[Rhodes22-list] Navigation Lights Problem

[ROGER PIHLAJA]

Hi Stephan,

Usually, when several things on the same circuit don’t work, the cause is either a bad +12 VDC feed to the breaker, bad breaker, or bad ground.  I suspect the “loose/missing wire” you mentioned was the +12 VDC feed to that circuit breaker.  Try hot wiring a known +12 VDC to the input side of the breaker.  If the nav lights come on; then, your missing wire is the problem.  If the nav lights don’t come on; then, you may have a bad breaker.  Try hot wiring +12 VDC to the output side of the breaker.  If the nav lights come on; then, you have a bad breaker.  If the nav lights still don’t come on; then, you probably have a bad ground.  Find the ground bus bar and see if any of the connections are bad and check continuity to the -12 VDC side of the battery.  One of these will almost certainly solve your problem.  If I were a betting man, I’d bet on a missing 12 VDC feed to the breaker.  Good Luck!

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

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From: Stephen Staum<mailto:snstaum at gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 2, 2021 9:31 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Navigation Lights Problem

Dear All,

I wonder if anyone has a suggestion on how to deal with my inoperable
navigation lights.  This is my newly acquitted 1990 Rhodes 22 (refurbed in
2016).  It has the electric panel above the galley counter and it is a
larger panel than my previous Rhodes.  The previous owner said the nav
lights stopped working last season after he had the panel opened up.  He
thought a wire had broken or come loose.  Sure enough, there is a broken
wire connector on the 3rd position breaker which is marked nav lights.
After pulling the panel out twice, including removing the side panel
yesterday for a better view, I cannot find the broken piece of wire to
reattach!  I cannot imagine where that wire is or has gone.  There are
still 2 black wires connected to that breaker but none of the 3 nav lights
work.

Any suggestions?

*Thanks and Stay Well,*

*Stephen Staum*
*s/v Pinafore*
*s/v Carol Lee 2 (for sale)*

*Needham, MA*