How hard is the wiring for new lowrance units bow and console on a newer bass boat? I would like to learn how to do this while saving money. Learning the wiring will help resolve problems later on hopefully. Just wanting to know if this is more of an undertaking than I can handle. Thanks for any help or advice.

If you have little basic knowledge, it is a easy install. I've owned boats for years and have always done the DYI thing for my electronics installs.

If you run into problems, post specifics --- plenty of folks around to help.

C.

My main concern is the powerbox under the console with all the wires going into it. They are all unmarked and not just reds and blacks!!! Would it be better smarter to directly wire the electronics to the battery and bypass this Pandora's box? Maybe have a switch on the console to turn the two lowrance units on and off?

Running a new power line to the battery will give you "cleaner" power so you should have less interference from other electronics. I did it with My Humminbirds and I put in a new (second) fuse box. Only things on the new fuse box is the 2 humminbirds and MAYBE a cigarette lighter plug for a phone charger. It's been a while since the install. Just be sure to put a larger fuse or breaker near the battery and then small fuses for the units.

You can add the main power switch for the humminbirds but there's another way to do it if you already have a main power switch on the console. All you need is a low cost relay (under $8) and some connectors to plug into the relay. The relay is like a switch that is controlled by the main switch. We can show a diagram if you want to go that route.

Besides the "cleaner" power mentioned above, the big benefit to running separate wires from the battery compartment for your electronics is that it bypasses all of the boat wiring and a myriad of potential problems caused by undersized wire and many splices, junctions and switches, all of which can be problematic with time.

If you do run separate wires, be sure to use the fuses provided and run wire large enough so that voltage drop is not an issue --- I would recommend 14 AWG; certainly no less than 16 AWG.

No specific need for an on/off switch at the console; the units should turn on/off from the front panel. If you're concerned about those wires being "hot" all of the time, the best location for a switch would be near the battery. Even that is not necessary if your boat has a master power switch in the battery compartment --- in that case just attach your sonar wiring on the switched side of the master power switch.

C.

Thanks guys I really appreciate the help. Bypassing the fuse box makes everything a million times more doable. Definatley didnt want to start messing with that fuse box. Now any help for the pain and fainting feeling I'm going to have when it comes to drilling holes in my boat???? Thanks again ill keep you guys updating and I'm sure bother you again along the way.

If you have little basic knowledge, it is a easy install

It really is very easy to "run/wire" them, most of these are "connector-to-connector" fittings, only the power and "accessory" wires where appropriate are typically hand-terminated. As above, I recommend running direct to battery, or a switched relay feeding a direct-from-battery to your sonars.

On the physical side though here are some "fine-detail-points" (this is a lot of typing, but it's really a few simple points, mostly for the perfectionist (me) LOL...)

Key thing, before doing any drilling, post back here on the "why" and "where" on your drilling.

Many times (most actually) you can totally avoid drilling except if putting a unit into a faceplate where there wasn't one before obviously. Boats have hidden "runs" in them to run cabling and controls through, typically down each side and sometimes down and/or across the middle as well. You won't find these until you pull the interior panels off, but for drilling, at MOST, I can foresee:
1. If you are putting an "external" console mount unit (hanging off the side beside the actual console), you MAY need some sort of pass-through drilled, plus holes for the mount (but again, there are ways to reduce the amount drilled). On mine, there is actually room between the "starboard side" and "console" trim panels to squeeze the wires through (no drilling).
2. On the bow mount, drilling should be minimal unless putting in a ram mount or mounting to the deck directly. If using the factory location, NO drilling (besides to cutout the faceplate for the unit as needed) should be needed.
3. If replacing a previous unit with a different hole pattern, you can be creative using "starboard" (or generic nylon cutting boards work GREAT), and mount your bracket to the "board" and mount the board to the existing holes.
- I did this for my console, I countersunk (flat bottom milled actually) stainless screws and lockwashers from underneath the board (so they wouldn't contact the deck), upwards in the new mounting pattern. I countersunk "to the old holes" screws the other direction going into the gunwale. Then I screwed the "plate" down to the boat, and put the bracket in place, and then used nuts and lockwashers from the top side over the upwards screws to screw down the bracket. I used a bolt cutter to cut these nearly flush, and now have a very secure mount for my larger unit. (I can pull myself into the boat with the bracket if need be, with my full weight "hanging" on it the only deflection is in the bracket itself).
Anyhow be creative, my bow mount is on a plate (actually a series of plates and spacers) to lock the top plate into the underside deck surface) installed "in the old factory cutout" to bring it flush with the surrounding trim. Then the bracket for the larger new unit mounts to that, so the whole thing is right in the middle, above the original mounting hole even though it's larger than the hole. Not a single hole drilled in the boat, or cutout enlarged, and I've speared waves over it (maybe twice, not recommended with ANY mounting, LOL) without any issues.
Finally, transom transducer holes... again, I'd avoid if possible, you can use the engine cable pass-through, either in or out of the "tube" to get the cable outside the boat, then run as needed. Problems there are pinching with moving engine/trim/jackplate parts, but again, careful planning will avoid issues.
Only thing, if you share the engine raceway, your likelihood of picking up noise while operating the engine is obviously much higher, which is why often people run the td cable far from engine cables. That is a very legit reason to run separately and make a new hole, but plan accordingly, if you may add an external GPS later, or something else (sidescan, camera, who knows), make the location something that makes sense for other items as well.
One option for a very well "hidden" hole is under the rub rail, if you are comfortable removing it at the back, but be aware that this is a high-water-force area when water comes up the transom, so you need to be very careful sealing and make it as small as possible (a slot barely big enough for the cable to come out trimmed under the rubrail will restrict the amount and pressure that can get to the larger hole in the boat itself, but substantial quality marine sealant is called for no matter how you do it).
Finally, in most cases where I HAVE to make a hole (1" minimum for most td cables and/or power cables, which is painful), I'll make a backing/top plate (cutting board, lexan, whatever you have handy) with a slot in it just the width of the actual cable jackets. Then after installation, I'll put that piece over/under the hole as appropriate sliding over the cables, and seal that into place, leaving only that slot really to be sealed. (Commercial products are sold for this purpose that have 2 hard layers and a compressed rubber/neoprene layer in the middle, when you tighten them down, they snug up to the cables).

Make that slot just the length and width of the cords stacked "inline" and you are only sealing the gap between the cord edges and the slot edges.

Study well and open every compartment/panel location to see where things go. On any modern bass boat, once the cables are "under" the deck/gunwales, no drilling should ever be required, they all have cable runs available to use, often tucked WAY up high under the gunwales. Follow existing cables and you'll find them, and their exits and entrances.

Think it through 3 times, diagram it, then follow your diagram on the real boat for what you missed, then measure 4 times, mark out drilling locations, test check, double check, triple check, then drill.
Also, lightly countersink all screw holes in gelcoat (use a countersink bit, in reverse, to fare out a little width at the hole) to prevent cracking/crazing... I also recommend drilling SLIGHTLY larger than needed (if it's a 3/8", use a 7/16" bit first), countersinking that, epoxy-fill the hole with marine epoxy (and letting dry), then "correct-size" drilling the epoxy, to ensure the layers are well sealed all through (put masking tape behind the hole(s) to hold the epoxy until set).

Apply a flexible sealant (4200) at the time of putting the final screws in to seal the holes from water intrusion (although not really a big deal on all-glass or aluminum bassboats that are designed for water handling anyhow, a drop isn't going to hurt here and there if you've epoxied the hole as above, but just to do it "right").