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Old     (venom93corba)      Join Date: Aug 2005       06-29-2010, 5:59 PM Reply   
I have a 2009 Supra 21V Launch and I bought the Aerial 4 speaker/light bar combo. In the spring I had some stuff added (ws 420 eq and prop) so I had them wiring the speaker /lightbar at the same time. Everything checked out at the dealership until I got on the water. If they were left on longer than 30 seconds it would trip the breaker under the steering wheel. It looks like they wired it into the ACCESSORY 4 circuit. I dont think there is anything else on the circuit. What can I do about this????
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Old     (smitty1258)      Join Date: Jun 2009       06-29-2010, 6:29 PM Reply   
i think to solve the problem you should sell the boat and get a 23ft SAN.
Old    alanp            06-29-2010, 6:35 PM Reply   
lights eat up a TON of voltage. add another battery or run them directly to a battery that isnt running much else.
Old     (smitty1258)      Join Date: Jun 2009       06-29-2010, 7:39 PM Reply   
I think if you just run them direct, and use a relay and reset-able breaker that everything will be fine.
Old     (tazz3069)      Join Date: Aug 2008       06-29-2010, 8:42 PM Reply   
I agree with Smitty. I have the exact same lights. They are wired with a relay which is wired to one of the Stock switches on my dash. They are also wired directly to the battery. The stock switches on the boat can not handle the power. I also have a wire diagram on how to wire a relay for the lights.

Last edited by tazz3069; 06-29-2010 at 8:45 PM. Reason: change
Old     (boardnxtx)      Join Date: Jun 2009       06-30-2010, 7:23 AM Reply   
I had similar lights on my old '04 210, purchased them from our good buddy Ken Land. The lights he sells are wired pretty crappy, and my installer re-wired them with a thicker gauge wire to cut down on the heat and potential hazard they created. Not sure if these are the same ones, but they killed my battery as well. I would flick them on and off when I needed them to save the juice. I agree with previous posts, wire them directly to the battery and use a separate aux switch.
Old     (jon43)      Join Date: Aug 2003       06-30-2010, 8:17 AM Reply   
i did the same also upgraded my alternator from 55 to 100
Old     (david_e_m)      Join Date: Jul 2008       06-30-2010, 8:35 AM Reply   
Venom,
Looks like you're trying to start an electrical fire. Dash switches are generally limited to a 15 amp capacity plus the helm buss and harness are not equipped for halogen lamps. Halogens need extra heavy tower wiring, absolutely no crimped connections, a fused supply direct to the battery and switch-controlled relays. Relays are rated for intermittent use so your relay capacity should be triple the halogen draw. Funny how many of the companies who sell the lights can' t
provide safe instructions. This is not an area where you can afford to take shortcuts. DC lighting is a completely different animal from the more transient draw of a stereo system.

David
Earmark Marine
Old     (billthom)      Join Date: Apr 2005       06-30-2010, 9:49 AM Reply   
Mark Manzo or anyone else - can you please share a wiring diagram on how to wire a relay? Or if there is a link? I found the moster tower light bar diagram, is that a good one? I am about to install a light bar and want to do it correctly. Thanks!
Old     (smitty1258)      Join Date: Jun 2009       06-30-2010, 11:14 AM Reply   


You can get the jist from this.
Old     (SangerTom)      Join Date: Aug 2010       12-12-2010, 9:19 AM Reply   
I have the same light bar - but am rewiring so the main feeding wires are inside the bar and then come out. What is the smallest gauge wire that I can safely use? It looks like there is 10 gauge feeding up through the tower but it's too big to go through the tube
Old     (andrewjet)      Join Date: Jan 2003       12-12-2010, 10:32 AM Reply   
Heres some help on wire size that I just went thru several months ago, it might help you. Secondary problem I ran into is the light bar wiring is causing interference with the radio now. Lots of engine whine. How can I fix that?? Thanks guys. Jet

my light bar project..95% done:
http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1635449
Old     (SangerTom)      Join Date: Aug 2010       12-12-2010, 1:08 PM Reply   
Thanks - forgot about that thread.
Old     (wake_upppp)      Join Date: Nov 2003       12-12-2010, 8:21 PM Reply   
You certainly don't need 10 guage wire for tower lights! Way overkill. To the OP you're tripping the 15 amp breaker because you are running all four lights through it. A 55 watt halogen, or whatever type of bulb it doesen't reaslly matter, rather it's the wattage that matters. Amps is watts divided by volts. If the OP's lights are 55 watt then they are drawing about 9 amps per pair, or 18 to 20 amps total. This is why they are tripping the 15 amp switch. Length of wire run also has to do with amp draw and wire size needed as well. I run 3 sets of 55 watt Halogens on my tower with 14 guage wire throughout and each pair of lights on their own 20 amp switch. No relays or breakers. Not a single issue in 4 years of using them. Auto manufacturers use 14 guage throughout the entire lighting system just as a reference. Great 12 volt wiring info right here: http://www.bcae1.com/
Old     (wake_upppp)      Join Date: Nov 2003       12-12-2010, 8:34 PM Reply   
Andrew, are you sure the radio whine is since you wired the lights? I assume it only happens when you're running the lights. And where did you pick up your power and ground at for the lights? And power and ground for the radio?
Old     (SangerTom)      Join Date: Aug 2010       12-12-2010, 10:27 PM Reply   
Sparky - I realized that the lights themselves look like they have 18 or 22 gauge coming out of them. Should I run 12 or 16 gauge from the 10 gauge (I'm not rewiring the previous guys run through the tower) to the lights?
Old     (andrewjet)      Join Date: Jan 2003       12-13-2010, 7:42 AM Reply   
I ran my power wires and power-fused block close to my amp and wires and Its picking up engine noise now. I cant remember if Its only happing while the lights are on?? But no radio interference before that last change. Anything I can do?? And yes you don't need 10 guage wiring. I used 14 or 16 on mine and they ran fine. Jet
Old     (wake_upppp)      Join Date: Nov 2003       12-13-2010, 12:27 PM Reply   
Tom, I dont see a problem with doing it that way.
Old     (acurtis_ttu)      Join Date: May 2004       12-13-2010, 1:37 PM Reply   
andrew more than likely ( 99% sure) you have created some sort of groundig issue witht he lights ( ground loops maybe?)

Are you grounding the tower lights are the same point as you ground all stereo equipment?

also , you may want to upgrade the size of the ground wire. my tower lights have a 12 or 14 power wire but I use a 10 ga ground.

as always make sure all ground connections are tight.
Old     (mikeski)      Join Date: Aug 2003       12-16-2010, 5:30 PM Reply   
Let me start out by saying that I am no fan of tower lights in general... Most I have seen point out into space with nothing to reflect off. In most cases a handheld spot is much more effective. Now that's off my chest I'll try to help you.

Alternators make more noise the more they are loaded so there is a good chance that nothing is wrong with the wiring other than it loading up the alternator. There is also a chance that you have bridged two different ground or power sources causing a power loop that is creating a high frequency signal path that has found it's way into your radio (aka ground loop).

There is nothing wrong with using the tower itself at the grounded conductor to the lights and only running a positive power wire. You just need to do a very good job of creating a solid electrical connection. We frequently do this with solar power using star washers to "bite" into anodized aluminum PV panel frames, it works. If your power wires are too small which seems to be the case you could dedicate all wires to positives and use the tower as negatives saving the need to rewire the tower.

If you don't know how to wire up a set of relays then you should probably get help from somebody that does. Make friends with an electrician or electronics tech.

You probably have 280 watts of lights on that tower. At idle conditions you probably have the ability to pull over 23 amps CONTINUOUSLY. There is a huge difference between a continuous load and an intermittent load. If you are using a single wire you should have a #10 75 degree rated cable like THHN or a pair of #14s, you need to worry about voltage drop more than current capacity. I would guess that you could have found a nice pair of 35 or 70 watt watt HIDs that would better job at 70 or 140 watts than these do at 280 watts. (hint-hint Ken if you see this you know what you need to do). With the power systems in our boats being so limited at idle conditions these loads are critical. Even if the HIDs are 3x the price they are worth the extra money when you consider installation and operational issues.
Old     (wake_upppp)      Join Date: Nov 2003       12-16-2010, 8:34 PM Reply   
I can't imagine having a boat without tower lights. I use the heck out of mine but we come in at night alot when camping. Holding a hand held while attempting docking or coming in to shore backwards to anchor and tie up is just not a safe option for me. And who holds the spotlight while we are packing our gear up the shore to the campsite? Then there is the occasional outlaw night ride, but that doesen't happen very often... I run 6 55 watt halogens on my tower, 2 forward and 4 back, and they light the night like it's daytime. It's true without something to bounce off of you don't see much as far as in front of you but as soon as something reflective or shore is even remotely close, I see it. The bimini being up is mandatory to eliminate glare too.

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