I didn't think I would find this video. Thanks so much! Switching the yellow wire is exactly what I want to do. I am setting it up in a kayak but want to be sure I can turn it off when not in use. Keeps my from having to have a larger battery in the kayak.
You're welcome. I'm glad that you found the video useful. I just used this same technique in the Elite FS/Active Target 2 video. I installed one of the rocker switches that I showed in the video since it had a LED indicator to let the owner know that it was turned on. Weight savings in a kayak is very important. Let me know how it works out.
Gary Thanks much for these insightful videos. I appreciate all the time you've put into helping the rest of us get our boat electronics right. In one of your Active Targeting videos, you mentioned that we should ground the AT module. I'm installing my AT2 module to a dedicated electronics lithium battery (powering only the module and my HDS-Live). My question is - do I ground the module back to the lithium battery, or to my boat/battery. Grounding to the lithium seems to make the most sense to me, otherwise, I would be "contaminating" the otherwise closed dedicated power system. Using the same thought process, I wouldn't think the lithium battery should be grounded to the boat/battery. Please provide your perspective. Thanks, Mark. Again, thanks for all the effort you put into your work.
Hi Mark, thank you. I try to make helpful videos. A lot of the videos address problems that I have helped many customers with and I want to share the knowledge. The power ground on the AT module should be grounded to the same battery that is used for the switch. Otherwise the wakeup wire will not work as expected. So if the AT module is powered by the lithium battery then the module and switch ground are connected to the lithium ground. I am assuming that you have a dedicated lithium battery for your electronics. There is also a case ground on the AT module as well. If you are in freshwater then connect the case ground (also called bonding wire) to the lithium battery. If you have a saltwater boat that has a ground system attached to an anode then attach the case ground to the ground system. That will do 2 things. First, it will help to prevent corrosion on the transducer. And second, it will help to clean up the image on your screen by eliminating some electrical noise. I appreciate you watching the videos. Garry
@@garrywoodruff960 Very thorough answer. Thank you. I was referring to the module case ground (bonding wire), and you answered very precisely. Good deal!
It depends on the switch. The one that I show in the thumbnail would NOT have the 3rd terminal connected. It does not have an indicator light or LED to let you know that it is switched on. The switch is a single pole single throw or SPST switch. If your switch has an indicator on it then you will need a ground connection so the light is illuminated when you turn on the switch. I used that type of switch on the Skeeter Elite FS/Active Target installation. That switch also is a SPST switch. This is type of switch that I used for that installation: amzn.to/3C6btua If your switch has extra lugs on it and no indicator then do NOT connect ground as you may short out the wiring or blow a fuse if it is wired incorrectly. And thank for watching the video. And please subscribe if you haven't yet. Thank you.
So will I need this yellow wire to run a radar dome off switch? I have a Simran dome to the Lawrence FS 9 should I hook it up the same way you did one yellow wire to the switch another yellow wire to the red with a fuse to the power source
The Halo radar series that are supported by the Elite FS require the use of the Yellow wire to turn it on or off. So the radar dome acts the same as the Active Target module in terms of the yellow wire controlling the power to the dome/module. So yes the wiring is as I showed in the video. Using the switch you would wire it up to connect the Yellow wire from the power cord on the dome to the switch. Then connect to other terminal on the switch to a yellow wire through a 1 Amp fuse to your battery. And connect the red (through a fuse) and yellow wires on the power cord for the dome to the battery. Thanks for watching the video! Garry
@ thank you sir. I appreciate it and I did subscribe to your channel because a lot of things that you have done has helped me out on this boat venture thank you, sir. I appreciate you.
You are very welcome. And I appreciate you subscribing. Good luck with the boat. If you have any questions feel free to post a comment. Or if you have a topic that you would like covered in a video, please let me know. Thanks again, Garry.
@ good afternoon Gary ok I just put on a switch with a light I have yellow and a power wire and ground the light stays on on the switch on or off ?Any input Also I was looking at the wires coming from the Lowrance elite FS9 it has a yellow wire not being used can I just put the two yellows together and the dome will work from that / with out the switch and will some turn off when not using Thanks again Ps Your page is the only one out there with this good information
I usually wire it so that the light is turned on when the switch is on. Check the wiring diagram on the switch, it should show a power lead, switched lead, and a ground. The power lead goes to the fuse and then the battery or fuse block. The switched lead goes to the yellow wire on the power cable. And the ground goes to the fuse block or battery ground. Yes, you can hook the yellow from the Elite to the dome yellow wire. And you can put the switch between the two. That was the dome will only turn on when the Elite is powered and the switch is turned to the on position. I'm not sure how much current that the wakeup wire can handle to be able to turn on the switch LED if it has one. So to be safe, don't connect the switch ground and have a way to mark the ON position on the switch so it is obvious. I do try to have videos that fill in the gaps from other channels. I want you to be able to learn how and why you are doing something so when things go wrong or are different you know how to adapt to the situation. Thanks, Garry
Hi Garry, I have the Lowrance 9 Elite FS with active target 2. When i split the yellow wires is where I get confused. Does the yellow and two reds go to the monitor or does it go to the sonar? And what happens to the other yellow wire that goes to the other unit?
If you want to have the Active Target 2 turned on whenever you have the Elite FS turned on then (1) connect the Yellow wire from the AT and Elite FS together; and (2) connect the Red from both power cords with an inline fuse to the positive (+) on the battery; and (3) connect the Black from both power cords to the negative (-) on the battery. With these connections when you turn on the Elite FS then the AT module will be powered up. However, if you want to be able to turn on/off the AT module even when you are using the Elite FS then use the switch method that I show in the video. Some of the reasons that you may want to use the switch is to turn off the AT when you are very shallow and don't want the extra sonar pinging or to conserve battery power. On the video with the 2 Elite FS units with the AT2 installation, I used a switch to turn on/off the AT module. This allows them use conserve power (only 1 battery) and for some tournaments they are not allowed to use live Sonar so they can easily turn it off.
Thanks for the information very much appreciated!! Question: is it necessary to add switches to the HDS-graph separately? So technically 3 switches total ?
That was a good setup at the time. I ran that setup (with 10s) for a couple of years. The LSS-1 transducer is much more compact than the current Lowrance side imaging transducers. Just make sure that the units are updated with the latest update for them.
get a micro SD card with carrier that it 32 GB or less. Go to the Lowrance website on the support page. Then select the updates page. Then in the dropdown box in the left, select your unit. Make sure that they are Gen 1. Follow the instructions to download the update to your SD card. Then put the SD card in a unit and power it on. If it needs the update then it will show a bar on the bottom of the screen. When it is done you can then remove the card and do the second unit. This is the latest update: HDS (Gen1) with GPS Patch
Hi Garry, Thank you for the video. Would you be able to wire an active target with the switch method, but still connect the input of the switch to a HDS Pro unit yellow wire? So that the unit would only be able to be powered up when the HDS PRO is on, but still be able to be turned off when not using the active target?.
Thank you. I'm glad that you like the video. Yes, that would be a good way to use a switch while having the Pro control it. Make sure the Pro has the yellow wire activate (wake up) enabled, it is by default but worth checking. One thing is that if the Pro has a transducer connected to it then you should connect blue sync wire on the AT2 to the Pro yellow wire and turn on sync capability. And then use a switch like in the video. That will give you the clearest AT images.
Ok Thanks Garry@@garrywoodruff960 , Yes I will be using the Pro's included active transducer, although I thought that the blue wire was only if I had 2 AT2'S hooked up. Could I still use the switch by hooking up the AT2 blue wire on one side of the switch and the yellow wire from the pro on the other side of the switch? So that the unit would only be able to be powered up when the HDS PRO is on, but still be able to be turned off when not using the active target?
You're welcome. No, if you use the blue (sync) on the AT2 then you will need to connect the yellow wire to turn on the module. In that case, use a separate switch hooked up the same power source as the AT2 module. The switch will let you turn on/off the module. And on the Pro, make sure that you set the Power Control to sync.
There are several Blue Seas lighted switches as well as a multitude of other brands. All of the SPST (single pole single throw) lighted switches should have (1) power in (2) switched power out and (3) ground. You would wire it the same way that I showed in the video except you would also connect the (3) ground to the battery ground. This will complete the circuit when the switch is in the ON position and will light up the indicator. Let me know if that make sense.
So it's only necessary to connect the ground leg of the switch for the light indicator. In other words the switch will still work just won't illuminate the switch.
I didn't think I would find this video. Thanks so much! Switching the yellow wire is exactly what I want to do. I am setting it up in a kayak but want to be sure I can turn it off when not in use. Keeps my from having to have a larger battery in the kayak.
You're welcome. I'm glad that you found the video useful. I just used this same technique in the Elite FS/Active Target 2 video. I installed one of the rocker switches that I showed in the video since it had a LED indicator to let the owner know that it was turned on. Weight savings in a kayak is very important.
Let me know how it works out.
Keep ‘em coming very informative
That's the plan. I try to make sure that each video contains a few nuggets of useful information.
And thanks for watching!
Gary Thanks much for these insightful videos. I appreciate all the time you've put into helping the rest of us get our boat electronics right.
In one of your Active Targeting videos, you mentioned that we should ground the AT module. I'm installing my AT2 module to a dedicated electronics lithium battery (powering only the module and my HDS-Live). My question is - do I ground the module back to the lithium battery, or to my boat/battery.
Grounding to the lithium seems to make the most sense to me, otherwise, I would be "contaminating" the otherwise closed dedicated power system. Using the same thought process, I wouldn't think the lithium battery should be grounded to the boat/battery. Please provide your perspective.
Thanks, Mark. Again, thanks for all the effort you put into your work.
Hi Mark, thank you. I try to make helpful videos. A lot of the videos address problems that I have helped many customers with and I want to share the knowledge.
The power ground on the AT module should be grounded to the same battery that is used for the switch. Otherwise the wakeup wire will not work as expected. So if the AT module is powered by the lithium battery then the module and switch ground are connected to the lithium ground. I am assuming that you have a dedicated lithium battery for your electronics.
There is also a case ground on the AT module as well. If you are in freshwater then connect the case ground (also called bonding wire) to the lithium battery. If you have a saltwater boat that has a ground system attached to an anode then attach the case ground to the ground system. That will do 2 things. First, it will help to prevent corrosion on the transducer. And second, it will help to clean up the image on your screen by eliminating some electrical noise.
I appreciate you watching the videos.
Garry
@@garrywoodruff960 Very thorough answer. Thank you. I was referring to the module case ground (bonding wire), and you answered very precisely. Good deal!
You're welcome. That's my engineering background coming through.
Do you need a ground wire pigtailed to the third blade on the switch?
It depends on the switch. The one that I show in the thumbnail would NOT have the 3rd terminal connected. It does not have an indicator light or LED to let you know that it is switched on. The switch is a single pole single throw or SPST switch.
If your switch has an indicator on it then you will need a ground connection so the light is illuminated when you turn on the switch. I used that type of switch on the Skeeter Elite FS/Active Target installation. That switch also is a SPST switch.
This is type of switch that I used for that installation: amzn.to/3C6btua
If your switch has extra lugs on it and no indicator then do NOT connect ground as you may short out the wiring or blow a fuse if it is wired incorrectly.
And thank for watching the video. And please subscribe if you haven't yet. Thank you.
@@garrywoodruff960 Thanks Garry. Good work!
You're welcome.
So will I need this yellow wire to run a radar dome off switch? I have a Simran dome to the Lawrence FS 9 should I hook it up the same way you did one yellow wire to the switch another yellow wire to the red with a fuse to the power source
The Halo radar series that are supported by the Elite FS require the use of the Yellow wire to turn it on or off. So the radar dome acts the same as the Active Target module in terms of the yellow wire controlling the power to the dome/module.
So yes the wiring is as I showed in the video. Using the switch you would wire it up to connect the Yellow wire from the power cord on the dome to the switch. Then connect to other terminal on the switch to a yellow wire through a 1 Amp fuse to your battery. And connect the red (through a fuse) and yellow wires on the power cord for the dome to the battery.
Thanks for watching the video! Garry
@ thank you sir. I appreciate it and I did subscribe to your channel because a lot of things that you have done has helped me out on this boat venture thank you, sir. I appreciate you.
You are very welcome. And I appreciate you subscribing. Good luck with the boat. If you have any questions feel free to post a comment. Or if you have a topic that you would like covered in a video, please let me know.
Thanks again, Garry.
@ good afternoon Gary ok I just put on a switch with a light I have yellow and a power wire and ground the light stays on on the switch on or off ?Any input Also I was looking at the wires coming from the Lowrance elite FS9 it has a yellow wire not being used can I just put the two yellows together and the dome will work from that / with out the switch and will some turn off when not using
Thanks again
Ps Your page is the only one out there with this good information
I usually wire it so that the light is turned on when the switch is on. Check the wiring diagram on the switch, it should show a power lead, switched lead, and a ground. The power lead goes to the fuse and then the battery or fuse block. The switched lead goes to the yellow wire on the power cable. And the ground goes to the fuse block or battery ground.
Yes, you can hook the yellow from the Elite to the dome yellow wire. And you can put the switch between the two. That was the dome will only turn on when the Elite is powered and the switch is turned to the on position. I'm not sure how much current that the wakeup wire can handle to be able to turn on the switch LED if it has one. So to be safe, don't connect the switch ground and have a way to mark the ON position on the switch so it is obvious.
I do try to have videos that fill in the gaps from other channels. I want you to be able to learn how and why you are doing something so when things go wrong or are different you know how to adapt to the situation.
Thanks, Garry
Hi Garry, I have the Lowrance 9 Elite FS with active target 2. When i split the yellow wires is where I get confused. Does the yellow and two reds go to the monitor or does it go to the sonar? And what happens to the other yellow wire that goes to the other unit?
If you want to have the Active Target 2 turned on whenever you have the Elite FS turned on then (1) connect the Yellow wire from the AT and Elite FS together; and (2) connect the Red from both power cords with an inline fuse to the positive (+) on the battery; and (3) connect the Black from both power cords to the negative (-) on the battery. With these connections when you turn on the Elite FS then the AT module will be powered up.
However, if you want to be able to turn on/off the AT module even when you are using the Elite FS then use the switch method that I show in the video. Some of the reasons that you may want to use the switch is to turn off the AT when you are very shallow and don't want the extra sonar pinging or to conserve battery power.
On the video with the 2 Elite FS units with the AT2 installation, I used a switch to turn on/off the AT module. This allows them use conserve power (only 1 battery) and for some tournaments they are not allowed to use live Sonar so they can easily turn it off.
Thanks for the information very much appreciated!!
Question: is it necessary to add switches to the HDS-graph separately? So technically 3 switches total ?
I’ve recently purchased an LSS-1 module with side and down imaging, and also 2, 1st gen HDS-7s
Thank you. I glad that you found the video to be useful.
No, the switch is only needed for the module. The units have easily accessible power buttons.
That was a good setup at the time. I ran that setup (with 10s) for a couple of years. The LSS-1 transducer is much more compact than the current Lowrance side imaging transducers. Just make sure that the units are updated with the latest update for them.
How would I go about updating the units?
get a micro SD card with carrier that it 32 GB or less. Go to the Lowrance website on the support page. Then select the updates page. Then in the dropdown box in the left, select your unit. Make sure that they are Gen 1. Follow the instructions to download the update to your SD card. Then put the SD card in a unit and power it on. If it needs the update then it will show a bar on the bottom of the screen. When it is done you can then remove the card and do the second unit.
This is the latest update: HDS (Gen1) with GPS Patch
Hi Garry, Thank you for the video. Would you be able to wire an active target with the switch method, but still connect the input of the switch to a HDS Pro unit yellow wire? So that the unit would only be able to be powered up when the HDS PRO is on, but still be able to be turned off when not using the active target?.
Thank you. I'm glad that you like the video. Yes, that would be a good way to use a switch while having the Pro control it. Make sure the Pro has the yellow wire activate (wake up) enabled, it is by default but worth checking. One thing is that if the Pro has a transducer connected to it then you should connect blue sync wire on the AT2 to the Pro yellow wire and turn on sync capability. And then use a switch like in the video. That will give you the clearest AT images.
Ok Thanks Garry@@garrywoodruff960 , Yes I will be using the Pro's included active transducer, although I thought that the blue wire was only if I had 2 AT2'S hooked up. Could I still use the switch by hooking up the AT2 blue wire on one side of the switch and the yellow wire from the pro on the other side of the switch? So that the unit would only be able to be powered up when the HDS PRO is on, but still be able to be turned off when not using the active target?
You're welcome.
No, if you use the blue (sync) on the AT2 then you will need to connect the yellow wire to turn on the module. In that case, use a separate switch hooked up the same power source as the AT2 module. The switch will let you turn on/off the module. And on the Pro, make sure that you set the Power Control to sync.
Thanks for your advice Garry
You're welcom.
How about the switch from blue sea switch which has light when it’s on.How to wire that button up?
There are several Blue Seas lighted switches as well as a multitude of other brands. All of the SPST (single pole single throw) lighted switches should have (1) power in (2) switched power out and (3) ground. You would wire it the same way that I showed in the video except you would also connect the (3) ground to the battery ground. This will complete the circuit when the switch is in the ON position and will light up the indicator.
Let me know if that make sense.
So it's only necessary to connect the ground leg of the switch for the light indicator. In other words the switch will still work just won't illuminate the switch.
Yes that is correct. The ground used just used for the light to indicate that the switch is turned on.
I believe a year old never installed
I'm not sure what you meant by your comment?
@garrywoodruff960 sorry that was accident I was responding to another person, sorry for the confusion
No problem. I was trying to figure out what you meant and coming with a lot of crazy things. Anyway, thanks for watching the video.