Boat wiring advice

[Kent]

Last week I went out to get my boat ready for its maiden voyage this year.  I found the trim all the way to the top (higher than I ever raise it) and the battery was dead.  The boat is outside but a boat cover covers the entire boat.  It has a trim switch on the bow, one on the throttle and a third one on the ouboard itself.  I thought the most likely one to have a problem was the one on the outboard.  I took it off and tested it and it checked out fine.  I replaced the one on the bow last fall (it got water in it from some large waves and as a result the trim kept raising by itself).  After replacing that toggle switch the problem went away until the recent problem.

After recharging the battery (I also got it tested and it tested out OK) and replacing the switch on the outboard I hooked up the battery again and tested the trim both on the throttle and on the outboard.  Both worked fine.  It was a huge relief that the trim motor wasn't fried.  So I am left still with a mystery as to why the trim raised on its own.

I have decided to put in an electrical panel so that having any further shorts happen while the boat is not being used on the water is not a possiblity.  There are five positive and five negative (this includes the starter cables for the outboard) electrical cables, so I need at least a five gang electrical panel.  I would like one that has a master switch that I can switch to off and then all gangs are dead.  Anyone have any specific panels that they can recommend?

Perhaps a Perko Switch and an electrical board is a better route.

[wiperhunter2]

Last week I went out to get my boat ready for its maiden voyage this year.  I found the trim all the way to the top (higher than I ever raise it) and the battery was dead.  The boat is outside but a boat cover covers the entire boat.  It has a trim switch on the bow, one on the throttle and a third one on the ouboard itself.  I thought the most likely one to have a problem was the one on the outboard.  I took it off and tested it and it checked out fine.  I replaced the one on the bow last fall (it got water in it from some large waves and as a result the trim kept raising by itself).  After replacing that toggle switch the problem went away until the recent problem.

After recharging the battery (I also got it tested and it tested out OK) and replacing the switch on the outboard I hooked up the battery again and tested the trim both on the throttle and on the outboard.  Both worked fine.  It was a huge relief that the trim motor wasn't fried.  So I am left still with a mystery as to why the trim raised on its own.

I have decided to put in an electrical panel so that having any further shorts happen while the boat is not being used on the water is not a possiblity.  There are five positive and five negative (this includes the started cables) electrical cables, so I need at least a five gang electrical panel.  I would like one that has a master switch that I can switch to off and then all gangs are dead.  Anyone have any specific panels that they can recommend?

Perhaps a Perko Switch and an electrical board is a better route.

Not sure why you would need an electrical board but a Perko switch is a good idea. When I first bought my boat I installed one because I kept getting a drain on my battery from my radio/CD player. I've never had a problem since I installed it.

[Kent]

Does the Perko switch have places where one can connect multiple cables to it?

[MSM1970]

Does the Perko switch have places where one can connect multiple cables to it?

Yes the perko dial type switch works, good, I have one, you can change it form 1 to all batterys, I put my ground on the switch(fiber glass boat) when I plugg it in I will turn it to all and all 3 batterys charge, long storage turn it off, my batterys where still charged this spring,

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[Bduck]

I used Perko on my last boat but my current boat came with a Guest battery switch. Their site also has different wiring diagrams that should help for your application.

https://stickerdeals.net/wiring-diagram/...g-diagram/

[Kent]

I had a Perko Switch on a previous boat that I owned; so I know that they work great.  My question is can one attach multiple wires to one Perko Switch.  For example, does it have one place to attach the wires for starting the engine and other locations for attaching all of the other wires?  I don't want to just be able to cut off the power to my outboard when I turn the switch to "Off".  I want it to cut off the power to everything on the boat.

[MSM1970]

It depends on how you wire it from the batterys,  my bilge pump is wired to the battery, everything else goes through the perko, get a gound wire or positive, run all teh wires to the switch, the short wire from the batttey to the perko

[a_bow_nut]

As long as you don't exceed the amperage of what the switch of the wire feeding the switch you should be fine no matter how many wires to hook to the downstream side of the switch.

[Kent]

I have a Perko switch and a new trim switch (the main one on the outboard itself) ordered.  Hopefully, my trim issues are behind me.

[dubob]

I had a Perko Switch on a previous boat that I owned; so I know that they work great.  My question is can one attach multiple wires to one Perko Switch.  For example, does it have one place to attach the wires for starting the engine and other locations for attaching all of the other wires?  I don't want to just be able to cut off the power to my outboard when I turn the switch to "Off".  I want it to cut off the power to everything on the boat.

My ThunderJet came with 2 motors and 2 batteries.  However, it only came with one Perko switch (#8501).  Each battery feeds 1 of the 2 inputs on the switch and then the switch has 1 cable going to 1 terminal fuse block that simultaniously feeds both motors and all but one electronic system on the boat.  The exception electronic system is the Itroll electronics that I use to control the engine speed of my 9.9 hp kicker motor which is tied directly to battery #2.  Both batteries have only one set of cables (the positive and negative connection cables) with the exception of the Itroll connected directly to battery #2.

The terminal fuse block is a Blue Sea Systems terminal block that feeds both motors (unfused I think), and all other electrical devices and systems on the boat through blade ATO/ATC fuses.  Sorry, I can't give you the terminal block part number, but you could call ThunderJet and ask them for the part number that they are using on their 185 Explorer boats.  You could also call Blue Sea System and discuss with them what you want to do and ask them for their recommendation.

I leave my Perko switch in the ALL position 100% of the time.  This means both batteries are feeding current to both motors and both are being charged if either motor is running.  If I turn the Perko to OFF, then nothing on the boat will be getting power and there is no way to discharge the batteries unless the switch itself somehow shorted to ground.  I leave my electric trolling motor baterries in the boat in storage and the 2 bank charger plugged in.  I pull my fully charged cranking batteries out of the boat during storage and keep them stored in a heated room without being hooked to a charger.  I top them off on a charger a day or two before reinstalling them back in the boat.  They last at least 8 years or longer doing that.  I see no reason whatsoever to keep them on a charger during storage in a heated room.  But feel free to manage your stored batteries in any manner that makes you happy. 

Hope this helps with reconfiguring your boat.

[wiperhunter2]

Sorry for the slow reply Kent, I use my Perko switch different than most people, I have it hooked up just like you want to hook up yours. There are two positions that are on, as you know. The first position I have hooked up to just my trim switch and instrument panel, the rest, including my main motor starter and other electronics are hooked to my second position switch. That enables me to just raise and lower my motor when putting it on my transom saver and charge the battery on my I-pilot remote control from the power going to USB port on my dash, without having all the power turn on for the whole boat. I have been able to put all the wires on the entire boat to those two post and it has worked out fine.

[N.E.T.O.]

I have a Perko switch and a new trim switch (the main one on the outboard itself) ordered.  Hopefully, my trim issues are behind me.

Kent, Email sent.

Also, I thought you already had a Perko switch on that boat?

[Kent]

I've never had a Perko switch on this boat.