Wiring A Switch

[dave]

I am rewiring a switch on a boat I just picked up.  The previous owner had it wired incorrectly.  I have two switches in my hand.  A SPDT and a DPDT  ON OFF ON toggle.

 

I want one ON position to run both the bow navigation lights/all around light and the other ON position to run just the all around light at anchor.

 

Which switch is correct and what is the wiring diagram?

[Wayne P.]

Either one is OK, you only NEED the SPDT though.

The DPDT just gives you two circuits to switch at the same time.

[dave]

Which terminal for which wire?   I know center is the source.  They are marked 3 2 1 

                                                                                                                            6 5 4

[slonezp]

The center should be the power in. The other 2 poles are power out. The neutrals should be tied into a neutral block located somewhere in the boat. 

[Wayne P.]

Typically 2 and 5 will be the supply circuit 1/3 would be the load side for 2 and 4/6 would be the load side for 5.

 

There may be a connection diagram printed on the side of the switch.

[dave]

I have the SPDT switch.  The guy at boat supply said that if I was trying to use one terminal on the bow light and one terminal on the all around,  the ON position would operate ONE or the OTHER.    He said I needed the DPDT.

 

How would the wiring diagram look using the SPDT and which  to use.  

 

None of the switches I looked at have a diagram.

[dave]

Diagrams I've found on line mention a diode.  It allows the lights to operate as NAV/ANC  or just ANC.  

 

Knowing which is which is my quandry.

[slonezp]

Are you using a second all around light or the stern light as the all around light? The stern light should have 3 wires and 2 bulbs. 1 neutral and 2 hot. One is connected by itself on the switch and the other is connected in parallel with the navigational lights

[Way2slow]

Ooops, If someone read this post before I deleted it, I missed the first sentence in his post saying he had the proper switch.

Either switch will work, The DPDT only gives you a second set of terminals that do exactly the same thing as the others. Sometimes in higher current situations you can use a DPDT to help keep it from over heating buy connecting the terminals in parallel.

Just wire your battery positive to the center terminal and the lights in the configuration you want to the outer terminals. The negative wires do not got through the switch, they connect back the battery negative terminal block or directly to the battery negative if your boat does not have terminal blocks.

If you don't have terminal blocks, while you are doing all this rewiring would be a great time to install them. They help clean up the battery compartment and makes it where you only have to worry about one wire on each battery terminal for all the accessories versus a dozen different little wires to have to deal with.