TO H41 OWNERS, GALLEY LIGHT

[captprogreso]

HI TO ALL, on my galley light i have very low voltage, any hint of were the electrical cable is going from de headlamp? i would rather not take off the roof and meet the cable when crossing to the main panel, thanks for the help

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

First let me ask exactly how you measured the voltage at the headlamp which we call just the "lamp". Please describe exactly what you did.

Next, it is an easy matter to undo a few screws on the lamp case and then pull the casing down and see the wires behind it. Try this and let us know what you see. If you have a smart phone near you, take a few pictures so we can see what is there.

Is your bulb an LED or a tungsten bulb ?

 

[captprogreso]

With the lamp down, I have taken with a voltimeter readings very low, so i take out the terminal and still the same low voltage, the lamp work very well when connected to another source.
When you take the lamp down the electric cable goes inside the vinil roof so i cannot know were to follow it.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

With the lamp down, I have taken with a voltimeter readings very low

I am going to say you have a poor connection in the wire going to the light. The poor connection causes the high resistance and low volt readings. You will have to locate where that bad connection is located. It is easy even with your English and my lack of Spanish.

so i take out the terminal and still the same low voltage,

Please explain what "the terminal" is. I do not understand but it would really help if you could provide us with a picture (photograph) of "the terminal".

Also, please send us a picture of the switch where you turn ON the light.

 

[twalker H260]

There should be a wiring schematic in the owners manual for your boat. Hunter often wired lighting circuits in parallel - so have a look at the next light fixture going aft and check the connections there.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Hunter often wired lighting circuits in parallel

I don't quite understand. ALL electrical loads can only be wired in parallel. You cannot wire loads in series as the resistances are additive and cause the affected circuit voltage to decrease.

so have a look at the next light fixture going aft and check the connections there.

I don't understand how this helps to find the suspected faulty connection which is causing the reduced voltage under load. Can you supply a rough sketch showing how parallel circuits might help to find this faulty connection ? Maybe it's something the OP can use.

 

[twalker H260]

Here are the schematics for the wiring harness for your boat. You can disregard my last suggestion. It looks like the light has its own ground and power run to a central terminal block/switch panel location along with all the other wires in that loom. (Colors on page marked 39, schematic on page marked 27 - note this p27 is located after p31 in the pdf. Actual pages 25 and 31 in pdf.

After checking terminals for integrity and tightness you could take a length of wire to jump to a known good ground connecting to lamp ground to see if you have full power. and then do the same jumping using a known good power,through the lamp to ground to test if the issue is on the ground side or power side.

https://sbo.sailboatowners.com/downloads/Hunter_41_24087069.pdf

Not sure which year boat you have but from this manual, page 7-11 it looks like the wiring runs forward to a switch/breaker panel. It would give approximate location of where the loom runs.

https://sbo.sailboatowners.com/downloads/Hunter_41_49739443.pdf

 

[captprogreso]

OK just find the fault connection at the switch , those have a very little bridge that make the connection and was broke, thanks for all the help and the major help was suggestion trying the voltage both with a new positive or negative , i sow than only one line was fault.
THOSE SWICH ARE SPECIAL WERE I CAN BUY ONE ?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I know we harp on it but ONLY a picture will help identify the switch.