Depth sounder kill switch

[djsquid]

So, I installed a Garmin 50dv chartplotter/fishfinder a few days ago. Up at a lake Saturday to test it out. All works great except I am getting some interference on the Garmin sonar at 200KHz from the Yamaha factory thru-hull transducer. Does anyone know how to disable the factory transducer on a 2014 212x?

 

[Bruce]

Unplug the transducer cable?

 

[spaz1868]

You can remove the factory transducer...I have an extra plug that came with our boat to fill in the hole where the factory transducer goes.

 

[Bruce]

If you removed it you could sell it to a 190 owner.

But unplugging it or changing the frequency in your Garmin would be sufficient to stop the interference.

 

[djsquid]

Thanks for your replies, and I indeed agree with you. That was kind of the nature of the question. Saturday evening I poked around the wiring harness for about an hour to see if I could figure out where the transducer lead connects in. But it's all very well bundled up and not really labeled and I couldn't locate it. I was hoping that someone with a service manual or schematic could tell me where (physically) it connects to power. If I can get that info then I can do the rest by installing a toggle switch. I would like to be able to switch it back on when not using the Garmin.

 

[Bruce]

@B_Mutter, can you tell us where the transducer cable plugs into the wiring harness?

@djsquid on older models the transducer is powered by the depth gauge which draws key switched power. If believe the key switched positive is purple.

 

[djsquid]

@Bruce thanks much. I really wish there was a dedicated depth gauge, that would make this whole process so simple. However on my 212x the depth gauge is integrated into the LCD readout at the bottom of both tachometers and is accessible through a menu system that can display many different things like fuel gauge, fuel consumption, compass heading, digital speed, engine hours, and lots of other things so I think it must plug in to some computer control board somewhere along with all the other sensors that feeds the info to the readout based on menu selection.

 

[Bruce]

Yes, yours plugs into the computer. The transducer cable has a power wire that you can cut for your switch. B_Mutter described upgrading the transducer in a 190 so hopefully he knows where the transducer cable connects. My guess is that it is a black cable perhaps 5/16ths in diameter with a molded connector. It should be plugged into a cable on the wiring harness labeled triducer.

Have you looked to see if you can change the frequency on your Garmin? Sometimes this is an option in the settings. Fisherman do this to prevent the bow and stern transducers from interfering with each other. So it is a common feature.

 

[djsquid]

Thanks for that. Where, physically is the computer or the place where the transducer connects to the wiring harness? Is it under the helm? or is it back near the motors? or some other place?

Regarding the Garmin, I read through the manual and there are some interference filter settings in there that I will definitely try. There are three frequencies from the transducer (77kHz, 200kHz, 488kHz) each of which is represented by separate screen readout on the fishfinder. The 77kHz can optionally be 50kHz but that frequency doesn't have the problem. The 200kHz and 488kHz are fixed as far as I can tell. and it's the 200kHz that has the interference, probably because the factory depth sounder is also at this frequency or very near to it.

 

[Bruce]

I believe the transducer connector will be found inside the helm.

 

[B_Mutter]

The transducer connection is within 2 feet of the transducer back under the clean out plug hatch. There is an extension cable that will run up to the helm as well but I honestly don't know where it meets up to the gauges. I only know the one under the clean out hatch from doing swaps on the 190's for the 192 traducer.

 

[djsquid]

@B_Mutter thanks so much for that, every piece of wisdom helps. The factory transducer sits just below port exhaust expansion chamber. With some arm and shoulder contortions I can just touch it. In a few days I will try removing the exhaust and see if I can locate the connection.

 

[B_Mutter]

@djsquid you shouldn't have to remove the exhaust to find the plug. On the 190's it is located on the back wall just as the wires sneak up the starboard side to get into the side storage compartment and head to the dash. So with the hatch removed just look in to the right sort of on the shelf that the underside of the swim platform makes.

 

[djsquid]

@B_Mutter thanks for that, I will see if I can spot it.

 

[djsquid]

@B_Mutter I found it right where you said it would be. The connector doesn't have easy access because it is just behind the starboard clean out tube. But the transducer wire has lots of slack so I am going to poke the middle of the wire through the transom and splice a toggle switch on the red power lead and tack it down in the engine compartment and label it. Thanks so much for your help on this.
-Dave

 

[B_Mutter]

@djsquid I'm glad you were able to find it!!! You guys provide an incredible amount of knowledge which is very useful as a dealer. When I see a chance to help one of you out I jump at it! No one knows these boats better than the people who own them!

 

[djsquid]

I installed the depth sounder kill switch and it worked perfectly. If you are interested here is how I did it:
I located the factory transducer cable per the guidance by @B_Mutter , above. It is easy to identify because it has "transducer" printed right on the cable. I pulled the middle of the transducer cable out through the access hatch between the clean-out ports. I trimmed off 3/4 inch of the cable jacket and shielding revealing the wires inside. I cut the red transducer power wire and soldered on a 4" lead of similar size wire to each cut end of the red wire. I sealed and insulated each solder joint with shrink and electrical tape. I re-shielded the transducer wire with a 1" x 8" strip of aluminum foil wrapped a few times around the wound leaving about 2" of each new lead free. I wrapped up the re-shielded part with electrical tape to hold it all in place. I sealed it all up with 3M 5200. I then soldered a single pole single throw toggle switch to the exposed leads. I drilled a 12mm hole (the size called for by the toggle) in the transom and poked the throw lever of the toggle switch through the hole into the engine compartment and tightened it down with the supplied washer, lock, and nut. I then sealed the toggle assembly with 5200.

Voila, the interference on the 200KHz sonar is gone when I flip the switch off. Naturally, when the switch is off, there is comm error on the LCD readout of each tachometer at the depth and water temperature setting. Which is fine because those functions are covered by the Garmin. When the switch is turned back to the on position the factory depth and temp work as normal.