Electrical switch help needed.

[Bri The Pom]

Hey guys,

I have new led lights and navigation lights to go in my tinnie, The switches I have been given, I cannot wire them without blowing fuses. I have a switch for each. I have pos and neg from the battery and a pos and neg from the lights, so 4 terminals and 5 terminals on the switch. Can someone fill in the abcde for me, as im a shocking electrician.

Cheers in advance.

Bri.

[bootyinblue]

Is it a 2 position or 3 position switch?

[Bri The Pom]

Is it a 2 position or 3 position switch?

You can click top and bottom of the switch but both times in returns to centre position, does that help.

[bootyinblue]

But it wil l click up and stay up, or click down and stay down too?

Off in the middle, all round white can be up and all red/green and white can be down.

Will have a think....

[Bi_polar]

I think you might be hooking up the positive and negative to the switch Bri.

The switch should only have the positive on each side of the switch and the only negative wire on the switch should be on the light on the switch.

I am happy to look at it for you if you can get it over to me.

Do you have a wiring diagram for the switch.

[Bri The Pom]

But it wil l click up and stay up, or click down and stay down too?

Off in the middle, all round white can be up and all red/green and white can be down.

Will have a think....

No Greg it always returns to the centre position as photo 2.

Stu, I dont have a diagram, yes i did put pos & neg from the battery to the switch. when you say both sides do you mean A & E or A & D.

[bootyinblue]

Yes.... Rereading and thinking more it sounds like a pulse switch similar to an anchor switch which is held in position to raise or lower and returns to off when released.

Good luck....

[livaio]

I suggest u get a multimeter to test it out (Connectivity test) when you play with the switch.

[aussie123]

A switch has the pos in and out for each light on your terminals.

The negatives from each light go to a negative bus bar and not the switch terminals.

All you are doing is shorting the system by adding the negatives to the switch.

[Bri The Pom]

Cheers Greg and all, I will try this in the morning.

[getrigged]

I think you have bought the wrong switch? Does the switch stay on like a light switch? Or spring back to centre position? If it springs back to off(centre position) you have bought a momentary switch, meaning its only on when you hold it on(like an ignition or horn switch)

A/B will be positive from battery, and A/B to positive on accessory you wish to turn on(you can interchange A and B, one will be on, and turn off when you push switch, and vice versa)

Same as above for C and D

E will be a neg from battery to power led light on switch.

You will also run another negative wire to accessory from battery, or you could piggy back of E tag,

I think you are doing what booty has suggested, meaning when you turn switch on you are trying to join pos and neg (=blown fuse, ever put a wire from a to pos and neg terminals on a battery?)

You should instead have the positive circuit always cut, and the switch will join it!

[getrigged]

Please don't try bootys, you Will blow fuses!

[Bi_polar]

There's everything you need to know about your switch Bri.

/>http://www.google.com/patents/US5105059

[aussie123]

My guess would be like this to start with.

A - Running Lights Pos

B - Pos In from Battery

C - Pos In from Battery

D - 360 Degree White Light Pos

E - Neg for switch light.

A and D bridged together.

Negatives from both running lights and Stern light fixed to battery/buss bar or on E terminal.

[Bi_polar]

figure 1 in that link shows the config

[Bri The Pom]

I may of confused things I have several switches.

I have only nav lights, red/green.

The led lights are cabin lights which i have another switch.

[aussie123]

Now you have confused things even more.

Lets start with the nav lights only.

You need to have the red/green on a separate circuit to the white light.

To do this you use either an on/off/on switch or 2 separate on/off switches.

To use the on/off/on switch you use something similar to what I posted above.

To use standard on/off switches power goes in to one terminal and power out to the light goes from the other terminal.

Earths go to battery/buss bar.

Same applies for cabin lighting.

Only positives to and from the switch,all earths to a buss bar/battery.

Make sure you fit inline fuses as well.

[Bri The Pom]

Cheers for all the help guys, appreciate the time put in.

Lance,

How d you go the weekend as im going in the morning, any snaps around.

Cheers again

Bri.

[aussie123]

Fishing was quite out there on Sat Bri.

The tide was virtually dead and all I found was a few undersized snapper up to 35cm and some legal trag and a gold spot.