On-Off Switches for Sounder and Heading Sensor

[NORO LIM]

There is a ”feature” in my boat’s wiring that has bugged me since the electronics were installed. Everything works great, but this one thing just seems wrong.

Here’s the deal:
I have Furuno electronics, including a BBFF1 sounder black box and a PG500 heading sensor. They are in some “Standby” mode whenever the house battery which supplies them is on. This is true ( i.e., they are on), whether or not the GPS/Chartplotter/Radar (Furuno 1824C) to which they provide input is on. This means, for instance, that if I am at anchor with the anchor light on all night, the black box and heading sensor will be on “standby” all night, as well. Together, these two devices on standby appear to draw around 0.5 amp.

Here's the question:
Should not it be possible to install switches in order to turn the sounder and heading sensor completely off without turning the battery off?

Full disclosure:
I'm not a skilled or knowledgeable electrician. I’ve consulted my installation manuals and looked on line to no avail. I’ve sent an inquiry to Furuno, but despite generally good responses from them in the past, they seem flummoxed this time or are for some reason unable or not interested enough to answer. I haven’t given up on them yet, but thought I would appeal to the many real experts in this place.

 

[forrest]

Bill,
Like you I have Furuno. What I have done to alleviate the problem you described was to feed a dedicated fuse block strictly for the electronics through a switch. The switch (push-pull, single pole) is fed from one of the fuses in the fuse block at the front helm. When I hit the switch, all electronics lose power just as if the battery switch was opened.

 

[Ted Osborne]

On our Lowrance install instructions it indicated that even with the gps off there was still a small battery draw. They recommended that a switch be installed......we did that.

 

[thataway]

I always put in separate switches for GPS plotter, VHF radio, and Stereo. This means a separate switch panel, which is on the side of the console and I can reach it from the bunk--that allows me to turn on and off LED lights in the cockpit and cabin from the bunk.

 

[NORO LIM]

Thanks all for the responses. This place IS the greatest!

Forrest, it's really comforting for a relative ignoramus to hear others with more knowledge have had the same concern. It's not just me. I'm also glad to hear you fixed it pretty easily.

Ted, I couldn't find any such recommendation in the Furuno manual or online. Again, it's good to hear some manufacturers (Lowrance, at least) recommend a switch.

Bob, I really like the idea of a separate switch panel on the side of the console. Now I'm a little up in the air about 1 switch like Forrest has, or a panel of switches.

I'm about to go out to the boat and check out the wiring - maybe take some pictures. My memory is that the GPS/Chartplotter, the Heading Sensor, and the VHF are all on the same separate fuse box. I'll have to check on the Sounder Black Box. For some reason I think it may come straight off the main terminal block behind the helm with its own inline fuse.

I hope you'll all help walk me through this a little when I get a plan figured out.

 

[nordicstallion]

I have lowrance sounder and plotter. Had lots of trouble with the sounder until I found a crack in the transducer, good now but while hunting for the problem I read that the power is always on & the manual said that in a salt water environment could cause corrosion in the plugs.

 

[NORO LIM]

OK, here are six pictures. The Heading Sensor (along with the VHF and GPS) is wired through a fuse block, but the Sounder is not. Things are pretty much as I remembered them, with one puzzling exception which is discussed below and which I hope is just a labeling mistake by the installer.


1. THIS FIRST PHOTO IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE SPAGHETTI:

2. THIS ONE SHOWS THE HEADING SENSOR WIRED TO THE MIDDLE TWO OF THE THREE POSITIVE AND THREE NEGATIVE TERMINALS ON THE TOP EDGE OF THE FUSE BLOCK. THE REMAINING TOP EDGE TERMINALS ARE OCCUPIED BY THE VHF AND GPS (but see the last picture regarding the labeling of these terminals):

3. THIS ONE SHOWS THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE BUSBAR CONNECTIONS FOR THE SOUNDER:

4. THIS ONE SHOWS THE INLINE FUSE FOR THE SOUNDER IN RELATION TO THE BUSBAR:

5. THIS ONE SHOWS THE SOUNDER INLINE FUSE AND THE BLACK BOX CONNECTION:

6. THIS ONE SHOWS THE INSTALLER'S LABELS ON THE FUSE BLOCK, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS ANY CONNECTION HERE TO AN "FF" (I'M ASSUMING THAT "FF" IS MEANT TO STAND FOR "FISHFINDER" OR SOUNDER):

For starters, I'm thinking of just one switch. It could also control the VHF and GPS - even those these two don't have the "standby" issue. Would it make sense to get a bigger fuse box to make room for the Sounder wiring, and then move that wiring from the BusBar to the new fuse block along with the heading sensor, the VHF and the GPS? Would that simplify switch installation? Are there any issues with the Sounder inline fuse if I do this? I notice the Heading Sensor has a 1Amp inline fuse inches from a 2Amp fuse in the block. Is that necessary or advisable? What size additional fuse, if any, would I use in the block for the Sounder?

So . . . how would I go about installing a switch that would allow me to turn the Sounder and the Heading Sensor off while the battery is on?

Thanks for any help.

 

[thataway]

I added a second fuse block, but with 12 connections. I got rid of the inline fuses--and put the same size fuse in the fuse block. That way there is no question if a fuse ever blows, where it is. This also gives every connection from the console area with its own fuse block. As I recollect, the wire went from the fuse block to the switch, and then to the appliance--GPSs, Radios
(I have two of each).

I suspect that the installer used the GPS/FF as generic: the GPS, and did not consider that the sounder module was powered directly, with its own in line fuse.

In your case, if you want one switch for the sensor, radio, sounder module and the GPS, then you would have only one fused circuit for those three, on the block--then to the switch for the three--then off to the electronics.

There is another way, and that is to put a switch into the main feed of that fuse block--and that block only has the sensor, radio, sounder module, and GPS. These fuse blocks are not easy to split--as some are--where the power to some fuse blocks are. The solution for your set up--would be to keep this fuse block for the electronics--and then add a second fuse block for the other items:

Hope that helps. In the C dory 22 there is plenty of room on the side for a second set of switches (Actually I believe I added two extra sets of switches.)

I did find this photo of the back of my console--but it was not completed yet. I have replaced the 6 fuse block with the 12 fuse block on the left, and then later put in the 6 fuse block in the "blank space" in the center. There a second set of switches in the right lower area--but I also add several more switches on the side of the console later. Note that I do label all of the wires. Later I did clean up the bundles a little more, and put on more ties:

 

[NORO LIM]

This makes perfect sense to me.[/color]

The likely explanation. I'll just change the label. [/color]

This sounds like the way to go for me. I'll just get another block and dedicate one of them to the electronics I want switched.[/color]

I do note, and I cringe every time I think about the inadequate labeling in my boat. One of these days . . . (There is a VERY long and tortured story about bad luck in my attempts to participate in the wiring - and labeling - of the boat. Suffice to say the tale involves a cancer diagnosis, two surgeries, a heart attack, and the loss of a finger - spread amongst me, and not one, but two different electronics installers. Really.)[/color]

 

[NORO LIM]

Well, I'm happy to report the new fuse block is in. It's dedicated exclusively to electronics. Everything works (phew!), and I can now have the house battery on to run the anchor light (or cabin lights, or stove, etc.) without having the unnecessary 0.5 - 0.6 amp drain from the "standby" status of the heading sensor and sounder.

I owe thanks to Forrest for his advice and for letting me crawl around in his boat to see how someone who knows what he's doing has done it.



(And I've made a start on my labeling project. )

 

[thataway]

Nicely done and well labeled!

 

[dabfd]

Similar subject. Anybody know why my system would take 20 to 30 minuets to operate when switched on? The sounder, GPS and autopilot are on a seperate fuse panel with a on/off switch to control battery power at anchor. I get no GPS or autopilot function for at least 30 minuets. I measured the voltage and doesn't seam to matter. Everything works great after it comes on.
Would like it to work when I turn it on. The system is e80 Raymarine.

 

[ghone]

Hi Dave. Have you called Raymarine's support? If this is an '06-'09 vintage those were tough times for Raymarine equipment Could be software, could be build issues. If power is good I'd call support to see about known issues or update software. George

 

[dabfd]

George, they wanted me to package it up and send it to them. Reluctant to do that as long as it is working. As long as I'm on the boat and using the systems for the most part everything works great. It's just when it's been turned off for a day or two. It's been a great system other than that. If it continues to be a problem I may send it in.

 

[AstoriaDave]

Similar subject. Anybody know why my system would take 20 to 30 minuets to operate when switched on? The sounder, GPS and autopilot are on a seperate fuse panel with a on/off switch to control battery power at anchor. I get no GPS or autopilot function for at least 30 minuets. I measured the voltage and doesn't seam to matter. Everything works great after it comes on.
Would like it to work when I turn it on. The system is e80 Raymarine.

Way out of spec. Are you measuring voltage across the terminals of the sounder or GPS, or at a remote point? Slow rise in battery voltage as it is charged as engines run is a remote possibility. Someone must know the minimum voltage required to operate these. Got me baffled. Definitely call Raymarine and ask.

 

[dabfd]

Thanks guys for the input. On the subject of voltage range this happened at the docks with the battery charger running, during engine start up and with everything shut off. It's happened at low voltage and high voltage. Trouble shooting it has been difficult because its inconsistent. Most likely it's one of the components.