# Spot light wiring?



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Don't... Save yourself the hassle - always run your accessories from your fuse panel (or breaker panel) separate from other possible power sources. That way if you have trouble with your spotlight - there's nothing else involved... 

That's a lesson I had to learn the hard way.... For that spotlight I'd run 14ga tinned copper cable (with the slight extra protection that the sheathing provides). That way you can run wiring up inside one of the legs of your tower. Drill a hole at each end of the pipe (down through whatever base your tower ends in so you have a path for your power cable up to the spotlight) - then introduce some dental floss so that you can pull it through with a shop vac. Once the dental floss is pulled through attach a light pull cord to that, pull it through, now you're ready to pull the cable through... 

Hope this helps, aren't boats fun?


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Your switch would need to match the set up. So no a 15 amp switch running a 50 amp TM would not work, or at least would not work for long.


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

lemaymiami said:


> then introduce some dental floss so that you can pull it through with a shop vac.


This is a brilliant approach .... just in time for my week end project! Thanks Cap!


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

firecat1981 said:


> Your switch would need to match the set up. So no a 15 amp switch running a 50 amp TM would not work, or at least would not work for long.


Agreed that's what I thought, just trying not to put another plug on deck or run cord to hatch or bulk head.


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

lemaymiami said:


> Don't... Save yourself the hassle - always run your accessories from your fuse panel (or breaker panel) separate from other possible power sources. That way if you have trouble with your spotlight - there's nothing else involved...
> 
> That's a lesson I had to learn the hard way.... For that spotlight I'd run 14ga tinned copper cable (with the slight extra protection that the sheathing provides). That way you can run wiring up inside one of the legs of your tower. Drill a hole at each end of the pipe (down through whatever base your tower ends in so you have a path for your power cable up to the spotlight) - then introduce some dental floss so that you can pull it through with a shop vac. Once the dental floss is pulled through attach a light pull cord to that, pull it through, now you're ready to pull the cable through...
> 
> Hope this helps, aren't boats fun?


Yeah,there fun ,when in water.thanks for advice,platform will be removable, didn't want to put another hole in deck for plug,hate cord on deck but looks like I will deal with it for light.light has plug on back so I can stow cord.wont be used but couple times a month on ride home at end of session.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

If you have a removable tower you can always fit a two pole plug (male to female) up inside the leg of your tower that only shows when you remove the tower.... Pull it apart and simply leave all the remaining wiring and your spotlight in (or on) the upper portion of your tower...

That way all the wiring is concealed - yet you're still able to have that pull apart feature... Easy enough to do with a tiny bit of slack up inside that leg of your tower...


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## Travisloyd07 (Jan 31, 2014)

You could use a battery switch or similar selector switch to control the power. One leg to the switch for your 15amp light and one leg direct to the battery for your 50 amp TM. Might be more work then running a 59 amp switch. Just a thought.


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

If bocatech just made a black anodized switch with blue lighting in 50 amp........


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## finbully (Jan 26, 2013)

firecat1981 said:


> Your switch would need to match the set up. So no a 15 amp switch running a 50 amp TM would not work, or at least would not work for long.


You could tie in to the TM wiring and feed the light circuit. The 15 amp switch that powers the light will be good for the amps you are pulling. Your circuit will need a 15 amp fuse or breaker for fault and over current protection. The 15 amp circuit is not what would be powering the TM so there would be no impact to TM power unless you operated both the TM and light at the same time. If you operate both you may pull too many amps. The worst thing that would happen in this case is you will trip the 50 amp breaker. However, as Capt Bob said the best solution is wire an independent circuit to the fuse block.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Like I mentioned having more than one circuit on a given fuse or power circuit is a ticket to a bunch of aggravation when something goes south and you start popping fuses (or tripping a breaker...). I went round and round with a bait well pump, lumped in together with a lighting accessory circuit (side lighting for my center console along with a baitwell light..). 

Run separate circuits - you'll be much happier in the long run...


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

Thanks all.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Get a Stanley FatMax rechargeable LED spotlight. They are bright as hell, shine far, float lens up and charge quickly. Charge it off the 12v plug in the boat and it will last all night. You can also run it plugged in to 12v with a cigarette lighter adapter.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Let the switch control a relay capable of switching 50 amps. That’s easy to find.
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...=sGAEpiMZZMt98bArVJterw1ag9C6YVvnpg5E52RSLgQ=


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