# Wiring depth finder into Gheenoe accessory panel



## ZackB (Aug 19, 2020)

Hi. I’m trying to wire a depth finder into the panel on my LT 10. Right now I’ve got it wired into a cigarette lighter plug that I can plug into the panel but this doesn’t look great and the plug can fall out. 
Anyway, I’ve got a couple open switches but can’t make sense of the wiring under there. I’ve got a photo attached. I’d like to hook the finder into the bottom switch. This has a red wire coming into it from the switch above and one open spot for what I’m assuming should be a ground wire. 
Can I patch the red into the existing loop from the switch above? Don’t know much at all about electrical and not trying to fry myself or anything else. Thanks for the help.


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## Gogittum (May 24, 2020)

By "bottom switch," I'm assuming you mean the one on the left in the picture ?? Is the red wire coming into the top of it hot ?? You said that it comes down from another switch, so it could be an accessory....?? If that red wire is hot and if that really Is a switch just plug your depth finder red wire onto the open terminal and the black to a ground. If that is an accessory, such as a light or something, then the open terminal "could" be for a ground.


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

Gogittum is correct. If you have a volt meter check the red wire to see if it is hot. If it is, flip the switch and see if you get voltage through the switch. Take NOTHING for granted when wiring electronics. If the switch works, just hook your red wire from fish finder to the open switch. Then find a place to tie in your black ground wire, a terminal block where several ground wires would be ideal. Again, take nothing for granted. Red wires should be hot, black wires should be ground. From the picture, you have red and black hooked to what I am assuming is the switch on the right. Check everything!


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## ZackB (Aug 19, 2020)

Thank y’all for the help. Gogittum, yeah the switch I’m looking to hook the finder into is the one on the left. The red wire coming in is showing hot on my multimeter, same with the open terminal when I flip the switch on. So, it seems like I could hook the red wire for the finder to that but I’m lost as where to put my ground. Seems like the other switches all have ground wires going to the bottom terminal of the switch (verified both by color and “zero” readings on the multimeter). The only thing I’m sure of though is that “seems like” along with a limited understanding of electricity is a bad combination. 😄 I’ve got photos attached of the switch and also the front of the panel. Thanks again for y’all’s help so far.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Man your making this to complicated. Just wire your depth finder to your TM battery or engine assuming you have a cut off switch. I take my depth finder and GPS in ever time I park my boat home. That way no drain on battery. Yup can run a switch if you want


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

For me, I would check and recheck to verify all red wiring is hot, and all black wiring is ground. Something just doesn't look right.
Do you have nav lights and do they work off the switch? Same with anchor light, any other devices on board.


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## Gogittum (May 24, 2020)

Easiest way I know of to be sure is to buy a circuit tester at the parts house. They're very inexpensive and I consider them to be a necessary - vital - part of my toolbox. It's got a needle point on a small handle with a bulb in it, like a screwdriver and has a long, usually black, lead coming from it with an alligator clip on the end. Connect the black alligator lead to a ground and stab the point into a suspected hot. It should be sharp enuf to even penetrate the insulation on a wire - but be careful - they stab fingers good, too. If it Is hot, the bulb inside will light up, brightly. That gives you a known good hot and ground, no question.

Conversely, you can clip to a suspected hot (positive) and poke the needle into suspected (or hoped for) grounds and if you do hit a ground (negative) the bulb will light.


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## ZackB (Aug 19, 2020)

Thank y’all for the input. Permitchaser, the only reason I wasn’t looking to hook into the battery is because the power cord that came with the finder isn’t long enough. Getting a longer cord and hooking directly to the battery is probably the right move.
Fishnpreacher, nav lights, anchor light and bilge pump work off the switch. Gogittum, thanks for the tip on the circuit tester.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Curious..why the need for a depth finder when you are in 2 foot of water?

By the time it tells you you are too shallow its already too late.


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## dodgerodder (Feb 9, 2021)

All good advice given.
Those switches on the Gheenoe panel are a simple on/off.
As you found with your meter, the red is the 12 volt positive feed to the switch.

The red of your depth finder hooks to the other open terminal on the switch.

Then simply ground the black wire of the depth finder.

The cigarette lighter next to tbe switch
has only 2 wires. Red is +, black is -
(See the markings on your pic next to each wire)

Follow the black wire from the cig lighter. It will likely go to a ground block nearby,
You can hook to black wire there.

Hope this helps!

Dan


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