Author Topic: Wiring question  (Read 7873 times)

jwspeck

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Wiring question
« on: May 01, 2016, 02:57:27 PM »
I feel ignorant asking this, but I'm having trouble understanding the DC wiring on my 323... this is probably made more complicated by the fact that the PO made a couple of wiring "gloms" that make it appear voodoo.

So, one question to start, how are the lights wired on one side of the boat? Is it the positive side of the loop that goes through the breaker panel? Are they wired in serial (seems unlikely to me)? I think if I could understand the specific wiring containing: the battery, a single breaker, and three cabin lights, I could apply that knowledge more generally.

So much for my two years of vocational electronics in high school :/

Alma

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Re: Wiring question
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2016, 05:52:29 PM »
The stock wiring has two switches on the panel one for port one for starboard. They are wired in 'parallel'.
The switches interrupt the positive leg and the negative leg is attached to the ground buss bar.

jwspeck

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Re: Wiring question
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2016, 10:00:19 PM »
Thanks!

Dolce_Vita

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Re: Wiring question
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2016, 01:57:08 PM »
The stock wiring has two switches on the panel one for port one for starboard. They are wired in 'parallel'.
The switches interrupt the positive leg and the negative leg is attached to the ground buss bar.

How interesting!  My 1977 323 OEM panel has a single switch labeled "Cabin Lights" for all the lights, both port and starboard.
@(^.^)@  Ed
1977 P-323 #42 "Dolce Vita"
with rebuilt Atomic-4

selene

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Re: Wiring question
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2016, 12:48:45 AM »
The stock wiring has two switches on the panel one for port one for starboard. They are wired in 'parallel'.
The switches interrupt the positive leg and the negative leg is attached to the ground buss bar.

Yep, that's how it works on my 1980 boat.  I wonder why they changed it?

You may want to get a copy of Don Casey's Sailboat Electrics Simplified, or Nigel Calder's Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical.  Also -  am sure you are aware of this - good crimping and marine-grade wiring is key.  Have a look at http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/wire_termination (one of my fave sites).

There are also 4, possibly 5 P323 to my knowledge in the SF Bay Area...
« Last Edit: May 04, 2016, 01:25:13 AM by selene »

Alma

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Re: Wiring question
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2016, 08:12:36 PM »
I just checked my old blue panel- two 'cabin lights' switches and I remember they worked port and starboard. When I made my new panel I stole one"spot" and replaced it with 'bilge pump' so one switch now does both sides cabin lights- all wired parallel.