Want to clean up my elctrics in my Jon

presta24

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 28, 2015
Messages
30
I have a single battery set up. Right now when I put the battery in I have to hook four different cables up to both posts. I have a manual switch for my lights and "bildge" pump. I would like to have some kind of a junction box for all that to hook up to, then I would just hook my battery up to that and move on. Any ideas?
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
Yes sir there are things to help you out with that issue. First thing I want to say is you need a fuse or circuit breaker at the battery before you attack any type circuit to it. Some install a 50 amp fuse or breaker at that point. Otherwise a short in any circuit will mean extremely hot glowing wires and possibly a fire. And if you have a fire on the water, there is no place to run too. So install a circuit interrupter of your choice before doing anything else. Most folks run a 10 gauge wire from the fuse/breaker to the helm. You would run both a red 10 gauge wire off the fuse/breaker to a buss bar or terminal block and a 10 gauge black wire from the negative terminal on the battery to another buss bar or terminal block for the grounds at the helm area. That allows you to branch off to other circuits. The helm can be anywhere you want the controls to be. The for example, you want to wire up a bilge pump, you connect a 16 gauge wire from one of the terminals on the buss bar or terminal block and wire it to a fuse or breaker for that circuit. The other wire out of the fuse goes to a switch. From the other terminal on the switch the wire goes to the bilge pump. At the bilge pump the ground gets wired back to the black terminal block at the helm area again. And there you have one complete circuit wired. The fuse size for each individual circuit depends on the amount of current in that circuit. Again the bilge pump would probably use a 5 amp fuse. So that is the size you would install. And you repeat that same installing technique for all the different circuit. Simple, safe and totally reliable... JMHO!

Here is a typical picture of a buss bar or terminal block;
images


Understand There are all types of terminal blocks you can use...
 

presta24

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 28, 2015
Messages
30
That's exactly was I was thinking of doing. Is there a good place to get a terminal block that has a cover so it is somewhat waterproof?
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Why not check right here on iBoats??? They provide this wonderful forum so why not support them? For what you intend to run, you do not need a 50 amp breaker. 20 - 30 amp is more than adequate. Is your Jon a tiller steer or does it have a console? It it is a tiller steer, look at pictures of various tiller steer boats to see how they build-in the instruments and switches. They usually have an angled panel at the stern with plexiglass cover that keeps things dry.
 

NYBo

Admiral
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
No Title

Here is a typical picture of a buss bar or terminal block;
images


Understand There are all types of terminal blocks you can use...
That's a terminal block not a busbar. The terminal pairs are separate from the other pairs and you would need jumpers.

This is overkill, but would certainly do the job. It has busbars for both the positive and negative sides of your circuits.
http://www.iboats.com/Blue-Sea-DualB...-view_id.38627
 

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gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
That's a terminal block not a busbar. The terminal pairs are separate from the other pairs and you would need jumpers.

This is overkill, but would certainly do the job. It has busbars for both the positive and negative sides of your circuits.
http://www.iboats.com/Blue-Sea-DualB...-view_id.38627

Yes NYBo, that certainly is a terminal block. And most any place you purchase them, you can also buy the jumpers for them as well. So it can be used for either setup. I have used them in either setup my self over the years. I'm just trying to show options...
 
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