lighted toggle switch

[katana750]

Hello again

I have progressed past my fuse question. Now I am on to a toggle switch question. I bought these switches from defender.

http://www.marinco.com/files/media/products/catalogs/ANCOR 08 Catalog 80.pdf

I was hoping they would come with directions on how to wire. I guess it is so simple they assume I now how to....after I install one. I won't need directions. The only markings on the switch are.....at the top tangs (left to right) F K, moving down the switch in the middle D, at the bottom another F.

The diagram off the internet might explain what the symbols mean, but I don't understand it.

Has anybody used these switches before or are they all basically the same. I thought it would be obvious where to put the wires, but I was wrong....a +,-,g......would be more helpful.

ok the picture is upside down, although I was pleased I was able to take a picture from my just acquired phone and post it too this forum. Just plugged in wires and held my breath that something would prompt me to do something.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I'm not sure, but I could figure it out, with 1 hot 12v and a test light or a meter.

The top single is most likely the supply (hot), the side is probably for the light (also hot), and the bottom(s) are (probably) the loads.

is it a 2 position sw? for 2 loads at the bottom?

 

[katana750]

I'm not sure, but I could figure it out, with 1 hot 12v and a test light or a meter.

The top single is most likely the supply (hot), the side is probably for the light (also hot), and the bottom(s) are (probably) the loads.

is it a 2 position sw? for 2 loads at the bottom?

No it is just on and off...with an led on in both positions. I agree I should be able to figure it out with a meter, but I was hoping I could be a bit more systematic than my usual trial and error method. (it is effective though) My hope was that the letters meant something to somebody. Originally when I was wiring the boat my thinking was the switch would be just be interrupting the positive side of the circuit, but when I was going to wire them in today I realized that wasn't very bright. The negative also has to be attached somewhere so the light comes on and I don't have the battery in the boat. Saves me from being over zealous and just touching wires together to see what works and doesnt. Spark flash smoke....opps wrong one. This way I can't be lazy and I have to think.

 

[katana750]

Actually I was just looking at the switch again. On the side it is maked red and clear (the light colour) Each one is labelled F. My guess would be the one in the middle labeled D would be the negative terminal (my black wire). The F's would be the positive terminal. (my red wire). The K????. I have looked a little on goggle and they keep mentioning a ground wire. I don't have one....just two wires. My understanding is the battery is the ground and in my case the Negative black wire.

I use this elec diagram for a reference, but obviously these switches don't light up
http://newboatbuilders.com/images/circuit6.jpg

Kind of unrelated to my question but relating to the diagram and something I'll have to deal with it shortly. It looks like the circuit from the battery to the outboard is unprotected. I realize the outboard pulls a lot of amps when cranking, but shouldn't there still be a high amp fuse there?

 

[Justin_NSA]

Are these diagrams of actual switch you have? The switch contacts should be easy to figure with an ohmmeter. The LED has to be biased correctly to light up. B+ is usually batter pos, and B- would be battery neg.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Have you considered going into a hardware or electrical store, or even Radio Shack, and asking?

 

[katana750]

The picture of the switch and the demensions are, but at the bottom of the page noted wiring diagram, doesn't seem to match the tangs on my switch.....I wish it was labeled B+ and B-. All I have is F,K,D which means nothing to me. I was hoping somebody could enlighten me. Other wise I am back to an ohm meter, and then because I am new at this I am guessing. If I have an ohm meter won't it just tell what is on and off? This would be the two tangs I put the red wires on? How do I know where to put the black wire. This is going to be so simple.....once I know.

Thanks

Dave

 

[walt]

Are these diagrams of actual switch you have?

My thought also..

For a simple on/off application, a switch connects the battery voltage to a load. So a pin will go to the battery voltage, another pin will go to the load.

But in order for an LED to light up in the switch, there would also need to a ground connection to the switch. Those diagrams dont really show that so I wonder if you have right diagram for the switch part number?

 

[katana750]

Have you considered going into a hardware or electrical store, or even Radio Shack, and asking?

I think I might have to. Although I haven't had much luck asking questions like that around here. I'll see if I can hit up my electrician when I am out and about. I was hoping it was just a simple question and common knowledge what K F D stood for.

I am begin to guess they are arbitrary letters. I'll post something if I find something out.

Our Radio Shacks have been bought out by the Source here.....It use to be good place for information, sadly it is now a bit of a toss up.

 

[Sumner]

How about a link to the actual Defender item (the switch you bought).

On the outboard where is the battery and what size wire is between the battery and the outboard? There again there should be a fuse at the battery end as it can put out way more amps than the outboard,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[walt]

If you cant find better documentation.. what I would try

Hook up the battery 12 volt to the center pin of the switch. Ill assume there is a fuse somewhere in this 12 volt line just in case.

Assuming your not doing something tricky with a DPDT switch, just try hooking up your load (such as a light or stereo or..) to each of the three outside pins one at a time. Each time you hook up the load to one of the three outside pins, see if the switch does what you wanted it to do.

Im assuming your load - whatever that is - has a ground return so that when the swtich makes continutiy, 12 volts is applied to the load and current returns through a ground on the load.

Even through somehow there are LED's in the switch, I doubt that you can damage anything by trying the above.

In my other post, I said you need a ground to the switch to power the LED. This is how my lighted switch does work. But maybe that is not the case here and why you might at your own risk try the above.

 

[katana750]

If you cant find better documentation.. what I would try

Hook up the battery 12 volt to the center pin of the switch. Ill assume there is a fuse somewhere in this 12 volt line just in case.

Assuming your not doing something tricky with a DPDT switch, just try hooking up your load (such as a light or stereo or..) to each of the three outside pins one at a time. Each time you hook up the load to one of the three outside pins, see if the switch does what you wanted it to do.

Im assuming your load - whatever that is - has a ground return so that when the swtich makes continutiy, 12 volts is applied to the load and current returns through a ground on the load.

Even through somehow there are LED's in the switch, I doubt that you can damage anything by trying the above.

In my other post, I said you need a ground to the switch to power the LED. This is how my lighted switch does work. But maybe that is not the case here and why you might at your own risk try the above.

I took my switch with me when I went out today and ask around, I didn't get any one good answer. It basically boiled down to the old trial and error. My electrical system right now basically consists of a bunch of pulled wires without anything hooked up. My plan is to just grab any two wires from the battery and hook them up and see what happens. I'll just use a multi meter to see what happens.

I'll try google again to see if I can get a proper diagram. It is odd the diagram that I down loaded for the switches has nothing to do with how it is wired. Just how to wire different types of switches I didn't buy.

I am sure it really isn't that difficult. I was just trying to get it right the first time and eliminate the small possibility I might wreck one

Thanks I will let you know how I made out

Dave

 

[katana750]

HI

I wish it was that simple, I bought it from genuinedealz, but all they show is the top portion of the instructions I downloaded from Ancor, the other half of the page from Ancor is somewhat useless.

I know I have asked about the fuse on the wire that leads from the battery to the motor, but on the schematic I am using for a general guide on how to wire a boat it doesn't show one. Just thought I would ask one more time. Too me the fuses are pretty much the only safety devise you have. Cant go majorly wrong if you have them.

I searched google again for some info on my toggle....It looks like I'll just have to take my best guess and work from there.

I am just hesitant with the wiring. Sometimes you make just one little mistake and then... poof something doesn't work permanently, I should be pretty safe though I don't have a single thing hooked up right now.... just a bunch of brand new wires.

Dave

 

[Stu Jackson]

The worst you can do is fry one of the toggle switches. C;mon, you're a sailor! Give it a go!

 

[Erieau]

Be advised that reverse-wiring the LED indicator *could* make it go fizz. It happened to a good-lookin' guy about my height...
What you have there is a SPDT*, or A-B switch. It's simple enough to use as an on-off though, by not hooking "B" side to anything (ie one of the terminals will not be connected to anything).
Here's my guess (per your pic in the OP):
centre-left terminal is 12v+ supply,
bottom-left terminal is 12v- for LED (small-gauge wire is fine, very low current),
bottom-right terminal is to the load,
upper-right terminal is unconnected (you could hook up something here to turn on when the switch is in the "down" position)

I was a RadioShack guy for nearly 10 years before Circuit City bought the Canadian subsidiary "International Tandy" and turned the chain into The Source, a pale imitation of tech-heavy RadioShack. It's now owned by Bell (BCE) and is, by reports from old friends still employed there, ruthless.

*Single Pole, Double Throw (though internally, it's really DPDT to turn on the LED; but externally it functions as SPDT)

 

[katana750]

Thanks for the help with the switches......just in case somebody was interested

From the picture

bottom left = negative
bottom right = positive
middle = positive to devise
top = ground to make led work

After some thought I just turned the switch into a simple on off switch. I would have needed an extra ground for ever switch. When the switches were on they did tend to get a tiny bit warm....I was a bit surprised because I thought a single led wouldn't give off any heat. I only have one battery right now, so I thought it was kind of silly to waste a tiny bit of electricity because I thought the lighted switches would look kind of neat. On the plus side it made me think a bit.

Thanks for the help.

Dave

 

[katana750]

I was a RadioShack guy for nearly 10 years before Circuit City bought the Canadian subsidiary "International Tandy" and turned the chain into The Source, a pale imitation of tech-heavy RadioShack. It's now owned by Bell (BCE) and is, by reports from old friends still employed there, ruthless.

*Single Pole, Double Throw (though internally, it's really DPDT to turn on the LED; but externally it functions as SPDT)[/quote]

I agree it use to be I pretty cool store, now it is pretty generic. I didn't even bother to go there to ask if they knew how it might be wired. In the past it would have been a pretty good call.



Dave