HDS Install On A Lund Fisherman 1700

[TMF89]

Hey guys. So I have an 2002 Lund Fisherman 1700 that I just ordered an HDS-8 w/Structure Scan for, but I have no idea how to install it. I've never done any wiring work on the boat before, or tried to get access to any hard to reach areas. I also have next to no electrical/wiring knowledge, beyond positive/negative and a basic understanding of volts/amps/watts (very basic lol).

After messing around under the console I found some information out. The old sonar has three cables coming from it, one accessory cable that's not in use, the sonar and the power cable. The power cable's negative end terminates into the fuse box (I almost think it's just a ground because it doesn't look like it's going into anything), and the positive end attaches to a wiring harness that then goes back into the fuse box. The wiring harness has four wires, and only one of them is in use, spliced to the red power cable from the sonar. It looks like all the wires on the other end are plugged into the fuse box however. Can I just connect to one of these wires? Should I cut the current in-use wire and replace the old sonar's positive cable with the new HDS, and run the negative end to where the old negative wire terminated? Also I looked at the lower left-most console switch, and I don't think it's in use. It looks like three wires go into it, a black and two oranges, and one of the orange wires just ends in an unused connector. However the light on the switch comes on when I put it in the "On" position, but as far as I can tell it's not doing anything. Could I just connect the yellow LSS wire to that as a separate power switch?

I realize that a video would help, which I took, and can't get Photobucket to upload for some reason. I'll try and get some pix tomorrow. Also I realize I could've figured out which fuses the wiring harness wires go to and gained some knowledge on that end, but I didn't think of it.

But as thanks for reading my long post, here's this. Because why castwhen you can just vertical jig??

[ClownColor]

I was in the same boat with about the same knowledge. It's actuall very simple, espicially if you have another somar in place.

The only good advise I can give is to use string (and tie and few extra peices and leave them in place for furture installs) and tie it to the old ducer while running the new one through. That goes for your power as well if it's located in the back.

I also installed a toggle switch on the structure scan side so I could save on power if I am not using it but still have power to the 2D sonar.

[ib_jigged]

Where are you located? I installed one in a 1800 fisherman for a friend last year, very easy job.

[TMF89]

ib jigged, down in the Cities, thanks for the offer though! When I came upstairs this morning it was waiting outside my door! I got everything opened up and made a giant mess of my mom's dining room table, but boy it looks cool!! And overwhelming! Lol I'm going to spend plenty of time reading the manual before I start drilling anything.

[fasternu]

What was your previous fishfinder? I ask because I had an older X52 Lowrance and the HDS uses the same transducer, so I didn't need to run the new power OR ducer. It was just plug and play ready to go. Ended up using the other ducer on the trolling motor and moved the old one to the bow. Several of the older model Lowrances used the same transducers. Just something to check out.

[TMF89]

Oh it's an eleven year old Eagle Classic lol. I might move it up to the bow.

So I found out the hole in the transom that the old sonar cable ran through (just a drainage hole) is too small for the connectors to fit through. I might be able to get one of them through after removing the old cable, but no way am I getting the Structure Scan and 2D cable through. I guess I'll just run them up over the transom and use zip ties to try and secure them best I can. Any other ideas?

[WaveWacker]

I've wired three on mine and three on my dads boat. I wanted seperate switches to control all three locations so I installed my own 4 place switch plate (one switch for each unit and then one for the main power to the LSS unit) by running marine wire (red) from the positive starting battery post to the switch board and then another one (black) from the negative post to a common grounding buss bar (that I also purchased). From there it was just a matter of connecting the positive wires from the units to the switch panel and the negative (ground) to the common buss bar. As it seems you are aware of, the yellow wire from the LSS-1 unit needs to be connected to a power source in some form or fashion for the accessory wake up. I just connected the yellow from the the LSS-1 to the yellow coming from my HDS unit power cord so that when I turn my unit on, it "wakes up" the LSS-1. I don't do it often but I can still shut my LSS-1 off by switching the main power off on my switch plate. Oh, even though the switch plate is equiped with individual circuit breakers, I still installed the ATC flat fuse on the backside of it prior to running up to the unit.

That's my situation...now on to yours. First off...power supply wires and it sounds like you have that nailed down with tracking your old wire to this harness and the "extra's". I'm assuming you have a console boat so this makes sense as I have the similar thing back in my fuse box on my 02' Pro V tiller. So, YES, I'd cut off your old power cable and connect in the reds from the HDS unit and the LSS-1 to seperate wires from this harness. Wait, let me back up some...I'd overkill it and first install the provided wire/ATC flat fuse and then connect my power cable to this. Yeah, you should be fused in the back but I'd put it in. This is similar to my ciurcuit breaker and then fuse. If you do this, label which fuse is for what so that by chance you have to check them, you won't have to backtrack wires (I'd also get aquainted with which fuses in the back control this harnes thing you'd be pluggine into and label them so you'd know).

For the blacks I'd do the same thing...track where your old one went, cut it off and connect the blacks from the unit and the LSS-1 to this same location. There now may be a main power switch that need to be turned on prior to the unit being capable of being turned on but this shouldn't be any different than what you're doing now.

Now what to do with the accessory wake up/yellow wire (s)? It sounds like you could hook the yellow from the power cord on the LSS-1 to this "extra" switch you have so that you'd have to turn this on to "wake up" the LSS-1 but then you have to make sure and shut this switch off to basically stop the LSS-1 from sending a signal/using "juice". Maybe this wouldn't happen if a main switch actually cut the power to the main supply LSS-1? Or, you could just wire in the yellow to yellow as I did from the unit to the LSS-1 so the unit acts as the switch. Potentially in your case then, you wouldn't have the capability of shutting down the LSS-1 unless your unit was off.

SO...if it was me, I think I'd consider wiring the red from the LSS-1 to this extra switch so that switch supply's and/or cuts the main power to the LSS-1 and then wire the yellow to yellow of the LSS-1 and the unit. This way, you can cut the main power to the LSS-1 if you don't want it on. Kind of up to you.

WW

[WaveWacker]

Oh...obviously you'll need to connect the ethernet cable between the unit and the LSS-1. Not sure if you do the majority of your fishing from the front of the boat, at the assumed steering wheel or at the back...but you could easily pull wires (I typically order my marine wire from the big C store) to whatever location you wanted and then purchase extra power cables and longer ethernet cable (s) and that way you can pop your unit off and move it around the boat where you need it. Just a thought

[TMF89]

Alright here's a pic of that extra wire. It looks like one wire goes to the master power switch. Then we have the second wire, and the third wire (orange/red) not connected to anything. Should I connect the positive wire to that?

[TMF89]

Or sorry not the positive, but the yellow one. No matter whether I run a switch or not, the positive/negative wires would go to the fuse box like any other unit right?

[WaveWacker]

So, this is your unused switch that you discussed above correct. It appears you have power into it with the solid orange and it's grounded with the black. This makes sense that the light comes on when you turn the switch on. I also agree that orange/red stripe appears to be power out to whatever you want and you could hook your yellow (from the LSS-1/SS unit) up to it.

You could purchase a simple light tester to confirm whats happening at that switch. The tester I'm talking about is simply a probe with a light and a section of wire connected to a small aligator clamp (typically). The aligator clamp needs to be put on a good ground so I'd pull the black wire off and clip it onto that wire and then hold the probe on the end of the orange/red wire. When you flip the switch, the light should go on/off. That's just what I do to make sure prior to wiring things up but I'd say you're on the right track.