BBDS1 power cable fuse(s)?

[SpineyNole]

Am installing a TZT12F with a chirp sidescan transducer (225T-TM904), a DFF3D, and a BBDS1. The DFF3D and the BBDS1 will use the TM260 combo transducer. I noticed that the BBDS1 power cable has a fuse in the positive wire AND a fuse in the ground wire. Never seen this done before. I was hoping to use a normal fuse block with ground (from Blue Sea) for my installation, but the fuse in the ground wire makes this more complicated. Comments? Is the fuse in the ground wire really necessary?

 

[Johnny Electron]

It is there just in case someone reverses the voltage in hopes of protecting the machine. It changes nothing in the way in which you would connect it to your power system. Treat the power negative as you normally would.

 

[SpineyNole]

So you are saying it is for reverse polarity protection only. If the power cable is installed correctly polarity-wise, is the fuse in the ground wire even necessary? The reason I ask is I want to shorten the power cable, remove the fuse holders in the power and ground wires, and use the fuse in the fuse block instead. Would that present any problem?

 

[Johnny Electron]

Fuses protect. Ultimately they are a wire that burns open when a level of current is exceeded. It can be a power surge coming up that negative side that it saves your unit from. I can't say it doesn't matter at all because it is offering protection. In general most units don't protect the negative side and if shortening the cable and modifying it; what you do is up to you. If you have it going thru another level of protection like a breaker, I wouldn't be too worried about losing the negative side fuse.