Vetus bow thruster controls

[Relax]

I have inherited a vetus bow thruster installation on my boat (Dockrell 37). This has a remote radio control for the thruster which also operates the windless. The windless has a switch override in the forward cabin. The thruster has no override and no other control.

As this is an obsolete product and I live in terror of the control unit being deep sixed I wanted to fit a simple switch override to somewhere near the helm - whouldn't have to be waterproof - it could go in the companionway somewhere. As I was doing other work in the bilge anyway I took the opportunity to lay in cables from thruster to companionway.

The problem is that looking at the thruster control wiring (not the main power wiring) there are FOUR cables entering the unit (red, black, white and blue) - and going currently (boom boom) to the remote radio unit. I can't figure out why and do not know how to wire this to a switch. I am supposing that the neutral return may simply be to power up the control unit or control panel? Therefore to get a rocker switch to work all I would need to do would be to have the power to centre with the other wires as the return?

Anyone else come across this situation?

(I have trolled through the Vetus literature and elsewhere to no avail)

 

[pvb]

Suggest you email Vetus, quoting the model number of your thruster.

 

[clyst]

I suspect the four wire are as follows . Two from remote on/off to the dedicated thruster battery the other two port/ stbd control . 'fraid can't help on colours tho' .

 

[Relax]

I suspect the four wire are as follows . Two from remote on/off to the dedicated thruster battery the other two port/ stbd control . 'fraid can't help on colours tho' .

The wires actually come from the thruster power unit to the radio control box - I suspect they could also go to a switch if that was installed. The red/black I assume come from the power side of the thruster and are simply there to provide power for the radio or lights in the switch or control unit???

To use a simple switch I was hoping just to use the power through a rocker switch to the other control wires - sound sensible???

I'm just a bit reluctant to go switching or running wires with the benefit of someone elses experiences.

 

[Stork_III]

I suspect the four wire are as follows . Two from remote on/off to the dedicated thruster battery the other two port/ stbd control . 'fraid can't help on colours tho' .

White (1) & Blue (4) are power signal from switch. If reversed onto thruster connection block, thruster direction is reversed. I presume red (+) & black (-) Provide power to switch and a return for switch illumnation.

 

[bstyles]

I realize this is a stale post, but just having experienced a similar problem with the control module of my Vetus Bow Thruster, I did some troubleshooting.

Ultimately the control model connects the red wire (+) to either the blue or white wires to spin the motor. You can do this with the control module attached by means of the #2 molex-style connector (assuming that connector #1 is still connected to your control module).

If you want to see if your control module is faulty, grab a jumper wire and test.

In my case, it turned out to be some internal corrosion inside the on/off switch.

-Brian