I used 2 wires with alligator clips and hooked the positive clip to the power pin in the plug and the negative to the ground pin in the plug, pressed the power on, and then went to simulated mode , and played around with the unit. Wife didn't think to much of the battery in the house, but hey, she got over it!! You don't need the transducer hooked up for the SIM.mode. Works sweet, try it. Any questions, just ask, the manuals tells you the POS. and NEG. in the plug, be carefully not to cross the wires, might short out unit. I rebuild alternators & starters for a living so this was a walk in the grass for me. PAP.