Hopefully my final electrical questions

Pbguy420

Cadet
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
Messages
22
Hey guys, finally got some time to get back to work on the electrical system. Put the console panel back in and was surprised that after my entire rewiring job I have only two problems.

1- still the on-off-on nav switch. I followed a guide for a 6 pole switch under the assumption 7 and 8 were for the internal light.... No
Good, can't figure it out.... I'm getting power to the switch but I just can't figure out how to wire this **** thing. A diagram for an 8 pole nav and switch would be appreciated.

Other problem, someone reccomended using a 10k ohm potentiometer as a dimmer for my gauge instrumentation and court lights.... So my console looks nice with two shiny new knobs but I sure as **** got the wrong potentiometers, they work.... Problem is they can't handle the current. Yes they do work and dim the lights, but when you turn the knob there is a glow and smoke coming from inside the pot. They both say they are rated for 115v.... Anybody know what the deal is...

Also for my panel fuse, i screwed up and forgot the fuse rating I took out of the console harness before I fully rewired. The following run off my panels power line - horn, nav lights, court lights (2incand plus 4 led), gauge lights, main and aux bilge pump, aerator, 12v socket. I threw a 25 a fuse in for testing and it worked fine for the time it was in but I didn't get everything including pumps running at the same time pushing water and such. You guys reccomended higher or lower


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Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: Hopefully my final electrical questions

Are you saying you have just one fuse for all of this stuff? Every device needs a separate fuse in the fuse panel. The fuse in the line feeding the panel must be large enough to handl the power needs if every device is turned on at the same time. We really have no idea how this boat is wired. Does this NAV switch also have an internal light? How about a picture of the back of the switch.

Although the 10K pot may have a 115V rating it cannot handle the current in the system which is why it is smoking. Rather than a potentiometer, you might try a three or four positiion rotary switch with some higher wattage rating resistors. A different value resistor in each switch position would allow selecting however many settings as you have switch positions.
 

Pbguy420

Cadet
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
Messages
22
Yes each item In the panel has its own circuit breaker, but I've got the main power fused off the main fuse box before it hits these circuits. I'm just going to run everything at once on the water and see the lowest fuse I can use without blowing and go up by a few

Think I figured out my electrical dilemma. The damn pot is rated for 250vdc at .25watt I must just need a higher watt rating. What should I look for that could sustain 16 ind LEDs and 2 small incandescent bulbs off the main battery?

The switch is an 8 pole same one posted in the other nav switch thread I posted. It has an internal light. Really need to get this damn thing working so I can move on to figure out why my damn kills witch doesn't work! Got a lot of work left


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Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: Hopefully my final electrical questions

Here ya go. Not positive on the internal light but either or both of the top two terminals MUST provide a ground for the internal light. Nothing else should be connected to those terminals.

Navswitch-8pos.jpg
 

SingleShot

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
113
Re: Hopefully my final electrical questions

The wattage required is voltage * current or P(watt)=I*E(12vdc) If you can get DVM and measure the current in your lighting circuit to help figure out the wattage. I would guess you would need a fairly large pot. Assume 1 amp draw, that requires a 12watt pot. This will not be small. The problem I see is dimming LED's. They don't work like regular bulbs. They are typicaly on/off devices. There may be electronic means to dim them, but I think thats a function of frequency.

JK
 

Pbguy420

Cadet
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
Messages
22
Silvertip perfect it's the opposite of that actually, bow Btm poles stern upper poles.... Once i got all that figured out I realized two things.

The internal light doesn't work and I need a new anchor light bc it's rotted out... And the bow light needs a new base bc the moron who had it before bought a 3 pin unit for a two pin base


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