What should the drain leads from my marine electronics be connected to?

[Chuck - Raymarine - Moderator]

What should the drain leads from my marine electronics be connected to?

Bonding is recommended by NMEA in its Installation Standards for Marine Electronic Equipment Used on Moderate-Sized Vessels. Electrical bonding and RF drains are intended to prevent static electricity build-up that can interfere with radio and navigational equipment. Proper bonding will also assist in prevention of galvanic corrosion and with lightning protection by allowing the current to pass through the vessel's structure with minimum arcing. Finally, bonding prevents dangerous static discharges in fuel tanks and hoses.

Should the vessel be equipped with a bonding plate and bonding cable, then the drain leads from marine electronics should be connected to the vessel's bonding cable. Should the vessel not be equipped with a bonding cable and be equipped with an inboard engine, then the drain leads from the marine electronics should be joined and connected to the engine block. Should the vessel not be equipped with a bonding cable or inboard engine, then the drain leads from the marine electronics should be joined and connected to the negative post of the battery.

Should the vessel be equipped with a SSB, then it would be recommended that the drain leads of the marine electronics not be interfaced to the same bonding cable which is used to connect the SSB to the Dynaplate or engine block. Instead, it is recommended that an additional bonding cable be installed and connected to the Dynaplate or engine block. The drain leads of the marine electronics would in turn be connected to this additional bonding cable.

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