Can a depthsounder transducer wire be cut and spliced?

Question

I have a sailboat cant find room to run a new wire. the wire from the old dead transducer is still in place. and goes aft to the readout

Answer 1

You can, however, you need to be sure to wrap it really good so that it doensn't get any static noise or frequency.

Answer 2

Yes, but leave the cable length the same.  The unit is matched to the transducer.  Be careful to keep the two wires well wrapped and seperate from each other.

Answer 3

You don't really give enough information for a good reply.  Can't you use the old cable as a pull for the new cable?  Anytime you splice a cable like that you risk a small impedence change causing reflections in the signal causing a signal loss at the display. Splicing is done all the time but it isn't a good practice.  

If you used the old cable you might have to splice twice, once at each end...

If someone ran the cable once someone can run a new cable again. Some boat manufacturers are perverse and run the original cable at a stage of construction where it is easy to run and impossible thereafter, or they tie the wire to other cables.  

Is the old transducer and cable really dead?

Do you want a depth sounder or a fish finder?  New "Smartducers" don't use a shielded cable to run the reflected signal in the head unit, all the guts are in the transducer. They require 12V dc in and put out a digital signal that any NMEA compliant device can interpret.  These smartducers only display depth not fish and they require four conductors to run and are not subject to problems with splices.      Is this too much info?  Has this changed anything?

Answer 4

I'm with trainboy if the old wire is there and you can move if pull with it. I think that I would pull 2 strings good strings like a good trout line staging through with the old transducer lead. There is probably like a PVC pipe in your bilge that has all your wiring in it your transducer cable is probably in it also. If you cal pull on your old lead and move it one way or the other tie a double string on the end of it and tape it so it will stay use the middle of a long string. If you can get it through cut the string and tie one end off this will give you a thread to pull something through in the future. From the transom end of your boat tie and tape the end of your transducer lead the one that goes to the unit and pull it through. Be sure you go through where ever your old transducer wire is on the transom because once you get it pulled through the boat you can't or may not be able to change it your transducer will be to big to go through any thing. There should be some kind of access ports you can remove to get the new cable routed it will be a little work but it can be done. This is what I did to get mine in I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

Answer 5

No, nyet, stop !!

The transducer and wire are matched/calibrated.  If you cut the wire your reading will be off.

The instructions should tell you NOT to cut or splice wire.  When all else fails, read the instructions.