running 3,4,5,6 pieces of 10 gauge back to the batterty....

You still need the 3 amp fast blow fuse that comes with the unit. DO NOT CUT THIS OFF!!!! The 3 amp (or fuse size that is sized with the unit) fast blow protects the unit and you cannot use the 7.5 fuse on the battery to protect the unit. The biggest concern on running units off of one wire over distance is voltage drop. You do not need two separate wires of that gauge feeding those units.

thanks to humminbird for adding stress and headaches to my life. did this to get rid of wagon wheel on 360 and what a waste of time and money no improvement at all! buy 3 grand of our product and fix it yourself what a waste of money.

Guys, get a heat gun.

buy a proper box crimper, run larger gauge cables up front and split at fuse blocks with proper sized cable. You can also wire the units (or all electronics) up to a simple dash switch to cut power. It's a simple boat with a simple setup, why overcomplicate it?

3:50, some of the most untidy wiring I’ve ever seen in a bass boat especially a new one. That should be illegal. Cannot believe you made that ratnest the video thumbnail.

You may be able to rig a boat, but you dont have a clue about electricity... its absolutely dumb and ignert to run a dedicated 10G wire to each graph. This is a greedy shop trying to charge you additional money for unnecessary items. I would never let you touch my boat. As a matter of fact, all the guys at church this morning were laughing at yall's ignert ideas about electricity.😂😂😂

I like the idea of having the fuses for the individual units at the battery. Easily accessible. But does it not reduce/restrict the flow of current when you’re coming off the battery into a tiny 7.5 amp fuse filament(16-18ga?), then 10ga wire for 20ft to the bow. Seems like the fuse would be better at the unit end to avoid voltage drop. Does the close proximity to the power source negate this reduction in conductor size. Please help me understand electrical theory.