Light install for deck

[GoingFishing]

Hi All

i would like to install a light on my deck, can i hook onto the circuit for the at anchor light (they will be on at the same time) or should i run a separate circuit? 

Edited November 1, 2017 by GoingFishing

[Sigma]

17 minutes ago, GoingFishing said:

Hi All

i would like to install a light on my deck, can i hook onto the circuit for the at anchor light (they will be on at the same time) or should i run a separate circuit? 

Hi Mate, 

You could hook it onto the anchor light but you are better off with a separate circuit. Sometimes if you fish at nights whereby your anchor light should  be "ON", you won't want your deck lights on all the time.

I installed led lights under the gunwhales around the whole deck and its on a separate switch. When we fish at nights, we switch the deck lights off unless we need to tie up hooks or do something on the boat but most of the time when we are just relaxing and waiting for a bite, the deck lights are off.

[raging]

What sigma said, there will be times where you'll want the deck lights off and anchor light on

[GoingFishing]

Thanks for the feedback

what if i hook up to existing circuit and install light with an "on/off" switch on the actual light fitting?

what i am essentially trying to avoid is pulling the boat apart to run a whole new circuit

the anchor light and deck light would be stacked ontop of each other 

[Chappy's Therapy]

Could you if you haven't already install a switch panel where all lights on a separate switch?

[Omally]

55 minutes ago, Chappy's Therapy said:

Could you if you haven't already install a switch panel where all lights on a separate switch?

Thats the go 

[zmk1962]

On 11/1/2017 at 10:03 PM, GoingFishing said:

Hi All

i would like to install a light on my deck, can i hook onto the circuit for the at anchor light (they will be on at the same time) or should i run a separate circuit? 

Hi Sam... many cabin/deck lights come with their own integrated switch and just have a twin wire tail (+ve and -ve) for connection . ... you could certainly hook something like that to your at rest light circuit (the deck lights do not draw much current and the at rest circuit fuse/breaker should be able to carry the extra load).  My deck light is an Red-White LED model and the switch has 3 settings, Red/off/White. The red light gives you plenty to see by but preserves night vision. The white can be quite blinding on the water.

You have a choice of where to attach into the existing circuit... 

i) run a twin cable to the existing circuit fuse/breaker or the existing switch (doing this lets you run the deck light independent of the at rest light - I do that often packing my boat etc)

ii) splice into the wiring somewhere near the existing at rest light or  solder to the light's terminal connections.  (Ideally somewhere you can effectively solder and waterproof the joints).

Cheers

Zoran

I have something like this installed:

This is the light it throws:

Edited February 8, 2018 by zmk1962

[Omally]

16 hours ago, Chappy's Therapy said:

Could you if you haven't already install a switch panel where all lights on a separate switch?

I got mine on key chain remote that's on the boat keys  and it's got a dimmer because on full they are pretty bright ( I've heard the dimmers aren't to good for the LEDs as they actually turn on and off thousands of times but I've had pretty much the same set up on all my boats for years with out a problem, and I think the whole set up with switch panels and stuff was way under a hundred bucks) and very cheap and easy  to replace I think you'll have fun with it 

Edited February 8, 2018 by Omally

[Omally]

[zmk1962]

35 minutes ago, Omally said:

I got mine on key chain remote that's on the boat keys  and it's got a dimmer because on full they are pretty bright ( I've heard the dimmers aren't to good for the LEDs as they actually turn on and off thousands of times but I've had pretty much the same set up on all my boats for years with out a problem, and I think the whole set up with switch panels and stuff was way under a hundred bucks) and very cheap and easy  to replace I think you'll have fun with it 

Hi Omally... I would still recommend installing an isolator switch so that all power to the LED driver/remote receiver can be switched off.

Cheers Z

[Omally]

I always have my leads off my batteries when not in use electrolysis etc or are you talking about a switch panel? Or you mean instead of just isolating the positive with control panel isolate the negative to? 

Edited February 8, 2018 by Omally

[zmk1962]

I was referring to isolating the positive supply to the LED driver/remote receiver without having to disconnect the battery. 

If something goes wrong with the LED driver/remote receiver, you'd want to be able to switch it out of the circuit (switch +ve off) and still be able to run your other lights, motor etc. 

Whether you do that at a switch panel, or with an inline switch that runs just the LED driver/remote receiver is a matter of wiring convenience.

There should also always be a fuse or breaker in the circuit to handle overload/short circuit scenarios.

Cheers Z

[Omally]

Oh OK yep I got ya 100%.... Cheers 

Edited February 8, 2018 by Omally