# Wiring for Lights and Trolling Motor Plug ?



## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Folks, 

I am getting ready to do some wiring for nav lights and a plug for the troller. I am a complete novice when it comes to this. I need direction !

I dont even know where to start. Thinking of getting a Battery Tender plug, but am clueless how you attach it to the battery/trolling motor.

Do I need to get a seperate battery for the ligjts. Any other items I am forgetting about?

Thanks !


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## timogleason (Jul 27, 2013)

Google and YouTube are your friends. You will need a separate battery for a troller but not for your lights. You can do this but you will need to educate yourself some. None of it is rocket science. Got any friends who are boat handy? Maybe they can help/educate. Watch some YouTube vids. You will learn a lot.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Battery Tender plug has a male end that goes on the TM wires and a female end that mounts in your deck and goes on wire ends that run from the battery(ies). You will need an inline fuse rated for your TM no more than a foot from the battery positive and correct gauge MARINE TINNED WIRE, not regular copper wire. 
Wire your lights to the house battery fuse box with a dedicated fuse rated for your lights. 
Google is your friend, you can educate yourself and do it right with some research.


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Thanks !


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

Also, wire your nav lights in parallel (as opposed to series). They will be much brighter that way.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Whiskey Angler said:


> Also, wire your nav lights in parallel (as opposed to series). They will be much brighter that way.


I never knew that.


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I never knew that.


I doubt it makes much of a difference on LED's, but if you have traditional bulbs, it will make them noticeably brighter.
When they are wired in series, you get voltage drop at each bulb, effectively dropping the power (aka wattage) of the circuit.
When wired in parallel, the voltage is constant at each bulb, but the circuit will draw more current (a negligible amount of amps).


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

trekker said:


> Folks,
> 
> I am getting ready to do some wiring for nav lights and a plug for the troller. I am a complete novice when it comes to this. I need direction !
> 
> ...


Trekker,

I use 14 or 16 ga wire for boat lights...its bigger than necessary, but the bigger wire is more resistant to corrosion/breaking and is easier to crimp the weatherproof terminals to.

Please let us know how far (in feet) the TM plug will be from the battery - from that we can determine wire size (probably 6ga or 8ga). For that size wire, you will need crimped lug terminals to correctly fasten the TM wire to the connections. I would recommend that you buy all the wire, lug terminals, and smaller weatherproof terminals at www.tinnedmarinewire.com

I'm assuming you don't have a large crimper for the lugs, so you could have the TM wire cut and made to length with lugs attached through the website. Or, you could buy the stuff and take it to an auto repair place to have them crimp the lugs on.

Tell us the following:
Where is the main battery located? (bow, stern, center console?)
Where will the TM battery be located (bow, stern, console?) I recommend the bow if possible.
Where will you be mounting your nav lights? (on the side of the hull near the bow? or on either side of the center console?)
What kind of boat/length?

Tell me that stuff, and i'll help you order what you need for as cheap as possible.
If you live around Houston, I can save you a buck and you can come by my house for free crimping and some spare wire.

Thanks!!


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Whiskey Angler said:


> Trekker,
> 
> I use 14 or 16 ga wire for boat lights...its bigger than necessary, but the bigger wire is more resistant to corrosion/breaking and is easier to crimp the weatherproof terminals to.
> 
> ...


Good stuff. The plug will be 2' to 3 ' from the battery. I havent finished the deck layout yet so I dont know for sure yet. My plan is 1 battery for the lights and one for the troller.

Lights will be on the sides of the bow.

The boat is diy in my garage. 16'4 length. 48" at the widest point tapering to 34" at the stern.

Thanks for the help.


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

*This is all top quality stuff, and including a battery tender plug, blue seas breaker panel, and on/off main bus breaker, you are looking at ~$300 for the whole boat.

Go ahead and install 3 rocker switches. even if you don't use them right away, you will later.

Tinnedmarinewire.com Purchases*

AWG 14 Black – 50’ ($10)
https://tinnedmarinewire.com/wire/i...s_id=9&zenid=10b728bb1121df287e1a7dadffb03a33


AWG 14 Red – 50’ ($10)
https://tinnedmarinewire.com/wire/i...s_id=9&zenid=10b728bb1121df287e1a7dadffb03a33


AWG 14-16 Weather Proof Butt Connectors ($5-$10)-
https://tinnedmarinewire.com/wire/i..._id=46&zenid=10b728bb1121df287e1a7dadffb03a33


AWG 14-16 Weather Proof Female Quick Connects ($5-$10)-
https://tinnedmarinewire.com/wire/i..._id=47&zenid=10b728bb1121df287e1a7dadffb03a33


Trolling Motor Cables
https://tinnedmarinewire.com/wire/i...=13_17&zenid=10b728bb1121df287e1a7dadffb03a33

(Battery + to breaker) 6 AWG – Red – 1’ length – 3/8” Ring Lug and ¼” Ring lug ($6)

(Breaker + to Battery Tender Plug) 6 AWG – Red – 3’ length – ¼” Ring Lug and ¼” ring lug ($8)

(Battery - to battery tender plug) 6 AWG – Black – 4’ length – 3/8” Ring Lug and ¼” Ring lug ($10)


AMAZON Purchases

MinnKota MKR-19 Circuit Breaker 60A – Buy on Amazon Prime for ($35)

Amarine LED Rocker Switches (I’d get 3) ($7/ea) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ODWODO...R6TR74A0V5MPKHZ51&ie=UTF8&qid=1506524919&sr=1

Rocker Switch Housing for 3 switches ($7)–
https://www.amazon.com/MotoCity-Roc...6525069&sr=8-6&keywords=rocker+switch+housing

Fuses? Me personnaly, I’d buy a Blue Seas 6 circuit fuse panel ($40)
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Sys...06526244&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+seas+fuse+block

I’d buy a 30 Amp On/off bus breaker to wire between your battery and fuse panel – you can use this to power off all the circuits while stowing the boat
($60)
https://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Circ...qid=1506526468&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+seas+7036


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

Also, that price is with the trolling motor cable pre-made by tinnedmarinewire with the terminals factory crimped and heat shrinked.

You would spend more money on a lug crimper than you would for the cables fully made.


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Whiskey Angler said:


> Also, that price is with the trolling motor cable pre-made by tinnedmarinewire with the terminals factory crimped and heat shrinked.
> 
> You would spend more money on a lug crimper than you would for the cables fully made.


Bro, thanks a ton. I will be going with all your suggestions.


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Here's where it stands as of today. Gonna have the first layer of glass on the inside laid by Friday.


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

trekker said:


> Here's where it stands as of today. Gonna have the first layer of glass on the inside laid by Friday.
> View attachment 16455


Awesome! Keep us posted on progress, and if you need help laying out your wiring, send me a direct message when you get to electrical work.


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

False floor is glassed on the bottom and tabbed in on one side. Should get the other side tabbed and start building the bulkheads and rod holders tommorow.


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Hey Whiskey, does the negative cable from the battery to the tender plug need to go thru a breaker ?

Thanks.


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

trekker said:


> Hey Whiskey, does the negative cable from the battery to the tender plug need to go thru a breaker ?
> 
> Thanks.


No. You only protect the positive lead with a breaker. Preferably, with the breaker located within 12" of the battery.


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Whiskey Angler said:


> No. You only protect the positive lead with a breaker. Preferably, with the breaker located within 12" of the battery.


Right on. Thanks !


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

This is what I use. It has a switch to turn it off.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWMM09...mo&pd_rd_r=4E7TW3M0BBW8C7GW6BDJ&pd_rd_w=xyf0z


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Whiskey Angler said:


> *This is all top quality stuff, and including a battery tender plug, blue seas breaker panel, and on/off main bus breaker, you are looking at ~$300 for the whole boat.
> 
> Go ahead and install 3 rocker switches. even if you don't use them right away, you will later.
> 
> ...


Bro, Ive got the 30 amp on/off in hand. Do you reccomend I imstall the Minn Kota MKR-19 as well ?

Thanks.


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

trekker said:


> Bro, Ive got the 30 amp on/off in hand. Do you reccomend I imstall the Minn Kota MKR-19 as well ?
> 
> Thanks.


The 30 amp should be installed between your battery + terminal and the fuse panel. The 60 amp I suggested is for the trolling motor, and should be installed between the battery + terminal and the "battery tender" plug. If your not using a battery tender plug, then install the 60 amp breaker between the battery positive terminal and the trolling motor.


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Whiskey Angler said:


> The 30 amp should be installed between your battery + terminal and the fuse panel. The 60 amp I suggested is for the trolling motor, and should be installed between the battery + terminal and the "battery tender" plug. If your not using a battery tender plug, then install the 60 amp breaker between the battery positive terminal and the trolling motor.


Thanks again!


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

20180530_133036




__
trekker


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May 30, 2018




Finally some shine.






Shouldbhave it flipped back over within a week. All wiring gear is in hand.


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