Oddly enough, I am rebuilding my first pontoon. I find myself holding all the pieces I need and your video. Your a life saver and I am thankful to have found your videos.
I'm so happy to be helpful to you while you're working on your project! I've been in that same position working on cars and other projects, so I know how helpful it can be to have someone talking me through it. Our entire goal with our channel is to give the know-how tools to as many DIY folks out there tackling their boat project. Pontoons are the boat that can provide an amazing opportunity to spend time on the water with friends and families making memories. Thanks so much for watching!
There you go! Love the way you dumb it down for folks like me, and anticipate thought processes and fears of newbies. I need the attention to detail. I got the 8 switch panel like yours, so can repeat the principles. Nice job, as usual! 🎉
Thanks! I want everyone to have confidence as DIYers! I’m sure I’ll do some more videos of the similar panels that have more switches. Just follow those power leads in and decide where you want them to go and how you want the switches to operate.
At around 1:50 into the video I show how to get rid of the constant on lights. I just prefer no lights being on when the switch is in the off position. Rarely would I ever want them on all the time. Just one more way for the battery to drain if a battery switch is left on.
Off topic....any chance you have a large console laying around? I'm doing a pontoon that is supposed to be ready May 10 but the large one is on 2 - 3 week wait.
How do I connect the ground wires that are incoming from my lights? I know I connect the power and ground from my incoming power from the battery, but don't know where my grounds connect from the lights that are connecting to the switches. I'm installing some light bars on my atv,
You should have a ground wire feeding the switch panel from the battery. You can splice/group with that ground wire. You could also use the ground wire from the battery to connect to a ground buss bar or block to tie all of your grounds from accessories together and to the ground coming from the battery. Worst case, run an additional ground wire from the battery negative post to the switch panel to tie your light ground wires to.
@@tomspontoons so I have the power wire coming in to the switch panel on a two pin for quick disconnect. Can I run all the negative wire together and ground them to the frame or another piece of metal?
@@mesquiteco5313 I always try to avoid making the frame of the boat a ground. That's where a ground buss block is nice, or just bring them all together and join to a 10 gauge ground wire that runs back to the negative battery post.
I added the product title in the video description. I’ll see if I can link it too. There were several options for numbers of switches for that brand/style.
Thanks Roger! We’ve found that most panels have an illuminated USB plug which would eventually drain the battery I suppose…so might as well make it possible to stop power when we want. The good news is that it’s a quick and easy adjustment that’ll get things working the best way possible!
Can you tell any difference with the drain on your battery with the switch panel installed? Seems very insignificant drain considering how low of light the usb and bottom light is.
@@peazy7 I haven't tested the drain down yet. You're right, the draw might be super insignificant. Because we're working on customers' boats I make sure to reduce the risk of any inconveniences up front rather than having to correct it down the road. In this case I am taking the "better to be safe than to be sorry" approach...and much simpler and less expensive than an on/off battery switch!
I put that switch panel description in the description, check and search from there! We install voltage gauges all the time!! Easy to install as they just require power and a ground from the key switch or an accessory switch on the dash.
Yes! Sorry I didn’t do that in the description. This is a MUST HAVE for all the boats we do: www.pontoonstuff.com/products/pontoon-boat-wiring-harness?_pos=1&_sid=235bb5be3&_ss=r
Please let me know what questions you have!! I'm happy to help answer them and it would be great to know how I can improve the next video to make it clearer. Thanks!
Oddly enough, I am rebuilding my first pontoon. I find myself holding all the pieces I need and your video. Your a life saver and I am thankful to have found your videos.
I'm so happy to be helpful to you while you're working on your project! I've been in that same position working on cars and other projects, so I know how helpful it can be to have someone talking me through it. Our entire goal with our channel is to give the know-how tools to as many DIY folks out there tackling their boat project. Pontoons are the boat that can provide an amazing opportunity to spend time on the water with friends and families making memories. Thanks so much for watching!
The anticipation for this has been keeping me up at night!!!!
I sure hope it lived up to your expectations! Thanks for watching!
There you go! Love the way you dumb it down for folks like me, and anticipate thought processes and fears of newbies. I need the attention to detail. I got the 8 switch panel like yours, so can repeat the principles. Nice job, as usual! 🎉
Thanks! I want everyone to have confidence as DIYers! I’m sure I’ll do some more videos of the similar panels that have more switches. Just follow those power leads in and decide where you want them to go and how you want the switches to operate.
I have the same switch but all the lights are on. Not like how you got yours that they individually turn on when each switch is selected.
At around 1:50 into the video I show how to get rid of the constant on lights. I just prefer no lights being on when the switch is in the off position. Rarely would I ever want them on all the time. Just one more way for the battery to drain if a battery switch is left on.
That USB LED being ion all the time drove me crazy. I did what you did.
It seems so strange as their design. Luckily it’s an easy alteration!!
never thought of doing this good info you do AWESOME Videos!
Thank you!! and thanks for watching!
Off topic....any chance you have a large console laying around? I'm doing a pontoon that is supposed to be ready May 10 but the large one is on 2 - 3 week wait.
Shoot me an email if you will please: tomspontoons@gmail.com
How do I connect the ground wires that are incoming from my lights? I know I connect the power and ground from my incoming power from the battery, but don't know where my grounds connect from the lights that are connecting to the switches.
I'm installing some light bars on my atv,
You should have a ground wire feeding the switch panel from the battery. You can splice/group with that ground wire. You could also use the ground wire from the battery to connect to a ground buss bar or block to tie all of your grounds from accessories together and to the ground coming from the battery. Worst case, run an additional ground wire from the battery negative post to the switch panel to tie your light ground wires to.
@@tomspontoons so I have the power wire coming in to the switch panel on a two pin for quick disconnect. Can I run all the negative wire together and ground them to the frame or another piece of metal?
@@mesquiteco5313 I always try to avoid making the frame of the boat a ground. That's where a ground buss block is nice, or just bring them all together and join to a 10 gauge ground wire that runs back to the negative battery post.
Great job! Can you share the specific switch panel? Also- is there a good marine grade splicing kit that you can recommend? Many thanks.
I added the product title in the video description. I’ll see if I can link it too. There were several options for numbers of switches for that brand/style.
New to the channel. That's a great idea with the tying the USB to a switch. Guess I will be pulling my switch panel out soon 😃
Thanks Roger! We’ve found that most panels have an illuminated USB plug which would eventually drain the battery I suppose…so might as well make it possible to stop power when we want. The good news is that it’s a quick and easy adjustment that’ll get things working the best way possible!
Can you tell any difference with the drain on your battery with the switch panel installed? Seems very insignificant drain considering how low of light the usb and bottom light is.
@@peazy7 I haven't tested the drain down yet. You're right, the draw might be super insignificant. Because we're working on customers' boats I make sure to reduce the risk of any inconveniences up front rather than having to correct it down the road. In this case I am taking the "better to be safe than to be sorry" approach...and much simpler and less expensive than an on/off battery switch!
Hey Tom Thanks for the tutorial on the switches, would you ever consider a voltmeter or amp meter ?
apparently don't link to Amazon?
I put that switch panel description in the description, check and search from there!
We install voltage gauges all the time!! Easy to install as they just require power and a ground from the key switch or an accessory switch on the dash.
Can you link or reference the pontoonstuff harness?
Yes! Sorry I didn’t do that in the description. This is a MUST HAVE for all the boats we do:
www.pontoonstuff.com/products/pontoon-boat-wiring-harness?_pos=1&_sid=235bb5be3&_ss=r
What size wiring is that?
I mostly run 16 gauge for accessories.
Clear as mud
Please let me know what questions you have!! I'm happy to help answer them and it would be great to know how I can improve the next video to make it clearer. Thanks!