# Alweld wiring questions! Alweld owners/techs help please.



## jawjatek (Dec 22, 2018)

Rigging my new Alweld 1756VV Marsh model Center Console tin boat! QUESTION:
There is a conduit (looks like 3/4 or 1 inch size) in the right (starboard) bow gunwale area behind the TM socket plate. The wires for the trolling motor, nav light, and accessory socket go into this conduit. 

*WHERE does this conduit go, I mean where is the other end?* I don't see it under the console or in the transom area.

In the stern engine area under the rear lid, there are two big conduits on the floor, one left side of keel and one right side, that look like they come up under the console console, with most of the wiring and engine control cables snaked through there. I do not see where the smaller conduit ends up.The stock TM power wires end up in the transom area bundled in one of the looms going thru a big conduit to the center console. This wire pair is unconnected, with a 50A thermal breaker on the hot wire, for the user to hook up if they want.

I am trying to re-route the trolling motor power wires from the bow TM socket to the front storage locker, where I am installing two group 31 batteries for my 24V MK Terrova i-Pilot TM. There is no conduit from there to the front storage, so I somehow have to fish the TM power wires from the locker to the TM socket in the bow. Ideally I would fish some flex conduit thru there, so the TM wires are not physically sharing a conduit with any accessories. This will give me a short wire run from TM batteries to the TM, independent or the accessories, for best noise isolation (trolling motors are EMI generators, what with the PWM and the brushes making noise). Then I can install my 2-bank charger in the locker to recharge the TM batteries.

All accessories and everything else like engine, lights, sonar, bilge, live well, will be powered by the main battery in the transom.

Thanks, and a Merry Christmas to all.

My boat:


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## Superlucky (Dec 22, 2018)

I can't answer your question directly, but....

Do you have an electrical fishtape? (Flexible metal on a reel used to pull wire) I would stick it in the open end and see if it pops out somewhere.


Bill


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## maintenanceguy (Dec 22, 2018)

Sometimes, we find the other end of conduits by blowing compressed air through them.


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## jawjatek (Dec 22, 2018)

Probably should have mentioned I'm an EE and electrician and very experienced and was just looking for a quick answer. I don't have a fishtape at home. I can't find a second pipe end that size, and I'm out of places to look, so I'm guessing it "tees" into the main conduits from console to bilge somehow. I'll see if I can scrounge a fish tape, but I realized I don't need to know where that goes right now. What I need to do is figure out how best to get power wires from the storage locker to the bow socket. That is the trick.

I'm thinking I'll just leave the stock TM wires there, just disconnect them from the socket and cap them off with heat shrink. Then I need to connect the new #8 pair from the storage locker to the TM socket. I just need to figure out how to fish the wire from the locker to the plug area in the gunwale somehow.. that is going to be the trick. The existing wire can stay where it is.

I don't see any openings in the storage locker that allow wires to pass to the gunwale area. It's pretty well cut off in there. I put a big floodlight in there and don't see any light leaking thru to gunwale behind the socket. I'm going to call Alweld after Christmas and see if I can get some advice from them. I did tell the dealer I was going to wire it this way, but that detail got overlooked.

I still want to know where everything goes on this boat, and exactly how it is wired. I figured out a lot today. Tomorrow I'll at least get the Terrova mounted on the boat.


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## LDUBS (Dec 23, 2018)

maintenanceguy said:


> Sometimes, we find the other end of conduits by blowing compressed air through them.



I've also used a shop vac and yellow contractor's twine to get a fish line through an uncooperative conduit.

Edit: I hate autocorrect!


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## jawjatek (Dec 23, 2018)

Yes it is very common to "suck a rat" thru a conduit; Greenlee makes a powerful vac and plugs (rat) sized for the conduit to suck pulling string thru. The only problem is you need to know where both ends of the conduit are.

Like I said, I'll leave the existing wire where it is and run me a new one from the forward locker. Just need to figure out where it is best to snake it thru. I'll probably use a hole saw to make me a 1/2" hole and use a grommet or bushing to prevent chafing of the wires.


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## jawjatek (Dec 23, 2018)

I have a friend who vapes, and produces huge clouds of vapor when he does. If I get him to blow that vapor into the end of the conduit, there should be huge cloud of blueberry cream pie vapor coming out of the other end. Then he's actually doing something useful with the dang thing! :LOL2:


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## LDUBS (Dec 23, 2018)

The E-cig idea may be the most practical in solving your problem!

Anyway, whether you use a fish tape, compressed air, shop vac, or an Ecig (my favorite) I would try finding the existing wire routes before I started cutting holes. Sounds like there might be at least one main run from the transom area to the front.


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## jawjatek (Dec 23, 2018)

LDUBS said:


> The E-cig idea may be the most practical in solving your problem!
> 
> Anyway, whether you use a fish tape, compressed air, shop vac, or an Ecig (my favorite) I would try finding the existing wire routes before I started cutting holes. Sounds like there might be at least one main run from the transom area to the front.



?? We already know there is a conduit from the bow TM connector the the rear bilge - that's how its wired from Alweld - but I don't want to use it. So, at this point there is no reason to fish that conduit. It does NOT go to the forward locker - I've crammed my head in there and looked with bright lights. So I no longer care where this pipe goes.

I want my TM batteries up front.There is no conduit or opening in the boat from TM socket into the forward storage locker. My problem now is making an opening there.


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## LDUBS (Dec 23, 2018)

Now I'm confused. If you already know, then I guess I misunderstand your initial inquiry about where the conduit ends. Sorry about that.


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## jawjatek (Dec 23, 2018)

Originally I was wondering where that conduit went, but then I realized it doesn't matter. I'd still like to know, but my new problem is a bit simpler: how to get 2 #8 wires from the forward locker (where the 2 TM batteries go) to the TM socket on the bow. Then I will connect the new wires to the socket, and tape off the unused pair that runs to the stern (I will probably re-purpose those wires for future bow Panoptix or Live View sonar power). 

I could have explained that better. It's all good. Merry Christmas.

So has anyone had to run wires thru locker to the bow area of an Alweld?


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## LDUBS (Dec 23, 2018)

jawjatek said:


> I could have explained that better. It's all good. Merry Christmas.
> 
> So has anyone had to run wires thru locker to the bow area of an Alweld?




Sure, same to you. 

Good luck with your project.


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## jawjatek (Dec 27, 2018)

Well, I drilled a hole thru the bow-facing bulkhead of the storage locker, and was able to fish the new trolling motor power feed thru there, over the pumped-in foam. I first drilled a small hole up high, but below the deck rib, and was able to get a stiff coat hanger thru there to the socket panel cutout area. So I cut the hole 1" dia. with a hole saw, and used a PVC threaded fitting as a bushing, just smeared it with 5200 and tapped it in with a rubber hammer. I fished the coat hanger back thru and used it to fish a string, then used the string to pull the wire thru. Easier than I thought. I then connected the wire to the TM socket and put the panel back on, then I screwed down my battery trays in the locker and wired it all up with a 60A Bussman wp breaker. Done.

I installed the MK compass/direction sensor on the port side triangular piece of sheet metal at the rear corner (right side has the stern light socket). I was getting some compass deflection testing the area with a hand compass - turned out to be the screws holding the port rear cleat on. I took the cleat off, and will re-install it with non-magnetic screws of the same size when I find some. The screws in there were magnetized heavily, weird. 

System tested out and all is go.

Now if this rain would go away I could get on the lake! Looks like that won't happen until Saturday. 

Here endeth this thread. =D>


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## richg99 (Dec 28, 2018)

Great discussion. Glad you found the way to get her done.

re E Cigs.. Blowing smoke up a hole sounds like the only legitimate use of those things that I can think of. Has no one learned anything from Lung cancer statistics? 

re .. _I've crammed my head in there and looked with bright lights_..
since my aging head is too big, and my neck too stiff...to stick it into a hatch, I've taken to using my phone/camera for similar projects. I stick the phone/camera in the hole and take pictures in every direction. Works out pretty well.

regards,


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