510 DA radar arch lights

stephens013

Active Member
Oct 8, 2009
756
Ft Walton Beach, Fl
Boat Info
2001 510 Sundancer
1997 400DA Sundancer
1994 Chaparel 310 Signature
Engines
3196 Cat; 660 PHP
3116 Cat; 340 PHP
I am having Issues with the 24 volt interior lights on my radar arch. They have an on and off switch as well as a dimmer switch. The dimmer switch is a momentary unit that feeds a module. The module is the issue. SeaRay techs tell me "it's down there some place" just not sure where. I'm assuming it's at the helm on the right by the captains chair; but then again, maybe not. Has any one messed with this system.

Appreciate the help

Ron
 
Well I waded into the wiring bundle of this 20 year old boat; scary. Wires leading to unused plugs for equipment not installed and so on.
Found the three wires going from the switch up to the spoiler lights. No power feed, just wires connecting the three way switch to the light fixtures. Not sure how that works. Neither do the SeaRay techs. So at this point I’m reduced to figuring out how the lights get their power.
We shall see
 
Well I waded into the wiring bundle of this 20 year old boat; scary. Wires leading to unused plugs for equipment not installed and so on.
Found the three wires going from the switch up to the spoiler lights. No power feed, just wires connecting the three way switch to the light fixtures. Not sure how that works. Neither do the SeaRay techs. So at this point I’m reduced to figuring out how the lights get their power.
We shall see
Geez.....good luck. How can Sea Ray be so clueless on the design of that system? I know its older but don't they have wiring diagrams?
 
Well I waded into the wiring bundle of this 20 year old boat; scary. Wires leading to unused plugs for equipment not installed and so on.
Found the three wires going from the switch up to the spoiler lights. No power feed, just wires connecting the three way switch to the light fixtures. Not sure how that works. Neither do the SeaRay techs. So at this point I’m reduced to figuring out how the lights get their power.
We shall see

You may actually save hours of your life by just rewiring the darn things. Creating a new, fused 12V source at the helm should be quite straight forward. Throw some remote dimmable LED's in there and enjoy.
 
Geez.....good luck. How can Sea Ray be so clueless on the design of that system? I know its older but don't they have wiring diagrams?

Well they do have the diagrams; they have theirs and I have mine, and we are reading them as we go. I say we because at the moment it's a collaborative effort at best.
I was thinking of just replacing it with a solid 12 volt system and will do that if all else fails. The OEM system is all 24 Volt. Kind of a pain in the butt. Just rather have it working as I assume it worked for all these years.

I mean it's right there in front of me; just can't seem to hit on the right combination of connections to make it go. Bugs the dickens out of me.
 
Well I narrowed the fault to the module; power goes in but don't come out. SeaRay says the have three of these modules some place in Tennessee. I try ordering one and it's a dry hole. Got me as to why but so far two Marine Max parts go getters are coming up dry. Never letting the negative side of an issue take hold of the situation I go to the manufacture of the OEM part. I figure go to the source, put it back to the way it once was. Now the manufacture is asking me about power applications. I give then the exact part numbers and nomenclatures. They come back today and ask if that's a 12 or 24 volt unit and so on. Then they send me another email explaining there might be a delay in the manufacture of any modules because one of the two guys responsible for making these things has run off to Coasta Rica. I'm kind of confused as to why the company custumer Rep chose to share that bit of information. Full disclosure I guess. It did give me a chuckle or two. The SeaRay guys at Marrett Island thought it was funny as well.

I share this misguided trilogy in an effort to vent my frustration about what should be such a simple fix. Bottom line; Stee6043 is right. A 12 volt conversion is the way to go. Just tap into the black and blue wires feeding the lights on spoiler and it's done. Wire in a reostat and it will be a better system than what SeaRay over engineered. Hey; maybe that's just the way it had to be back in the day.

What is the power? Can't get it done cause the engineer took off to Coasta Rica. I couldn't make this crap up.
 
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You may actually save hours of your life by just rewiring the darn things. Creating a new, fused 12V source at the helm should be quite straight forward. Throw some remote dimmable LED's in there and enjoy.

I'm doing your way after all
 
The only issue with that is you will lose the function of having a 3 way switch.
 
Use the Blue Sea Systems Deckhand Dimmer P/N 7509.
Plug and play and is compatible with LED lamps.
 
The only issue with that is you will lose the function of having a 3 way switch.

Might lose function of a switch but at least I'll have some sort of reliable function of the lighting system over all. Main thing is converting it to 12 volt system. I'm sure I can find RELIABLE 12 volt LEDs that I can dim. I'm experiencing a dismal 80% failure for the 24 volt LEDs I have purchased. Just real crap and I'm getting them from SuperBright LEDs and Defender. They work for awhile and then go completely dark or just have a few segments lighting up. Meaning the internal resisters are bad.
 
The last Input on the over head light trilogy. Bottom line, things ain't always what they are suppose to be. Ended up splicing into the wire going up to the over heads. Found the faulty dimmer module but that wasn't the only issue. Seems the wiring diagram doesn't show another relay behind a lower bulk head. The switches were original but not in accordance with the OEM istulaion or parts listing. Also a few additional wires connecting the light buckets. Obviously part of the SeaRay instillation. HMust be part of the addition of the hard top option and the additional two fixtures. Eventually just had to rewire the power suply and be done with it.
 
Wired the Blue Sea dimmer in this morning. Had a bit of a challenge finding 24 volt dimable LED lights but everything worked out.
 

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