Wiring Help - Please

[Linc33]

Hi All. I have been looking through the archives and found some very informative posts that have helped my understanding a lot. I am still confused about a couple things.<br /><br />I have a 1974 15' Sea Sprite bow rider. I am installing a cd player/radio and a 12V accessory plug. I am trying to use a fuse block to accomplish this. I don't fully understand how to wire this in. <br /><br />From my control box/helm, I have only 3 wires going back to the battery. A black wire, a white wire and an orange wire. The black wire attaches to the black (+?) side of the battery and the orange wire attaches to the other side of the battery, it has an in line fuse. I believe the orange is just for the lights/horn/tach?/speedo?. I don't know where the white wire goes. It seams to just splice into the stern light. I can't tell where it ends up.<br /><br />My question is how do I wire in the fuse block (want to mount it to the back of the passenger console) Do I only need to run a hot wire to the fuse block? Where does the ground come into play? Sorry for rambling, just looking for a little direction. I am attaching a pic for reference. Thanks a lot for any assistance you can give. Linc.<br /><br /><br />

 

[chuckz]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Do you want the 12v plug and radio powered all the time or only when the ignition switch is on?<br /><br />If you want the ignition switch to control the power, which is advisable, the wires going to the battery aren't of concern. You need to find the terminal on the ignition switch that becomes hot when you turn the key on. Connect from that terminal to your new fuse block.<br /><br />The orange wire with the inline fuse is most likaly the primary power feeding the ignition switch.<br /><br />The ground wire is never switched. You can connect to any ground that is sized to handle the current.

 

[Linc33]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Thanks for the response... OK so I will be connecting a wire from the fuse block to a terminal inside the control box that becomes hot when key is turned?<br /><br />Is there a 'pretty' way to do this? I can envision a stray wire just sticking out of the control box.<br /><br />Do I connect one side of this fuse block to that wire from the ingnition terminal and the other side to ground?<br /><br />As for the ground. I don't know what qualifies as a ground. I must have one on the boat somewhere already right? How do I know if a gound or 'the' ground is sized for my current requirements?<br /><br />Thanks again for any information. Still learning. Linc.

 

[chuckz]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

The fuse is wired in series. This means that the wire from the ignition switch goes to one side of the fuse and the power input to the accessory to the other side of the fuse.<br /><br />From your questions I would recommend that you try to work with somebody that has a little more electrical experience. There are a bunch of other things you need to know. Dare I say crimping and or soldering the terminations, proper wire and sizing, etc.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

I really wouldn't recommend feeding this from the control box/ignition switch because that means in order for it to work you must have the key turned on and most ignitions don't like that especially if it's for a few hours. You really need to size up the curent requirements (what will be plugged into the 12v socket?) and run a proper sized power and ground wire up from the battery and then to the distribution block. You could use a battery switch to kill power to the block when not in use.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Whoa back and read his post. He says he has a black wire going to "what he thinks is the positive terminal of the battery". In the next sentence he says there is an orange wire that goes to the other side of the battery and it "has an in-line fuse in it. A ground wire should never, ever, have a fuse in it so that needs to be resolved first. I'm guessing here but either the boat is wired wrong or the wires are on the wrong battery terminals.<br />Linc - to make your fuse block function you need to run a wire from the positive (+) terminal of the battery to the buss stip on the fuse block. That wire needs to have a fuse in it close to the battery. That fuse protects the entire electrical system. You need another wire that runs from the negative (-) terminal of the battery to the ground buss on the fuse block. The ground wire you show in your diagram is that wire. You indicated earlier that you want your radio operational with the key off so forget the ignition switch. Connect the radio 12V and constant 12V wires to the same + terminal on the fuse block. Connect the radio ground wire to the ground buss on the fuse block. Connect your 12 V plug the same way but on a different fuse position on the fuse block. Insert two fuses and enjoy.

 

[Linc33]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Thanks Chuck, Bob, UpInSmoke.<br /><br />I will be using a 12V pump in the accessory plug and probably cell phone charger, spot light at times. Here is the pump:<br /><br />

<br /><br />I would like the radio and pump operational while boat/key is off.<br /><br />UpInSmoke, I may have reversed (only in my description here) the poles the orange and black are connected to on the battery. All electrical worked fine all last season, so that's probably the case.<br /><br />I like the idea of using a battery switch to cut power to the fuse block when boat is off.<br /><br />UpInSmoke, your description is what I was thinking of doing last night, but it seemed too simple. (This may be a "duh" question) Is the negative side of the battery considered ground?<br /><br />Chuck, in regards to your suggestion, "...I would recommend that you try to work with somebody that has a little more electrical experience..." that is whay I am hoping to accomplish by 'talking' with all the knowledgable people on iBoats. I don't have a lot of boat people near my home and would be quite a drive to *maybe* get an answer at the boat shop, plus, they are pretty busy lately.<br /><br />Thanks again all, I really appreciate the help.

 

[crab bait]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

yeah i wouldn't hook the fuse block to the ign. switch.. i wouldn't want to have the key on.. <br />plus that wire is probalbly to light for more stuff that you'll be addin'..<br /><br />take a # 10 gauge wire from the battery to the fuse block.. # 10 gauge is attaquit..<br /><br />take a *two* # 12 to the plug socket..<br /><br />the rest ,,*two* # 14 gauge..<br /><br />also run another # 10 from battery to the fuse block AREA.. for ground.. <br /><br />BUT DOESN'T GET HOOKED to the fuse block.. <br /><br />it's in the vacinity so as to hook up the the other wire of the *two* for grounding..

 

[Realgun]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Crabby it all depends on the Load of the wire and wire length. Mines 30 feet and 20 amps if everything is on so I need 6 guage.<br />You need 1 wire + From batter less than 7 inches to a fuse that protects said wiring. This should be red in color the wire not the fuse. Then when you get to the block you attach it the the strip next to the fuses. Insert a fuse that will be small enough to protect the item(s) you using and be smaller than the wire requires for protection. The fuse protects the wire not the item in use. This is so you don't burn the boat if the horn or whatever gets a short. From the fuse Orange is the color for accesorie + . From the socket or whatever shall be Black or Yellow. If you have any AC in the boat you should use yellow. Now you run the black wire back to the negative bus on the block. <br />You run another wire back to the battery -. Now if you need another light you connect to the + bus fuse it to protect the wire and then a black back to bus. This makes it nice and neat. <br /><br />To add a switch you run the wire from the fuse block + ,after the fuse to protect the circuit, to the switch then to the light etc then black back to - on the block.<br /><br />Its common sense not rocket science. <br /> Ancor technical link is awsome reference and has a wire calcultor also.<br /><br />WIRE SIZE IS IMPORTANT. Bigger is not always better. But too small and you have fire!<br /><br />Grab a bottle of asparin and read the Crimp VS Solder thred to try to find out how to connect these wires to the ringed terminals.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Linc -- yes -- ground is the negative terminal on the battery. Crab -- his fuse block has a ground buss on it so the ground wire does get connected there. All accessory grounds also connect to that buss.

 

[Linc33]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Thanks all for your help. Well I am pretty close to being finished. <br /><br />I got the stereo and the 12V plug wired up and the inline fuse installed near battery and one speaker installed. I need to remove and cut a hole for the other speaker on the bulkhead near driver's feet.<br /><br />I was able to remove the side panel on the starboard side to attach some "zip-tie holder blocks" that I ran the two wires back to the back of the boat through. Can't even tell they're there now. I also need to tidy up the wires near the battery to make 'em look a little less "rats nest" like.<br /><br />I do have another question however, the fuses I bought from Radio Shack don't seem to seat down correctly in the fuse block, the fuses seem a little long? by about a couple millimeters. Are fuses standard length, or do I need a special size/length for this (marine) application?<br /><br />Here is the fuse block for reference:<br /><br />

<br /><br />Thanks again,<br />Linc

 

[chuckz]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

There are different length and diameter "standard" fuses. You need to get the correct ones for the fuse holder you have.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Yes there are several different lengths, you may remember years ago when they used glass fuses in cars, even then some were different lengths, mostly all the same diameter though. Also remember in the marine environment that type of fuse block in a small boat may be subject to condensation/moisture and corrosion can develop between the fuse and the spring clip part of the fuse holder, just incase you start to expereinece any strange electrical problems. Once completed you may be able to spray it with some kind of a moisture protection?

 

[18rabbit]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

It looks like the spring clamp placement is adjustable. If you loosen the screw for the clamp toward the middle of the board, can you slide the clamp?

 

[Scuda11]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

quick hijack, was his diagram up top correct? I am using the exact same fuse block. Positive battery to one side (fuse side) and negative battery to the ground side? Then each thing to the pos/neg on the fuse block?<br /><br />Thanks a million and sorry to hijack, but didn't want to start a whole new post.<br /><br />SAB

 

[chuckz]

Re: Wiring Help - Please

Yes