[C320-list] Anchor light problem
John Frost
john at frostnet.net
Sat Dec 15 10:04:31 PST 2018
One other reminder.
Remember that LEDs are just a form of Diode. Basic diodes only pass cyrrunt in one direction. Many have circuitry that allows them to be fed in "reverse". Some do not.
I sent a technician up my mast to put a Festoon base LED in my anchor light. It didn't come on so I, having been an EE graduate 46 years ago, started checking switches, fuses ets.
The technician, having more recent experience with solid state electronics, merely turned the bulb around and it worked perfectly.
+
Happy Sailing! /||\
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\ Lake Guntersville, AL l_
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-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Graeme Clark
Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2018 3:19 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Anchor light problem
Jack
For exactly that reason, when I replaced my standing rigging a few years ago and the mast was unstepped I put in new wiring and left a very long tail which was easily threaded through the supporting post into the bilge and then into the locker under the port settee This guarantees me a good connection from end to end In my experience most lighting problems will be to do with poor (corroded) connections, particularly on the return ground wire for some reason It shouldn’t be too difficult to use a multimeter to check voltage on the wires to trace the “live” one. Flipping the anchor light switch on and off will show up if the wire your meter is attached to is the correct one or not If you ever replace your standing rigging or have another reason to unstep the mast I reckon it’s worth replacing the cabling in the mast. Catalina spec (on #366 at least!) was to use untinned copper wire which corrodes badly if it gets wet - salt water wicks along the strands a surprisingly long way by capillary action. Replacing with tinned wire is not difficult or expensive if the mast is down Ditto the VHF antenna and cabling Graeme
Sent from mobile: please excuse typos etc.!
> On 15 Dec 2018, at 01:08, jackbrennan <jackbrennan at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> Thanks, Gerald.
> I have the schematic, and I'm just as confused.
> If Graeme is correct, it sounds like I would have to lift the mast to get at the wiring. That's crazy.
> I think I'll just use a Davis LED light to hang off the boom. I think that's more visible, anyway.
> Powerboaters don't look 50 feet in the air when they're steering their boats in between belts of beer.
> Jack BrennanSonas, 1998 Catalina 320Tierra Verde, Fl.Dolphin Cruising
> Club of Tampa Bay
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
>
> On Fri, Dec 14, 2018 at 7:14 PM, Gerald Rouillard<pearson39b at yahoo.com> wrote: I can see why you're confused, Jack. I'm looking at a schematic for "Mast Light Wiring / I.M masts," with a revision date of 5.17.93. It agrees with Graeme of the ground wires all joining into one common black wire going to the panel. But, tracking the power wires for the anchor, bow and deck lights is amazing! For example; the anchor light wire progresses - in splices - from white, coming from the panel, then to green, and yet again to red going to the top of the mast...
>
> Now maybe I'm misreading the diagram. I am most certainly NOT an electrician, but it looks like tracing the circuits from beginning to end is going to be a challenge. If you need a copy of this particular schematic, I can try to send you a copy of mine, or you may be able to get one from Catalina. The drawing number is: 320-72002-1.
>
> Good luck
>
> Sailor Jerry,
> Wind Song
> Hull #283
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Dec 14, 2018, at 11:56 AM, Graeme Clark <cg at skyflyer.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> Jack
>>
>> I’m working from memory here but the principle is that the anchor light, steaming light and eck light all share a common negative return cable, so you have four wires in total, three positive and one shared negative.
>>
>> The square plug you rfer to is inside the last at the base - this enables the mast to be removed by lifting slightly, disocnnecting the plug, then fully removing it.
>>
>> The masthead instrument is a separate cable which has (i think) about five quite thin gauge wires inside it. The light suppliy wirs are much thicker cores.
>>
>> My memory says that the four wires are all in one thick outer core
>> about 1/2 inch across
>>
>> Hope this helps
>>
>> graeme
>>
>> 1996, #366
>>
>>> On 14 Dec 2018, at 18:13, John Brennan <jackbrennan at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello all:
>>>
>>> So my anchor light is not getting any electricity at the fitting, and I’m absolutely stumped about the wiring.
>>>
>>> There is electricity at the panel, and the red wires there lead into a wire channel at the rear. But no red wires seem to emerge from the channel into the storage locker under the port settee.
>>>
>>> Instead, there are black and white wires that lead to the bottom of the mast. There is also a thick black wire going up the mast – actually, I’m not certain whether it’s a three-wire conduit or a cable for the wind instrument.
>>>
>>> I’m baffled as to how these can turn off and on the anchor light, steaming light and deck light. The wind instrument was broken and was removed at the masthead. It’s possible there’s no cable for that.
>>>
>>> Before I start cutting the wires to trace them, has anyone figured out this wiring? I’ve found a Catalina schematic that shows a mast plug somewhere that controls these wires, but I’ll be damned if I can find it.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Jack Brennan
>>> Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
>>> Tierra Verde, Fl.
>>> Dolphin Cruising Club of Tampa Bay
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>>
>
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