Mounting electronics on a aluminum boat?

Printable View

10-22-2007, 06:02 PM
KrappieKrane

Mounting electronics on a aluminum boat?

I'm currently working on a aluminum v-hull with casting decks and floors. I'm adding nav lites and fish finders to the front and rear of the boat. To save on having a wad of wires to attach to the batteries, I used the boat hull as the common ground for all electronics. I wanted the batteries in the rear, but I have grounded the negative side of the battery to the boat's hull. My question is kinda crazy, but will the current going through the hull affect my fishing? Will the fish be able to detect the current from the hull? I sounds crazy, but as much as we fisherman try to remain scentfree and stealthy, I was just wondering. Thanks in advance for you opinions. Rollcaster...........
10-22-2007, 06:36 PM
ShilohRed

Your asking for trouble. Aluminum is not to be used as a ground. It will over time eat away your boat where you have anything grounded like that.
Also don't know about it effecting your fishing. Other then destroying the boat. Ever hear of electrolytic? Do a search of " boat electrolytic"
PEte
10-22-2007, 06:44 PM
crappielimits

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShilohRed

Your asking for trouble. Aluminum is not to be used as a ground. It will over time eat away your boat where you have anything grounded like that.
Also don't know about it effecting your fishing. Other then destroying the boat. Ever hear of electrolytic? Do a search of " boat electrolytic"
PEte

I agree this will cause pinsized holes to form everywhere! It will ruin your boat.
10-22-2007, 07:05 PM
Cane Pole

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShilohRed

Your asking for trouble. Aluminum is not to be used as a ground. It will over time eat away your boat where you have anything grounded like that.
Also don't know about it effecting your fishing. Other then destroying the boat. Ever hear of electrolytic? Do a search of " boat electrolytic"
PEte

Electrolysis. You create a negative charge on the hull, then any positive charge device will try to attach to it. Also, it could be dangerous if you charge your batteries while boat is in the water.

Any and all electrical systems should have a single point ground. On a boat, it is usually the engine.

Another thing. Be sure to keep your sacrificial anode (zinc bar) in good shape. I didn't. I had to have my jon boat patched. Electrolysis.
10-22-2007, 07:26 PM
KrappieKrane

Thanks everyone!

That's what I needed to hear more than anything. I will definitely be rewiring what was currently installed. Thanks for the advice. Rollcaster..............
10-23-2007, 04:31 AM
wannabe fisherman

to cut down on wires from front to back run 2 10ga. wires to the front and add a fuse block then run the wires from DF or what ever to the fuse block.
If using a trolling motor the wires might need to be heavier ga.
10-23-2007, 05:12 AM
J White

My non-electrical .02 :D

Do some reading up on "black boxes" or "postive ion control" on
downriggers - supposedly a mild positive charge attracts fish...
think I've sort of picked up between the lines that negative turns 'em
off. But they are SELLING gizmos to alter the charge on the downrigger
cable, so take it for what it's worth.

And, I have been known to have too much time on my hands :)
My last boat, playing with a test light, found out that just by having the
power leads from my 50 Honda hooked up to the cranking battery, I
had a circuit between the hot post of the battery and the boat hull, at
least enough to light the bulb... I'm thinking it has something to do with
the charging system, the Honda had electric start, but no key, just a
pushbutton. It was a tiller steer, and though dealer rigged, they were
not really intended to have tillers with electric start on that size motor
I was told by the dealer. He ordered a 50 without a remote box, and
a handle from a 25 and it all fit. This was in '97. Never hurt anything that I saw, never ran battery down or anything, but who knows?
10-23-2007, 07:40 AM
Cane Pole

Quote:

Originally Posted by J White

My non-electrical .02 :D

Do some reading up on "black boxes" or "postive ion control" on
downriggers - supposedly a mild positive charge attracts fish...
think I've sort of picked up between the lines that negative turns 'em
off. But they are SELLING gizmos to alter the charge on the downrigger
cable, so take it for what it's worth.

And, I have been known to have too much time on my hands :)
My last boat, playing with a test light, found out that just by having the
power leads from my 50 Honda hooked up to the cranking battery, I
had a circuit between the hot post of the battery and the boat hull, at
least enough to light the bulb... I'm thinking it has something to do with
the charging system, the Honda had electric start, but no key, just a
pushbutton. It was a tiller steer, and though dealer rigged, they were
not really intended to have tillers with electric start on that size motor
I was told by the dealer. He ordered a 50 without a remote box, and
a handle from a 25 and it all fit. This was in '97. Never hurt anything that I saw, never ran battery down or anything, but who knows?

I would expect to see something like this in a metal boat. The engine is grounded (kinda) to the hull through the mounting bolts. I guess that is what these bolts are called. This ground may be a partial ground because of the paint. Don't depend on it being constant. I get this same reading (light on) on my Jon boat. Don't know about Tracker, but probably so.

Thats why we got the zinc bar on the engine. It is supposed to be the most negative point on the boat. I think this is the point where lightning is supposed to leave the boat if you get struck. I don't want to find out. ha
I used to know all this stuff. Forgot a lot of it.

I guess charges can affect fish like they do us sapiens.
Static charges makes our hair stand. Maybe positive charges flair the gills on fishes. Sounds good.
10-23-2007, 07:50 AM
Barnacle Bill

Here is a good article on the subject. Note that magnesium anodes should be used in fresh water and zinc or aluminum in salt water. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...Protection.htm
10-23-2007, 08:00 AM
Cane Pole

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBNFSHN

Here is a good article on the subject. Note that magnesium anodes should be used in fresh water and zinc or aluminum in salt water. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...Protection.htm

Thanks Bill. I always heard them called zinc bars. Learn something every day here. Probably like calling all soda pops Coke.ha

http://www.yandina.com/electrolysis.htm