Add Stern Pole Light To Nav Circuit

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Rusty10

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Hi

The project continues ... as does the learning curve ...

I would like to add a stern light to the same circuit as my existing nav lights however, when added it hardly illuminates?

If wired independentally of each other all works fine, could someone point me in the right direction, maybe its not as straight forward as I thought!?

Cheers :rolleyes:
 
Rusty10 said:
Hi

The project continues ... as does the learning curve ...

I would like to add a stern light to the same circuit as my existing nav lights however, when added it hardly illuminates?

If wired independentally of each other all works fine, could someone point me in the right direction, maybe its not as straight forward as I thought!?

Cheers :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It should be if all the connections are good.

It should only need a positive feed from the switch and a negative connection to a common negative somewhere.

Check you are connecting the negative correctly.

Anything fancy about any of the lights ? Filament type or LED ?
 
Wow thanks VicS

Brand new stern light (fillament) to existing old nav lights, + & - connected through the fuse box.

Could it be the older nav lights are inhibiting/restricting the correct amps to the new light?
 
Rusty10 said:
Wow thanks VicS

Brand new stern light (fillament) to existing old nav lights, + & - connected through the fuse box.

Could it be the older nav lights are inhibiting/restricting the correct amps to the new light?
Click to expand...

Not if you are connecting the new light in parallel with the existing ones
 
First question is "are the existing nav lights as bright as without the new light added?" If just as bright then you have a failure (resistance) in either the pos or neg feed. However your description of the problem seems to indicate that the lamp works fine with only it connected to the switch or fuse and with the new lamp not connected nav lights are fine.
Are the existing nav lights LED? What is the wattage of the new light? It does sound like the combined current drain of the 2 lamp circuits is a lot more than with either alone. Which sounds a bit odd.
I wonder if there might be some problem with an additional negative return of the stern light via the stern rail and a similar additional return from the flag staff but wiring has been reversed on one of them. All very confusing. I suggest you just check everything again. olewill
 
Hi

Appreciate all the help, once again many thanks.

The new stern light is 12V / 10W and the existing nav lights are not LED?

I have tried connecting the light in series (not parallel) would this be the issue?
 
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Rusty10 said:
Hi

Appreciate all the help, once again many thanks.

I have tried connecting the light in series (not parallel) would this be the issue?
Click to expand...

Your new light and the existing lights must all be connected in parallel with each other. ......... One terminal of each connected to the switch. The other terminal of each to negative.
 
Perfect, I will change to parallel circuit :o

I guess the original nav lights worked in series as they were of the same wattage/type?
 
Rusty10 said:
Perfect, I will change to parallel circuit :o

I guess the original nav lights worked in series as they were of the same wattage/type?
Click to expand...

As Pete says that is very unlikely AND they would have to be 6 volt bulbs for two to be connected in series to a 12 volt supply . Two 12 volt bulbs in series would be very dim.

May I suggest that would would benefit from studying Tony Brooks' "Boat Electrical notes" at http://www.tb-training.co.uk/
 
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