Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

ledzeppelin135

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
129
Hello, I am wondering if somebody can give me instructions on how to do this and run to the battery. I am planning on using an in line fuse, but am very inexperienced in wiring diagrams. I looked at a few on here and it is still a foreign language to me. This is the switch I bought and if you can show me what to connect to what I would appreciate it. Thank you

$(KGrHqFHJDcE8fK!J2TzBPK,W!Bo2w~~60_12.JPG
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

Lines on a diagram are wires. Pick a starting point -- any point. Attach a wire at one end and run it to the other end. When you've attached all wires you are done. No diagarm with that switch? Then you need to determne which terminal is the +12 volt INPUT. That terminal comes from the fuse and the other end of the fuse goes to +12 volts wherever you find it. Then one of the other terminals goes to the bow light and the other to the stern light. Ground wires from both lights DO NOT go the switch. They go to ground -- again wherever you find it. Ultimately ground is the NEGATIVE terminal on the battery. One position of the switch should light ONLY the stern light (ANCHOR). The other position should light both lights (NAVIGATE). In should turn everything off.
 

Fireman431

Rear Admiral
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
4,292
Re: Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

One of the screws should be marked with a "+". This would be the 12v+ power into the switch. For arguments sake, let's say it is the center terminal/screw. Run a fused wire from a 12v+ source to this screw. When pulling the switch out to the first position, this will send power to one of the side terminals (you'll have to use a test light or multimeter to see which screw). This would go to your anchor light 12v+. You can always touch the wire from the light to the screw to see which one lights up. The second position supplies power to both terminals and the bow lights would be wired to the other terminal. The 12v- (ground) wire goes directly to the lights themselves.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Aug 31, 2004
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62,321
Re: Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

Be careful what 3 position switch you have. There are two kinds.
Off/circuit 1/circuit 2
The other is
Off/circuit 1/ circuit 1&2. This is the one you need for nav lights.
Circuit 1 would be the anchor light, circuit 2 would be the red/green nav light.

In the first example, you could turn on either the anchor or nav light, but not both.
 

2 Eagles

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
206
Re: Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

+1^^ But you can run a jumper wire for the first example and make it work. You just need to add a diode as the jumper wire. From circuit 1 to circuit 2.
 

ledzeppelin135

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
129
Re: Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

so when running the ground, will I run one wire from each light to the - terminal? Also, for the 12 volt wire will I run that from the battery or from the hot wire on the ignition switch harness?
 

etracer68

Ensign
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Messages
906
Re: Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

Im not an expert, but, I dont think any neg wires go to the switch, you are switching the pos (hot wires). The neg wires from each light would run to the neg buss, on the fuse panel, and your pos should be coming from the fused side the the panel, then switch, then lights.
 

EricJRW

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
488
Re: Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

Im not an expert, but, I dont think any neg wires go to the switch, you are switching the pos (hot wires). The neg wires from each light would run to the neg buss, on the fuse panel, and your pos should be coming from the fused side the the panel, then switch, then lights.

+1

Only time there is a negative wire is when the switch is illuminated.

There is a thread with a wiring diagram, I'll see if I can find it.

[edit] D'oh - It's the sticky right up top - "generic boat wiring diagram by Silvertip PLUS navigation Switch"
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Wiring bow and stern light to 3 position switch

From the sticky at the top of the forum.


A three pole switch (On-Off-On) cannot be wired correctly unless a diode is incorporated into it. Nav/Anchor lights must be operated as follows: Under way both the bow and stern lights must be on. When anchored ONLY the stern light should be on. You cannot wire the switch correctly unless the switch includes the previously mentioned diode or unless a six terminal switch is used.

Switch with three terminals:
Nav-AnchorSwitch.jpg
 
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