Wiring a horn

[Cool It]

Hey guys<br /><br />I am trying to wire a horn to one of my switches on the panel of a 1988 Seamaster 2288 W/A by Renken. I am a bit confused when I touch the wires to a hot and ground the horn works -- but when I touch them to the two posts on the switch I get nothing.- I know the switch works because I even tried an active switch and I still get nothing - I dont know what I am doing wrong --It seems so simple one ground and one hot but something is not right any suggestions.!!<br /><br />Thanks <br />Cool It

 

[crab bait]

Re: Wiring a horn

there inlies your problem..<br /><br />your touchin' the 'two wires' to the switch..<br /><br />the switch can't have a ground.. the two wires of the switch are hot in/to..the other is hot out/from..<br /><br />get it..??

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Wiring a horn

When I touch them to the two posts on the switch I get nothing

Hi Cool It. Do you mean you're connecting both wires from the horn to your switch? The switch should be a break in the negative side only. Run the Pos. wire from the horn to a hot source and run the Neg. wire to one side of the switch. From the other side of the switch, run a wire to a solid ground. Your switch should now control your horn. <br /><br />If your horn wireing does not have an inline fuse, you may want to run it to a circuit breaker or a fuse bus. Good luck.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Wiring a horn

Sorry for the post collision crab bait.

 

[PercussionMafia]

Re: Wiring a horn

I think you should wire the switch to control the hot (+) side instead of the negative. This is safer in the sense that you won't have an unswitched, always hot wire going through the boat and easier due to the fact that you may be able to ground the negative side to the boat without running two wires all the way back to the panel. This is also most likely how the rest of your boat is wired.

 

[Cool It]

Re: Wiring a horn

Thanks Guys-- I wired the horn today and it works like a charm BEEP! BEEP!<br /><br />Cool It