How to Wire a Navigation Light Switch for Your Boat

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April 15, 2023: Wiring anchor and running lights to one switch is easy!
In this video, requested by a viewer, I will show you my method of wiring marine navigation lights using a double pole, double throw center off toggle switch. This allows the anchor light to be powered either independently or in conjunction with the red and green running lights.
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[@bigbeehoney]

Perfect instructions...thanks for posting this video...worked perfectly

[@mikewahtabi5658]

Loud music completely buggered up the presentation.

[@keithtaylor684]

after watchingupteen videos on wiring nav lights you made it so simple that wven i could understand thanks😂

[@londland5146]

Ughhh the music I can't concentrate lol...but thanks

[@RaymondMcClendon-q6b]

How do you put a switch to turn on both any time you need your running lights

[@smotherslabs3959]

Man I have been stumped for several days on how to hook everything on one switch and you video made it very clear! Thank you sir for your help!

[@TheWeekendAngler]

Awesome! I'm glad this video help you out

[@jmrarmstrong]

Wow, thank you so much. I wired my boston whaler classic 15 about 15 years ago and couldn't figure this out. Now I want to redo my switches layout and wanted to get it the right way this time, so im happy i found your video. Great job.

[@wesshirlaw8716]

Great demo that was exactly what I was looking for 👍

[@cajuncoinhunter]

Great video......... I see you have a signal generator like mine , mine is a GW Instek and GW made all of the other models like Lode Stare , Leader , Sencore Etc ...... Mine drifts off frequency according to my Hankock frequency counter ...... Does yours do that ? I have seen quite a few people on the internet forums with the same issue ...

[@shanesmith8363]

You sir are a life saver. I just bought a boat and they all kinds of wires plugged in wrong. With your easy and clear information you saved me hours or tracing wire. I could look at the harness and it all made sense. Fixed in 5 mins. Thank you!

[@TheWeekendAngler]

I have been there before myself my friend. I thought I bought a few years ago that was wired the same way

[@mauricebosstick4281]

My nav light switch only has three pins and in the bridge between the two is a small electronic piece. What is that piece called as it quit working

[@TheWeekendAngler]

More than likely it's a diode. I've wired the switches that way also. Any rectifier diode will work. 1N4007 or something similar.

[@mauricebosstick4281]

Thank you, I ordered a 7 pin lighted switch.

[@jln1122]

Thank you.

[@PanFishWeekly]

Nicely done Josh

[@thatsmydawg]

Awesome video thanks

[@DavidBibeau-k7f]

AMEN!!! Thank you!

[@wjw5627]

Wow thanks

[@timdonna8125]

Nicely done Josh

[@jimmymoller8640]

It took me about to find a video that made it crystal clear . Thank you .

[@TheWeekendAngler]

You are very welcome

[@hoppycoleman5283]

thanks awlsom

[@BernPisarcikJr]

Thank you

[@anoceanbetweenus89]

I’m new to this so forgive me. When you wire the anchor light I understand one wire is going to the switch, but is the other wire on the anchor light going to ground on the negative terminal?

[@aprtuned75]

And what about the ground?

[@TheWeekendAngler]

@@aprtuned75 the black wire goes back to the battery. It's a 2 wire setup.

[@markystew]

Thank you!!!

[@yellvett76]

That was great, does the 12v neg go to the ground bar in the fuse block?

[@darryl412]

more boating stuff

[@TheWeekendAngler]

There's a lot of other boating related videos on my channel, and I'm also getting ready to start a new project boat once it starts cooling off a little.

[@ForTheAverageAmerican]

Forgot to mention, the 7th pin is a ground pin.

[@stephenliddle2560]

What gauge wire is that? thank you

[@TheWeekendAngler]

That's probably 14 gauge wire

[@TheWeekendAngler]

No more amperage than these things draw you could probably get away with 16

[@stephenliddle2560]

Thanks, best explanation vid out there!

[@crappiedayfishon1756]

Good info Josh 👍

[@TheWeekendAngler]

Thanks 👍

[@markbarnard1399]

Thank you!

[@AlThePal78]

what if I have a 7 pin? I did not know I did not need that I am confused lol

[@TheWeekendAngler]

Is your switch illuminated? The extra pin would be for a ground to make the switch light up when on.

[@JustinsFishinFetish]

Awesome demonstration! Very well explained.

[@roncolpo3731]

Excellent

[@RobertAlexander-k3i]

Amazing

[@captainchad8933]

Where did you purchase all your material?

[@TheWeekendAngler]

Just about any marine store will have the materials. Worst case, everything is found on Amazon

[@ForTheAverageAmerican]

Josh, I used a 7 pin switch, and got it wired perfectly, thanks to you! Only issue I have is the tiny horizontal led light in the switch stays on all the time. How do I make it go off when switch is off? Please help!!!

[@TheWeekendAngler]

Going to have to think on that one for a moment. As long as the constant positive is on the center pin, it should turn off when the switch is in the center position.

[@ForTheAverageAmerican]

@@TheWeekendAngler the switch is for my recirculating pump, and has a manual, or stay on switch and bottom is a timer or auto to run 30 secs every 5 mins. On a 7 pin, I wired the ground , and jumped pins 1-6 and 2-5. 2-5 to power other side of switch, and 1-6 because I had done that on my nav/anchor lights and just thought that’s the way to wire a 7 pin switch, lol. That might be the problem there. Heck, at this point, I’m close to lighting a match to in and giving up. Replacing 4 rocker switches, and finally got the nav/anchor lights done. If I can get this recirculating pump switch, the other 2 will be easy! Can you please help? Any suggestions??

[@ForTheAverageAmerican]

@@TheWeekendAngler Hey Josh, figured it out. Had an input on an output pin and output on an input pin. The color codes for both wires were the same, that’s what threw me off! Please know that we wanna be tech’s appreciate you taking the time to make these videos for those of us who like to fix things ourselves! Thanks again!!!

[@TheWeekendAngler]

@@ForTheAverageAmerican that's kind of what I was thinking might have been the issue. There was a constant voltage where it should be switched. I'm glad that you got it up and running!

[@brianbarnett753]

Do you need a ground wire?

[@TheWeekendAngler]

Yes., but there's nothing special about it. Just bring the ground of the nav lights back to your negative battery terminal or ground bus.