Wiring Layout

[Fletch22]

Hi guys, wanted to run my plan by you guys and see what you think and if it is feasible. For a 2011 Tracker 1648 mod v. This is after months of trying to do research and piece it all together where I have no electrical experience whatsoever.

Accessories: Led light bar and 2 fog lights on bow (12 amp draw total)
5 meters worth of Red 3528 LED lights on the inside gunnels (2.5 meters each side) 4 amp draw I think total.
5 meters of white 3528 LED lights on the outside of boat under gunnels wrapping around the stern near the motor (for water visibility in marshes where I hunt) these strips are the sealed waterproof tube lights.

I have a 4 gang switch panel with 20 amp breakers built in which I want to mount by my seat in the back. I'll be cutting out a spot for it in my bench and running the wires out the back of the bench (through the capped hole that was used for filling the seats with foam) and around the gunnel to front of the boat. My boat has the cubby hole storage under the front deck which is where I want to put the battery and everything (I have the fuel tank in the back on the side opposite from me, and want my side free and clear for me to put my foot back there to lift the motor and also for better boat balance.)

SO my plan is to strap the battery on the side wall of that cubby up front, and attach the fuse block and negative bus bar to that side wall of the cubby hole as well. Then run all the wires back to the switch and then out to their respective accessories, and the negatives of each accessory up to the busbar which will be grounded back to the battery.
I believe at the front since the switch panel is so far away from the Light bar and Fog lights which have a fairly large amp draw, I should be using a 4 way connector (so they run off of the same switch) , followed by a relay so I can connect them more directly to the battery and not have to run as heavy a gauge wire back to the panel? Or is it just as easy to use heavy gauge wire and just run it to the panel and back?

Other than that my light strips don't draw very much power and the only other accessories I might someday get are a fish finder and possibly a bilge which shouldn't be a problem.

This is the way I want to do it, but I am a little uneasy because a lot of people seem to put the battery in the back close to their panel.

 

[TheLastCall]

I’m new to the electrical thing too but I used a few references to figure it out and my electrician friend.

Anyway this is what I used to help figure out my electrical.

https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Marine-Wire-Size-And-Ampacity

So your 20 amps lights is your biggest load. The longest wire run you’ll have will be from front (battery) to back (panel) to front (light) to buss bar so 50 ft max. So you’d have to run a min 4 gauge wire. To accommodate the voltage drop.

I’m a fan of keeping it simple but that’s a lot of 4 gauge wire. So relay would be your best bet or move your electrical panel up closer to the battery to reduce the length of the relay.

I never understood why we all put batteries in the rear. Put it up front even out the weight.its better that the fuel tank up front a battery never changes weight.





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[Fletch22]

Thanks very much for the resource. I looked it up and I think I can get away with 6 gauge, if I’m understanding it right with the 12 amp load, still big wire though. I guess I should clarify, the fog lights and light bar are on one switch, inside light strips on their own switch, and outside strips on their own switch.
Have never worked with wire before so I’m not sure if there is a downside to hooking up such large wire to a little switch panel or not. Or if there is a limit to how many amps I can put through a 4way connector as well. I have no idea how to rig up relays, I do have a buddy that’s an electrician so I might get him to come by when I’m ready to finally do it. Just really want to have my ideas and plan synced together before that happens though so I’m not wasting his time and not cutting or drilling holes I shouldn’t be cutting.

Ya the other benefit of thebattery being in that cubby is I don’t have to worry about having it in a battery box or anything because it’s sheltered well enough as it is. I am cutting off my welded trolling motor mount to allow more room for my boat blind (don’t ever have plans of having a trolling motor anyways) so I might repurpose that into making a bit of a shelf/holder for the battery in the cubby, then secure it with Velcro straps.

 

[TheLastCall]

So with 12 amp on the one circuit depending on how long the circuit is ( 50ft is probably a over estimation but you’d have to estimate it looking at the boat), measure from the battery through the circuit back to the battery. Depending on the length you might be able to get away with a 8 gauge but your for sure safe with 6 gauge.

Your 4 way connector, you’ll have too look into it. It should have a max amp.

The electric panel depends how it was build. As long as your 6 or 8 gauge wire goes directly in the breaker/switch and directly out it will be fine. The wire gauge shouldn’t get smaller at any point. If it does the wire will get warm in that area.


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[renn90]

Those amp ratings seem really high unless the LEDs are very bright and/or extremely numerous.

BTW, here is a useful Ohm's Law table for calculating various properties, if two of the three relevant properties are known (using many different combinations of units).

 

[Fletch22]

Those amp ratings seem really high unless the LEDs are very bright and/or extremely numerous.

BTW, here is a useful Ohm's Law table for calculating various properties, if two of the three relevant properties are known (using many different combinations of units).

Ya I double checked I think the 5m led strips are actually 2.5 amps. The light bar is 72 watts and the fog lights are 72 Watts combined, so 12 amps total.

I was looking at 6 gauge wire (what I calculated I need to run the 12 amps for the lights the length of the boat to the switch and then up to the lights). Seems quite large to me.