how to wire a nav/anchor light switch

[love2fish]

bought an on-off-on switch yesterday for my nav/anchor lights. I'm changing it out from the existing on-off switch where I had the nav/anchor lights doubled up on the switch leg.
The new switch has a ground pole off on 1 side and then 3 poles grouped together. regarding the group of 3: I was assuming I hooked the power feed to the middle, and then the nav and anchor to the poles on either side... when i did that, I only got power to whichever side I have the switch pushed too.

Did I get the wrong switch or do I need to run an extra leg or something? Ultimately I am wanting to get the anchor light and then the anchor/nav lights running depending on which side of the switch I have engaged.

Forgot to take a picture of the back of the switch, but i will tomorrow. Sorry for the rambleing...

Thanks!

[seabob4]

2 ways to wire a nav/anc lght switch, depending on whether you have a SPDT or a DPDT switch.  This covers both of them...



BTW, SPDT stands for "Single pole, double throw", DPDT, "Double pole, double throw".  I prefer the DPDT, but just did an SPDT w/diode on the Pursuit...works fine, but there is a minor voltage drop associated with diode usage...

[seabob4]

L2F,
You have an SPDT, so you can see it can be wired correctly, you just need a diode between the lower and upper terminations.  They are cheap at Radio Shack.  You need one that is rated for 12V DC, 10A max...

And the gray band indicates the flow of current.  You want that pointed towards the upper terminal.  If you want a pic, I can get you one...

[love2fish]

Bob- you're the man! Thanks very much!

So a Diode acts like a "flow valve" allowing the power to go from the nav to anchor to power both when i have that side of the switch engaged,,, but negates the power back to the nav when i just want the anchor light?,,, If I'm thinking that through correctly.

[seabob4]

L2F,
And I still look at my drawing for DPDT wiring when I do a switch...and I know I've done a few hundred!  I have a worn copy out in the shop...

I should know this chit by now...  

[John Jones]

Bob- you're the man! Thanks very much!

So a Diode acts like a "flow valve" allowing the power to go from the nav to anchor to power both when i have that side of the switch engaged,,, but negates the power back to the nav when i just want the anchor light?,,, If I'm thinking that through correctly.

Yep.  You have the right idea.  A "check valve" would be a more proper term.  Same as a backflow preventer on the water line to your house.

[love2fish]

hey guys, picked up a DPDT Contura rocker switch (on-off-on, with lights for both)... followed the wiring diagram Bob posted earlier- but the switch I have has 8 posts on the back (instead of 7 like the diagram has). I am assuming the "8th" post is a ground also... so I was able to get the switch to active:
1: just the anchor on 1 throw
2: both anchor and running lights on the other throw
A: the "on" indicator light to light up when the running light/anchor light is activated
B: Not able to get the 2nd indicator light to activate when just the anchor light is on...

am I missing a ground or should I not have both grounds hooked up... tried both ways and it dint work.

the backside of the switch has numbers imprinted next to each post, but i could not find a schematic that indicates which post is exactly what...

Thanks in advance...

[Capt. Bob]

Not sure if this is even close to what you have, unless it's on a motorcycle. :|

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec_ ... xtras.html

[love2fish]

Hey Bob, that link doesnt work,, I'll try to post a pic of what I'm working with ASAP.

[Capt. Bob]

Works for me.  Try this one (same).
http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec_ ... xtras.html

I believe this will take you to the Google search page. Link is the very first one.
http://www.google.com/search?q=http%3A% ... =firefox-a

Again, this may not even be what you're looking for.

[seabob4]

L2F,
While I have never used an 8-terminal contura for nav lghts, I found this...http://www.cmsquick.com/prod_17_S_Tec01.html

Scroll down to section 5, note position #8 is Light +, so what I'm thinking is that when the anchor light only is on, a jumper runs between the anc lgt terminal and that terminal to power the light.  I wouldn't think it would be a jumper from the middle terminal (power from the breaker), as the light would be on all the time.

Give it a try, ain't gonna hurt nothing...