Wiring Help

chbarber

Cadet
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
6
I have a 1993 16' Tracker Panfish w/ a 25HP Evinrude. I am trying to rewire the entire boat due to some issues where my brother didn't cover it and it filled up with a good amount of water. I just want to redo everything so I know that it is safe.

Here is what I am going to be hooking up. I have two batteries, partially to balance weight and to separate trolling motor from running motor. I have a depth finder, trolling motor, bilge, live well pump, nav/anchor lights, and a 12V lighter receptacle. How would most people hook this up?

I was thinking to put my depth finder,bilge, nav light, and 12V receptacle on the outboard batter so that they would charge back a little while running. I would then dedicate the other battery to the trolling motor and live well pump.
I know there is a grounding block on the starboard side of the transom. I need some help with how to hook the wiring.
 

bear_69cuda

Commander
Joined
Oct 10, 2008
Messages
2,109
Re: Wiring Help

What I did in my boat was hooked all of house electronics ( bilge, light, stereo, trolling motor etc.) to my deep cycle bat, then use a second bat ( dual purpose ) used only to start the boat. I installed a combine switch so if needed I can combine batteries if extra trolling motor power is needed, or starting battery is dead. If I used the trolling motor all the time, I would add another deep cycle on the house side in parallel. I'm paranoid having all house electronics on my cranking battery...

I'll look for my diagram to share if interested.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_P7kSH1eweQc/TBzhzkbrFzI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/E-NOt0g7rGU/s800/hurricane 008.jpg

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fish_on_the_deck

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 30, 2010
Messages
94
Re: Wiring Help

I am posting a picture of what I am thinking for my wiring. Let me know what you think.

Here's my $0.02 worth:

1) why use the aft negative grounding block if only two cables go to it... might as well take the motor - straight to the battery.

2) agree with bear that I'd put all house loads on the house battery, not split them up like you describe.

3) dont include engine wiring and 12V power wiring on the same diagram... that is a separate system. I'd show only the motor as a load on this diagram.

4) all grounds are not shown here. Everything needs a negative to function.

5) not clear that there is a float switch option on the bilge pump

6) red "wire" line sizes are different shade of red and line weight... does this indicate cable size? Also forward loads are not clear what is what.

7) big one... your two batteries should have a common negative terminal. looks like you have to totally independant systems here. this is not the standard way to wire a boat. I recomend putting the batteries together and hooking the negatives together. lose the second ground buss in the bow and terminate all loads to the common ground bus.

8) big one... you cant have two separate batteries feeding the same switch panel... well, you shouldnt have. IMO you need to rework this diagram to the typical system. not sure why you're going with this "independant dual battery" type system.

9) you have lots of inline fuses that I dont think are necessary. you need one to your swithc panel, and one to your trolling motor if you wire that independantly. Then the fuse block or breakerized switch panel (prefered), will provide the rest of your circuit protection. if you dont want a load switched because it has an internal switch... i'd distribute from the same fuse block, or general vicinity.

10) your starting battery should feed directly to your engine, not via the ignition switch. no large gauge cables should go through your ignition switch.

thats what I see off the top of my head. Also I recomend a typical circuit style wiring diagram vice this physical location type "plan view" that you have. It's hard to see what is going on here... after you have that diagram checked and re-checked on this forum, THEN you can map out where each circuit is physically going.
 

chbarber

Cadet
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
6
Re: Wiring Help

So you are saying only connect the two negatives on the battery? That way I could use the same negative buss? This would still allow me to use one for the motor and the other for the house load? I will redraw the diagram using a circuit style diagram.

I have one inline fuse within a foot or two of the battery to kill the load in case of a wire shorting between my battery and the fuses in the switch box. Is this not necessary? I just can't see leaving 15-20' of wire without a fuse somewhere at the beginning of it. Correct me if I am wrong. I am new to wiring anything and I simply want to understand it.
 

chbarber

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Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
6
Re: Wiring Help

Here is a new diagram. I took the format from another post in these forums. I have everything hooked to one battery and the two negatives joined.

As I understand it, I would run everything through a common grounding buss since the two negatives would be connected.

Let me know what you think, but don't kill me. I am here to learn. I have nearly zero experience.

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h415/chbarber/WiringDiagram.jpg?t=1289877250

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fish_on_the_deck

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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94
Re: Wiring Help

So you are saying only connect the two negatives on the battery? That way I could use the same negative buss? This would still allow me to use one for the motor and the other for the house load?

Yes, connect the two negatives which allows. the two positives should go to a 1/2/both/off switch (as the least complicated arrangement), and can still use one for starting and one for house.

I have one inline fuse within a foot or two of the battery to kill the load in case of a wire shorting between my battery and the fuses in the switch box. Is this not necessary?

After looking at it again, I guess youre right... under the way you had it setup you should have those fuses (except maybe the one in the engine harness) because you were distributing stright from the battery to the load, vice from a switch panel or central location. We're gonna get you to where you dont need them though ;).

Let me know what you think, but don't kill me. I am here to learn. I have nearly zero experience.

Hope you didnt feel like I was getting on your case... I'll be the last one to ***** at you about not knowing something... thats what these forums are for.:D

ok, your new diagram will work better for you I think. I made a couple changes for the next revision in the attached file. some are prabobly personal preference on what to show on your diagram, so take it or leave it.

updates are:

1) add the motor and battery switch

2) took trolling motor straight to battery (with fuse). depending on your layout you might want to take the negative straight back to the battery too. This is because it is a large current drawing appliance, and I recomend keeping it separate from your switch panel load wiring and fusing (while keeping on the same battery).

3) added battery labels for clarity... house should be deep cycle

4) made clear what was fuse block and what was switch panel... IMO I prefer a breakerized switch panel (can give you a great source for that if you want)

5) added breaker symbols to fuse block... personal preference there (you can also add fuse / breaker ratings there).

6) added the float switch from the house + battery terminal to the bilge pump. It is a fairly standard safety practice to bypass your battery switch for the bilge pump becuase you dont want your boat to sink if left sitting at the dock and a hard rain comes up, etc.

7) removed switch for 12V receptacle... this is personal preference, as I see no need to have it switched... I would simply use the action of pluggin the item in as "switching" it... up to you.

8) also I didnt add, but suggest that you use a double throw switch for the Nav and anchor lights... that way one switch position would light your nav AND anchor, and the other position for anchor light only. this requires showing your bow ans stern light as seperate loads coming form the same switch, which I suggest doing.

so... I recomend cleaning up my messy markups into the next revision of your original, then posting back and we can work on it from there.

You're looking better already... not long until we'll have you a plan for going forward ;)
 

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chbarber

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Nov 12, 2010
Messages
6
Re: Wiring Help

1. Question about the battery switch. Help me understand how those work.

Lets say battery 1 is motor battery and battery 2 is house battery.
It has an option to run battery 1 or 2, both, or both off.

With battery 1 selected, the motor still would run but no house would work. Opposite is true for selecting 2.

With both selected, the two loads would still be separated but both would operable. Then obviously selecting off would cut power to everything.

2. Trolling motor straight to battery since my house battery is on the port side, I can run both the hot and ground via a PVC wiring tube that came in the boat. I like that.

3. I understand this. Mine was confusing.

6. I need to understand the float switch wiring. If I use a switch designed for bilge with a man/auto switch, could I wire it with a POS going from the panel to the manual side and one from the panel to the auto side. The manual would go straight to the pump, the auto would go through the float switch first. Am I understanding this correct? LOOK AT ATTACHMENT.

7. I agree with removing the switch for the receptacle.

8. Now about the nav/anc light switch. I am going to use a switch designed for that. I am aware of the difference in the lights and I am planning to use a wiring diagram found at this link
NavSwitchWiring.jpg
 

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fish_on_the_deck

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jun 30, 2010
Messages
94
Re: Wiring Help

1. battery switch has three terminals, 1, 2 and COM (common). when you rotate the switch you are selecting what will be connected to the COM terminal... either batt 1 batt 2 or both. Since the motor is the only thing connected to COM, you're really only selecting what battery(s) start the motor... and what battery(s) are being CHARGED by the motor. When you stop the engine and are running on the trolling motor, you turn the switch to 1 (starting battey) so that your trolling motor is only draining down your deep cycle battery and you always have juice left in your starting battery to crank up your motor. when the motor is running, you can select "BOTH" so that both batteries are now connected, thus both are being charged by the motor. ** need to be careful about this cause the discharged batt will suck down the fully charged batt:eek:**

With the switch selected to 1, the house loads will still work because your switch panel is fed right from the house battery + terminal... it's just that the motor wont be charging the house batt.

6. You're understanding correctly, but missing some appealing funcitonality. The way you show in the attachement would technically work, but, most prefer to wire the float switch directly to the house batt + terminal. This way, when youre leaving your boat at the dock and turn your batt switch OFF to avoid stray power losses, your bilge pump will still come on if necessary via the float switch. This also alows the use of a SPST switch at the helm for your bilge. ALSO, in the configuration shown in your attachement, if you have lighted switches the light would be constantly on while on "auto"... really just an annoyance.

8. 10-4... in that case, just a personal preference to add to your wiring diagram. Unless you're dead set building up these switches yourself, I'd consider something like this switch panel, like the one I used... zoom in on the 3rd pic and you can see how the harness comes pre-labeled so you just have to hook up the load cabling.

Anyway... progress progress...
 

chbarber

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Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
6
Re: Wiring Help

Bilge pump wiring- I only use this boat for fishing or duck hunting so it gets trailered. When I put it on the trailer, I pull the plug in the back so that if it rains it runs out the back. That is why I drew it that way. I understand the way you are saying with power always distributed to the bilge via the float switch.

Battery switch- So if I am making a long run then I could turn it to both and it would charge my trolling motor battery during the run. When I stop, I simply turn it to 1 and my house battery is not draining my motor battery. I can also turn to BOTH if my main is dead and I need a jump from my house battery, correct?
Using this system, when I get home and hook my batteries to a charger, could I hook the charger to one battery and charge both if I turn the switch to BOTH? I don't want to install a mounted charger so I can plug straight into the house.

Switch panel- I am possibly going to use the stock switch panel. I am going to check all the wiring to make sure it is functional and SAFE. It has 4 switches and the glass style AGC/SFE fuses for each switch. It also has a fuse for my depth finder.
 

fish_on_the_deck

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 30, 2010
Messages
94
Re: Wiring Help

Battery switch- So if I am making a long run then I could turn it to both and it would charge my trolling motor battery during the run. When I stop, I simply turn it to 1 and my house battery is not draining my motor battery. I can also turn to BOTH if my main is dead and I need a jump from my house battery, correct?
Using this system, when I get home and hook my batteries to a charger, could I hook the charger to one battery and charge both if I turn the switch to BOTH? ...

yup... works just as you described. Any typical 1/2/both/off switch will work... I prefer blue seas personally.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Wiring Help

I redid your drawing a little bit. Just moved your house power to the main 1/2/both battery switch. Also added one of those mini battery switches (on-off) to the trolling motor. That way you can remove power from the trolling motor easily, and still be able to shut all power off of the boat (Except the auto float switch to the battery)
 

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