Boating Electronics on the Snowmobile

Having learned fishing in recent times, technology has always been part of my arsenal, whether it’s on the boat or on the ice. As the ice is forming, preparing for the ice season has kept me pretty busy which inspired me to write about some projects.

When I got myself a snowmobile, one of the first things I did was to install an GPS graph unit from the boat. It was one of the first modifications that I did to my snowmobile and I was pretty proud of it. It was a relatively simple project but I will discuss my thought process in how I designed my mounting and wiring system. While I own a snowmobile, the information is also somewhat applicable to quads and other forms of winter transport using electrical start.

While it’s not an absolute must to outfit on your snowmobile, I found it to be a super helpful tool that made ice fishing a lot easier. Perhaps after reading this, you’ll consider using boating electronics on your winter transport.

Feasibility

The first question you should be asking yourself before taking on the project is whether you should even do it.

For me, my Lowrance graph that I keep on the bow of the boat would normally just sit on a shelf and collect dust during the winter. After doing this project, the unit has year round use and provides a lot more value. So the decision was pretty easy for me as the only cost would be the mounting setup on the snowmobile.

I will say that it is cumbersome to transfer the graph from the sled to the ice fishing shuttle. Wires will need to be plugged and unplugged constantly which can be a lot of work if you move spots frequently. For this reason, if you only have one unit, it might be better to dedicate it to solely being an ice fishing unit.

As for the power source, I use the starting battery as my snowmobile has electric start. It’s convenient as the alternator keeps it charged as long as the engine is running. If you don’t have electric start this might be trickier. A battery for the sole purpose of powering electronics can be considered but then it will need to be charged on a regular basis.

The Benefits

The biggest factor is safety. Ice fishing can be a dangerous activity. Navigating ice ridges, frazzle ice and portage trails can be tricky especially in the dark or a blizzard. Big lakes like Lake Winnipeg look the same in every direction. Having waypoints and trails on a GPS unit is the best way to navigate in these circumstances.

It’s pretty easy to access GPS on your phone and get the same benefits as a graph. However with the cold and the power needed to run the GPS, the battery has a good chance of dying unless it can be kept in a warm place. There are mounts and heating setups though that do let you use your phone in the cold which is something to consider.

For me, using my graph on the snowmobile is awesome because I can run my fishing maps on it. Having a contour map handy really lets me pick spots easily. Having data from open water is also a great asset. Sometimes you may have charting data from when you boated on the lake. Perhaps you have waypoints of hot spots that worked in the summer. This is a great benefit that fish finder graphs have over dedicated GPS devices when it comes to ice fishing.

As the only one in my fishing crew with a GPS unit on the snowmobile, it’s not hard to guess who the leader was each time.

Mounting

It’s important to have a mounting system that can withstand the cold, moisture and excessive vibrations. It also needs to match the weight of your unit as fish finder graphs tend to weigh a lot more than standard GPS devices used for snowmobiling. It may also vary depending on how your dash or handlebars are designed. What may work for me may not necessarily work for you.

I decided to go for a RAM handlebar clamp mount (can’t seem to find the product link for the one I have unfortunately). I use RAM mounts on the boat so I can save costs by reusing the sockets and balls. So it was really easy to mount, no drilling was involved. As I have a 7″ unit, I use the ball size C (1.5″ diameter). For units larger than 7″ you will need to use the ball size D (2″ diameter). Other designs I’ve seen involve installing the base by the dash which is an option if the handlebars do not a place to mount a clamp. Ensure that the unit does not obstruct any important meters on the dash.

Overall, find the design that works for you. As long as it’s easy to see and will not come loose it should be good.

Wiring

For this section, you will need the following items:

• Wire cutter and crimping tool
• Graph power cable
• Electrical wire (should be similar gauge to the power cable)
• Ring terminals
• Cable ties
• Fuse
• Female and male wire connectors (optional)

This is a pretty straightforward electrical setup. All you need to do is to simply connect the graph’s power cable to the starting battery and wire a fuse onto the positive connection. Ensure that all wires are secure away from the moving parts inside the snowmobile using cable ties.

While this is pretty easy, consider designing the wiring system so that the power cable can be removed easily. My setup involves leaving all interior wiring intact. Where the wiring pokes out of the hood, that’s where I install removable connectors. The power cable can be utilized in the boat during the summer or a multipurpose cable for studying maps or performing updates. With this design, I don’t have to go through the trouble of removing interior wiring every spring.

Graph Settings

There isn’t really much that is unique about using graphs on the boat versus the snowmobile. Trails definitely need to be turned on for navigation purposes. Speed can be useful if your speedometer is difficult to see. Time could be useful to have as an overlay.

If possible, displaying the voltage is a must, especially when connected to a starting battery. Though I generally power on the unit as the engine is running so my starting battery has never died. I also have pull start in case the battery does die.

Final Words

If you have a graph unit sitting on the shelf during the winter, consider turning it into a navigational unit for your winter transport. All it takes is some time, mounting hardware and electrical components to make your snowmobile into a ice fishing machine.