12 volt wiring ? quick disconnect ideas ?

[backwoodsarchery]

I am currently working on our boat, and adding a removable deck for bowfishing! I am wanting to add a switch board with toggle switches for LED lighting , and a spotlight plug in!

I am running my power for the trolling motor from the back, and want to run wiring from the back for accesiores as well ! I want to keep all my batts. in the back to keep as much weight off the front as possible !

Here is were my delima comes in ! I want to wire in something that I can basically have a quick disconnect so when I remove the deck from the boat for other uses, I can disconecct the wiring for the lighting, and spotlight plug in that will be attached to the bowfishing deck !

I thought of maybe using a extension cord, and having the female end in the boat, and the male end attached to the deck, so they can be plugged toghther once the bowfishing deck is on the boat, BUT I am not sure if that will even work with 12 volt system ???

I know this is confusing, and it's even harder to explain ! I just need some way of tapping into the wiring that will be permantly mounted in the boat, so I can plug up and power the 12 volt accesiores o the removable bowfishing deck !

Any ideas?

 

[dyeguy1212]

Would a trolling motor plug work? That way you've got your pos/neg leads on both ends on your connection, ready to be hooked up any which way.

Possibly this: https://www.basspro.com/Deltran-Power-Connector-Battery-Tender-Trolling-Motor-Plugs/product/10205428/-1658107

or this: https://www.basspro.com/Marinco%C2%AE-ConnectPro-%E2%84%A2-Plug/Receptacle-Kit-for-Trolling-Motors/product/23099/-709764

 

[LeviStevenson]

Yeah I would use the trolling motot plug...however an extension cord will work...you just use two of the three wires. I would double up on the hot wires and leave the negative the solo wire. Extension cord is cheap...I just bought a minn kota trolling motor plug for $30...ouch. For bowfishing though I would just use sodium lights and a 2 stroke generator. Noisy and stinky but carp could care less. Or just tape a mag light to a stabilizer and thread that on your bow. I could go for days with bowfishin talk and ideas.

 

[bobberboy]

I'm not sure I'm right about this, but low voltage takes some pretty heavy gauge wire. I once did an installation of low-voltage lighting where instead of each fixture having its own transformer we used large transformers and dropped the "line voltage" to 12v. We used #10 wire from the transformer to the fixtures and at that it was on the light side. Extension cords are usually #18 wire or if you're lucky or pay a lot you can get #16 wire cords. I don't think either of these would stand up to low-voltage applications. I suppose it has also to do with the amps being drawn by the various accessories, but I'm not convinced an extension cord would hold up. There are guys here that know electrical and hopefully they'll chime in.

 

[richg99]

Here is a wire gauge calculator that may help..

Add up all of your amp draws ( or use watts and convert) and find out what wire you really need.

.regards, Rich

Wire gauge calculator... https://boatstuff.awardspace.com/awgcalc.html

Watts to amps calculator https://www.supercircuits.com/resources/tools/Volts-Watts-Amps-Converter