# Need help with wiring a 4 switch panel!



## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Appears to be a standard on-off switch panel.
Red, power from the positive terminal of the battery,
feeds to one terminal of each switch
and you need to connect the positive lead
of each individual circuit to the other terminal of the switch.

You can set it up with the wires color coded as shown below.

Green could feed your live well pump.
Yellow would power your nav lights.
Blue would be for the sound system
Brown could be for anchor light.

previous post with diagrams...

http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1250548769


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## Robert_Baltean (Feb 26, 2011)

Brett,

OHHHH! I get it now. The negatives go to the battery or a ground post! The others are just for the positives to feed into! It is starting to make sense. One final question, Why are there 2 positive (with fuse) leading to the panel? Also, do you have to ground the panel? If so, where does that wire go?


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## Robert_Baltean (Feb 26, 2011)

Brett,
I followed that link you posted. It answered my question about the negative to the switch panel. But why are there 2 positives going into it?


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

To provide 2 separate feeds to the panel.
1 fuse blows and only 2 switches are dead.
I would rather have 4 feeds to the panel,
1 for each switch, all individually fused.

Battery positive to buss bar...buss bar feeds to 4 wires
each wire has a fuse that connects to one side of each switch.
That way each switch has it's own fuse and only one circuit goes dead.


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## Robert_Baltean (Feb 26, 2011)

Got it! thanks.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

You can eliminate the need for a buss bar by using a fuse block with a common connection.
A single heavy gauge supply wire attaches to the nut and stud, which feeds to all the fuses.
Then wires run from the fused connection points to each individual switch.
Keeps the wiring organized, clean and easy to access.
I prefer the blade fuses over the old glass bulb fuses.


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## jms (Apr 21, 2011)

> Appears to be a standard on-off switch panel.
> Red, power from the positive terminal of the battery,
> feeds to one terminal of each switch
> and you need to connect the positive lead
> ...



if you're gonna follow colors like these - be sure and "tag" the wires - "yellow" is ground - check out ancor duplex - it's yellow and red

make sure you're aware of these things


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## jms (Apr 21, 2011)

> You can eliminate the need for a buss bar by using a fuse block with a common connection.
> A single heavy gauge supply wire attaches to the nut and stud, which feeds to all the fuses.
> Then wires run from the fused connection points to each individual switch.
> Keeps the wiring organized, clean and easy to access.
> I prefer the blade fuses over the old glass bulb fuses.



using a blue seas "atc" style fuse block like this is a good idea - but,you want it in a realitivley dry location - try and avoid getting this wet.be sure and fuse the main feed to this fuse block.run wires from the fuse to the switch.use the appropriate guage size wire for the main power feed.using that fuse block shown - you're gonna need a "ground block" - all the grounds need to go to that block.

side note:
you definatley want to use a marine grade tinned wire - also,use heat shrink on all connections - this will avoid corrosion - a good habit to get into is to use a small amount of liquid electric tape on the fuse blades,before installing the fuse - this will prevent corrosion,and avoid loosening of the fuse,due to vibration -do the same thing when sliding the "spade terminal" on - "spade" stlye termionals have a habit of loosening up,causing a poor connection - screw on termianls are more reliable - do this on the screw on connections on the switches too - this will save you alot of agrivation down the line.remember,small boats have a considerible amount of vibration,more so than larger boats - it's imperative to try and prevent these problems - poor connections cause a "sparking",which in turn causes heat,the end result is usually a melted fuse holder,or switch terminal - be sure and use the correct amperage fuse.

not trying to make this into rocket science,but,there's a right way,and a wrong way...electical systems are the most common point of problems on boats - usually due to "operator error"...


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

Seal that wood!!!!!!!!!


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

keep those switches dry too, i had the same switch panel on the mud minnow and the switches rotted out within a month or two


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## Robert_Baltean (Feb 26, 2011)

I have been really busy lately with my honey-do list. I haven't got a chance to work on the boat. (DEFINITELY NO TIME TO FISH) I plan to try to get it wired this week. 

I'm very impressed with the knowledge and feedback from everybody. Thanks a lot.


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