I never liked not having a locker light. I also wanted to have some type of light on the platform for times when we're boarding at night, but on a mooring and away from other lights. I thought it might be nice to have this light come on independent of the cockpit lights, also automatically whenever the locker hatch is opened.
There's nothing special here, and it is relatively easy. I just thought by posting this simple mod that it may give someone else a nudge to do this as well.
The only thing I'm not happy with is having to use the black, braided, loom to hide/protect the wires on the underside of the hatch. I don't like it because you can see it. Maybe it would've been better if it was white, but I had this stuff on hand.
I used:
--(2) Inexpensive, stick-on LED lights that I bought online - about $5 each
--(1) Magnetic "door/window alarm" switch from Radio Shack - $10 This gave the "automatic" feature so anytime the hatch is opened the light will come on (I still wired it through the main battery switch, though).
I pulled power from the Main DC breaker panel which is inside my stbd, rear cockpit storage compartment. Since it's just a couple of LED's, I just piggy-backed onto one of the other smaller-amp breakers.
The ground just tied into that main ground behind the false wall in the locker - where the shore power connection, washdown shower, etc are mounted. That saved me from running the ground wire down into the bilge.
If anyone is thinking of doing this, it helped IMMENSELY to have my 5-year old crawl back into the port-side, aft corner of the bilge to retrieve the + power wire as I fed it down into the bilge. Thanks, Cody! If you have one of these, I highly suggest using one in situations like this!:smt001
I then neatly ran the wire along the inside transom wall (with the electrical harness that is already there) and eventually up to the backside of the DC breaker panel.
Hope this helps anyone thinking of doing a similar project. If you already have a locker light, it would be even simpler to just add the magnetic alarm switch.
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My GREAT helper:
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There's nothing special here, and it is relatively easy. I just thought by posting this simple mod that it may give someone else a nudge to do this as well.
The only thing I'm not happy with is having to use the black, braided, loom to hide/protect the wires on the underside of the hatch. I don't like it because you can see it. Maybe it would've been better if it was white, but I had this stuff on hand.
I used:
--(2) Inexpensive, stick-on LED lights that I bought online - about $5 each
--(1) Magnetic "door/window alarm" switch from Radio Shack - $10 This gave the "automatic" feature so anytime the hatch is opened the light will come on (I still wired it through the main battery switch, though).
I pulled power from the Main DC breaker panel which is inside my stbd, rear cockpit storage compartment. Since it's just a couple of LED's, I just piggy-backed onto one of the other smaller-amp breakers.
The ground just tied into that main ground behind the false wall in the locker - where the shore power connection, washdown shower, etc are mounted. That saved me from running the ground wire down into the bilge.
If anyone is thinking of doing this, it helped IMMENSELY to have my 5-year old crawl back into the port-side, aft corner of the bilge to retrieve the + power wire as I fed it down into the bilge. Thanks, Cody! If you have one of these, I highly suggest using one in situations like this!:smt001
I then neatly ran the wire along the inside transom wall (with the electrical harness that is already there) and eventually up to the backside of the DC breaker panel.
Hope this helps anyone thinking of doing a similar project. If you already have a locker light, it would be even simpler to just add the magnetic alarm switch.
My GREAT helper:
