Problems wiring Nav/Moor Switch

[wswaneyw]

I am almost done finishing my project boat (at this point the smallest little thing annoys me). I have put lighted switches on the dash to tell me when something is on. I can get the switch to work like it should, however, I cannot get the light to come on when I put it in either Nav or Moor position. The switch is a three way switch. Center-OFF Up-Nav Down-Moor. It has 5 connections on the back of the switch. What in the world am I doing wrong? Looking from the back this is how it is wired now and it works,,,, except for the light<br /><br /> Nav Ground<br /><br /> Power in<br /><br /> Moor Empty<br /><br />Any help would be great. Thanks Wayne

 

[Boatist]

Re: Problems wiring Nav/Moor Switch

Wswaneyw<br />Your light needs to have a ground on one side back to a common ground or the battery. The other side needs to be wired to same terminal as your nav lights and to your moor circuits. This way will come on if you flip switch either way. Problem is this also shorts the two circuits together so when turn one on the other will come on. So what you have to do is from the Nav circuit install a diode to the light and from the Moor circuit install a diode to the light. The diodes must be installed in the right direction for it to work right but most diodes come with directions how to install and will tell you which wire goes to the positive side or to your switch.<br /><br />It might be easier for you to install a light or led to the Nav side and a seperate light or led to the moor side. If you do any night boating I would suggest red as the best color. Another thing you could do is put in a special led light. I not sure what they call them but led will give three different colors, for a + positive it glows red, for a - negitive it glows green, and for ac it glows yellow. With this type light You could hook one side to the NAV terminal of your switch and the other lead to the MOOR terminal of your switch. With the switch one way it would glow red with the switch the other way it would glow green and of course center off. This would actually use the Nav or Moor circuit as the ground path when the other side was turned on. Led will out last lamps by at least 20 times and use less than 1/10 the power. Only one thing with LED is must get one designed for 12 volts or you will need to add a resistor to limit current flow, but today many ready to go for 12 volts.<br />Hope this helps.

 

[wswaneyw]

Re: Problems wiring Nav/Moor Switch

Great advice and after many hours (and fuses) later,,, I hooked up the bow light to the instrument panel switch and put the anchor/moor light on a separate switch. Thanks for taking the time and effort to lend me a hand. Wayne