"Extra" pair of terminals on dual-battery switch

[guy48065]

The pontoon boat I bought last fall had 2 batteries and a Perko #8503 switch. This particular switch has an extra pair of smaller terminals for cutting the field winding in an alternator to prevent damage to the diodes if you switch "off" while the motor is running. OK that's from their website--I don't really understand the need. Thing is, there are wires on mine that are taped up in a harness that runs forward to the console and NOT back to the motor.

My question is:
What other use is there for these terminals on the Perko? I can't tell what they go to because the PO chopped the harness during a re-deck and all the colors no longer match end-to-end.

I contacted Perko & their response was those wires are ONLY good for connecting to the alternator field wires. I guess they're not familiar with "thinking outside the box"!

 

[alldodge]

The connections do not connect to the battery connections in the switch, they are separate. You can use them for anything you want including disconnecting and reconnecting the field windings as the switch is moved. Don't know what that would be, but its there if you want to use them

 

[guy48065]

So it's a mechanical switch with contacts that open when the knob points to "OFF"?

I can't imagine what on my simple pontoon would need to be "open" when battery power is removed.

 

[NHGuy]

If it's an always hot lead I'd think it would be for a stereo memory and for a bilge pump. Not all boat are pontoons. Non toons would want a pump-always-on lead.

 

[alldodge]

So it's a mechanical switch with contacts that open when the knob points to "OFF"?

I can't imagine what on my simple pontoon would need to be "open" when battery power is removed.

No, its designed to open the alternator field winding which turns the alternator OFF, before the switch breaks connection to the battery. If the alternator is not turned OFF then it will burn it self out. No one would turn it OFF while the motor is running but they might turn it from 1 to 2 or to BOTH. Many have said that it has a Make before Break internal connections, and if it does then the field winding switch is not necessary. I have not tested this so I'm only going off what others have said