Michael McKeown
Crescent City, Florida
Boat Name: Proudmary
Model/Year: Catalina 22 / 1985
Hull No. 12700
Hailing Port: Lake Crescent |
 10/13/2008 1:49 PM Pacific Time
I just ordered and received my New! LED Cabin Light Round Plastic w/Red & White LEDs Product #: D2183.
When I tried to hook them up to the existing wires (red on black and white on Blue) it would not work.
So I tested it (The New Unit) directly to the battery it came on.
So I thought maybe the wiring was faulty
So in the process of re-hooking the original cabin unit , I just barely touched the wires and it came on.
I am at a lost , there is current running through the wiring as indicated by the old unit being operational but for some unknown reason the new unit will not work through the wiring. Could it be that the wiring is copper and the new unit wriing is not copper?
|
Greg Guenther
Belleville, IL
Boat Name: Magnificat
Model/Year: 1970
Hull No. 473
Hailing Port: Belleville, IL |
10/14/2008 6:44 AM Pacific Time
Michael,
In a 12 v DC system red is "supposed" to be positive and black negative. In "house wiring" which they use on campers and maybe boats also the white wire is the ground (negative). You did not mention whether the red and black were the boat wires or the LED wires. I put some LED's into my boat and had no problem but cannot remember if they are +/- sensitive. Wire types do not matter, the only problem with dissimilar wires could be galvanic corrosion. Do NOT solder the connections since that adds yet another type of metal to the mix and also could promote breakage on either side of the connection from vibration. Use either clamp on butt connectors or the twist on type. I also put some vaseline into the connectors before using them to keep out moisture.
The problem you had could be just a bad connection to the wiring at the light fixture or it could be a broken wire inside the plastic cover. If you have a volt meter check for power. Wiggle the wire while the meter is connected to check for intermittent connections.
Good luck.
Greg |
Wes Van Nurden
Chippewa Falls, WI
Boat Name: Puddle Jumper
Model/Year: C-22 1982
Hull No. 11164
Hailing Port: Lake Wissota, Chippewa Falls, WI |
10/15/2008 6:59 AM Pacific Time
LED's do indeed make a difference which way they are connected. If they are connected backwards (plus to minus...) you just don't get any light (doesn't hurt anything). LED's are current driven rather than voltage driven, as long as there is enough voltage (usually around 2.5 volts for an LED). |
