Looking for switch panel

[FishAllDay]

Hi All,

New to the site, and just got a 2013 Tracker V-14 from BassPro. Nice boat, but everything is DIY as far as add-ons. Im looking to get a switch panel but I wanted to hear some ideas bc I'd like to get one that will have extra switches in case I wanted to add stuff later.

I would need switches for the following equip:
Bow lights/stern lights together with a DPDT switch (LED strips from Oznium, courtesy of an idea borrowed from this site)
Interior LED's (for night fishing) (connect to its own switch)
Radio (future buy, not yet worried, but like to have a switch set aside for that as well)
Possible bilge pump (not sure if needed yet or not, but i may install at a later time)

Also, id like to get a panel that has a cigarette lighter if possible (again, any suggestions)

My thinking so far is that I could run the bow and stern lights together on a single switch (but it'd have to be a DPDT switch, are there any panels out there that have one DPDT switch just for that specific purpose?)
Anyone have any suggestions on a good panel thats fairly inexpensive? Ive seen some threads that use the Seasense panels, and some ppl just went to Lowes and got a junction box, but how they made it water-proof/resistant is beyond me?
Basically, I have a new boat and looking for any/all ideas to make it happen :LOL2: The sooner the better, bc nothings worse than having a new boat sitting in the yard begging to be taken out in the beginning of summer, but not yet having the work done to take it out

 

[chevyrulz]

i made my own, out of leftover diamond plate... drill a few holes, get a few heavy duty toggle switches from home depot, order some rubber toggle switch boots off amazon so your switches don't rot immediately, $10 later i have a switch panel

that doesn't count the wire or the fuses, but hey, it's the pride of doing it yourself dammit!

my battery box has two 12v outlets on it, so i didn't need that in my switch panel, but you can get them cheap off amazon & put them in your own home-made panel.

you can always get a panel off amazon that has pretty, marked switches, built in circuit breakers, & 12v outlets, but that's gonna be $40+


something like this is $50, but doesn't have breakers or fuses (i don't think?) so you'd have to fuse the power wires near the battery like i did for my homemade panel:

https://www.amazon.com/Seasense-Marine-Way-Switch-Panel/dp/B003E24MKA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372106285&sr=8-1&keywords=marine+panel

or you can use this $40 one that has breakers but no 12v outlet:
https://www.amazon.com/Invincible-Marine-4-Switch-Breaker-Switches/dp/B005XWM6HA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1372106355&sr=8-6&keywords=marine+panel

and add one of these for $15:
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-1011-12V-Socket/dp/B001U4ZZPK/ref=pd_sim_sg_1

 

[FishAllDay]

Thanks for the reply....Id like to make my own, but i dont really have any diamond plate, or scrap metal laying around...I was tempted to buy a cheap box at lowes as others have done, but i need to make sure it stays waterproof...everything else you mentioned was the route I was planning on taking, bc its fairly easy to install the switches plus I could customize the box with the DPDT switch that id need, but thats why i posted this to see if anyone knew of an existing panel/box that was already set-up like that or not...I wanna get creative, but im more of an idea guy when I can visually see what others have done as opposed to reading posts about what they have done

 

[FishAllDay]

Another stupid question, but where can I buy/get a waterproof enclosure/box that I can mount the switch panel onto?

 

[chevyrulz]

3M 5200 adhesive sealant will make anything waterproof if you use enough of it!

there are exterior electrical housings @ lowe's or home depot that you can use, they have a rubber gasket on the face & 1 or more exits for conduit (tubing) to run wires through. so it won't be "waterproof" in the sense that you could submerge it, but it is pretty much water proof unless you submerge it

others have made them out of pelican boxes, like the waterproof boxes you can buy for guns, they make various sizes, u can run the wires out through a rubber grommet & be pretty much water tight. like this guy:

but 100% water tight isn't completely required, it just needs to be pretty much water proof from the top. this is a factory setup & the wiring is exposed from the bottom:

on mine, i just cut a hole in the bench, attached my homemade panel using 5200 & pop rivets. a homemade panel could be made from a street sign, their made of aluminum

 

[FishAllDay]

chevy, that is an awesome idea, incorporating the otterbox as a panel...if ya can elaborate a lil more on how that was done, id really appreciate that

 

[FerrisBueller]

I wouldn't switch your TM, there's really no point in it. I also wouldn't switch your fish finder either, as it has it's own on/off capability and when off it won't draw any power. It can also be hard on the fish finder itself to be powered off externally as it is best to let it shut down on its own (via the on/off button) and go through it's programmed shut down tasks rather than having a hard shut off. That saves you two switches, and like the others have shown you, there are many options for setting up your switches and many different product choices, it all depends on how much you are willing to spend.

 

[RivRunR]

Here's some more panel choices from Blue Sea Systems

 

[chevyrulz]

FishAllDay » Yesterday, 10:06[/url]"]chevy, that is an awesome idea, incorporating the otterbox as a panel...if ya can elaborate a lil more on how that was done, id really appreciate that

well i didn't make that otterbox panel pictured above, i had seen it before so i searched & found the picture to spark your creative juices

it appears to be a panel of some sort screwed into the otter box that he mounted all the fuses & switches to, then i assume he drilled a hole (or holes?) for the wires to come out the back

here's my homemade switch panel before final installation: