Electrical for Dummies 101 - Switches & Wiring

[Badbagger]

Ok, I need some guidance and the book store was fresh out of Electrical for Dummies 101 - Switches & Wiring 1st Edition :LOL2:

The Ark has a series of switch panels on the console. From what I can tell, there's one toggle switch that's for running accessories i.e. fishfinder/GPS. In the photo, it's the switch all the way on the right with the white on the rocker.

Can I wire it to power up TWO separate units? I've got a Garmin GPSMAP 720s and will be picking up a Lowrance HDS Touch unit in the coming months. I'd just like to "ideally" use that as a master power switch and run power to both units from it. When it comes to electrical, I'm dumber than dirt :mrgreen:

Thanks

 

[JMichael]

You need to find out what the amp draw total is for all the devices on that circuit and then compare that to the amp rating of the switch you want to use. You'll also need to make sure the wire used in that circuit is the proper size for the load.

 

[Bob Landry]

I would wire the FF/GPS's directly to a power source using inline fuses. If you abruptly turn off power, they won't go through a possibly needed shut down sequence. You can run a VHF radio or stereo through a console switch, but there's not much to be gained by doing that. My G3 also had a master power switch and I didn't see a need for that and I ended up bypassing it and using it for my inside LEDs.