None of the lights on my mast are working; mast-head, steaming, nor spreader lights. They haven't worked since I bought the boat last year. (All other lights on the boat are operational.) The mast is currently unstepped. The wires in the foot of the mast were connected when we unstepped it. I am about ready to start searching out the cause. Other than looking at the obvious potential causes (fuses, bulbs, poor connections, etc.), can anyone suggest possible causes that may be less obvious?
Lights out on mast although wires were connected?
- Thread starter Paul4360
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testing your lights.
Paul; If you still have not stepped the mast, bring a battery on deck and plug in the connectors at the base of the mast. Aligator clips might do the trick. If the lights work, you know that the problem is with the wiring below deck. Ron
Paul; If you still have not stepped the mast, bring a battery on deck and plug in the connectors at the base of the mast. Aligator clips might do the trick. If the lights work, you know that the problem is with the wiring below deck. Ron
Check for continuity
Looks like Ron and I have the same idea. You can use this technique to check power to the mast also. If the wires have continuity its quite easy - you done. If not you can run new wires by pulling through the conduit with the old. I use a 12 V light from radio shack with two wires with alligator clips. Just hook up a battery source at the other end and see what lights up - I use one of those large flash light batterys. I have the same problem but my mast is stepped. I have established power to the base of the mast at the connection but have to climb the mast with my little light to solve the problem. Good luck.
Looks like Ron and I have the same idea. You can use this technique to check power to the mast also. If the wires have continuity its quite easy - you done. If not you can run new wires by pulling through the conduit with the old. I use a 12 V light from radio shack with two wires with alligator clips. Just hook up a battery source at the other end and see what lights up - I use one of those large flash light batterys. I have the same problem but my mast is stepped. I have established power to the base of the mast at the connection but have to climb the mast with my little light to solve the problem. Good luck.
Apparent Continuity
Paul: I do not know age of your boat, but I bet that the connectors in the electrical panel have never been unplugged and replugged since the boat was built. I had a similar problem and I isolated the battery and ran continuity chechs on all the terminals and swithches, fuses and fixtures. There was complete continuity. I then checked live DC from each point to ground showing no problem. In total frustration I bypassed the electical panel and the problem went away. It turns out that all that was required was the used of pencil eraser to clean the spade terminals on the electical panel. This may sound just too simple -- Try it Dirtyjim@charter.net
Paul: I do not know age of your boat, but I bet that the connectors in the electrical panel have never been unplugged and replugged since the boat was built. I had a similar problem and I isolated the battery and ran continuity chechs on all the terminals and swithches, fuses and fixtures. There was complete continuity. I then checked live DC from each point to ground showing no problem. In total frustration I bypassed the electical panel and the problem went away. It turns out that all that was required was the used of pencil eraser to clean the spade terminals on the electical panel. This may sound just too simple -- Try it Dirtyjim@charter.net
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