Sam's is your source for Hatteras and Cabo Yacht parts.

Enter a part description OR part number to search the Hatteras/Cabo parts catalog:

Email Sam's or call 1-800-678-9230 to order parts.

32 volt festoon bulbs?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Blowncar
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 8
  • Views Views 1,507

Blowncar

Active member
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
152
Status
  1. OWNER - I own a Hatteras Yacht
Hatteras Model
52' CONVERTIBLE (1983 - 1990)
Does anyone know if they make a led 32v compatible festoon bulb? I just changed all my 32 light bulbs over to led and wanted to continue the trend.
 
If it is for your Nav lights put this on the Nav light breaker and just use 12 V festoons

https://store.marinebeam.com/hatteras-32v-to-12v-waterproof-dc-dc-converter/

You can also do for your interior if you have festoons there. Just have to make sure everything on the circuit is 12 volt

I bought 6 of those to protect all the new stuff I have to put on the boat. The very 1st place to start was on the Nav light breaker...to protect those expensive new Hella lights.
But I opened the back of the panel and can't quite figure where you fit it. It's packed in there!

Can someone who put converters on breakers take a pic for me? I'm not quite sure how this is going to work.
 
Last edited:
I bought 6 of those to protect all the new stuff I have to put on the boat. The very 1st place to start was on the Nav light breaker...to protect those expensive new Hella lights.
But I opened the back of the panel and can quite figure where you fit it. It's packed in there!

Can someone who put converters on breakers take a pic for me? I'm not quite sure how this is going to work.

Hey Tony, I can't get up there tonight to take a pic but I put a step-down transformer in my upper helm console after the terminal block for my new anchor light. Since I had to pull a new wire from the arch to the terminal block, I just connected the transformer to the block then went to the light. Since it was at the last stage in the wiring harness, both upper and lower helm light switches work fine. I will send a pic as soon as I can, but it's just a $12 step-down from 24V to 12V.
 
I bought 6 of those to protect all the new stuff I have to put on the boat. The very 1st place to start was on the Nav light breaker...to protect those expensive new Hella lights.
But I opened the back of the panel and can quite figure where you fit it. It's packed in there!

Can someone who put converters on breakers take a pic for me? I'm not quite sure how this is going to work.

I will see if I can get a picture for you tomorrow. Mine is inside the panel. I added it to the supply side of the breaker and spliced in the circuit. I think I zip tied it to a wire loom but will send pic tomorrow
 
Hey Tony, I can't get up there tonight to take a pic but I put a step-down transformer in my upper helm console after the terminal block for my new anchor light. Since I had to pull a new wire from the arch to the terminal block, I just connected the transformer to the block then went to the light. Since it was at the last stage in the wiring harness, both upper and lower helm light switches work fine. I will send a pic as soon as I can, but it's just a $12 step-down from 24V to 12V.

True, I guess I could just do it at the switch since that one pull controls all the lights. I put one next to the new freshwater pump too, instead of in the panel. There are five lights off that one switch, but don't add up to many watts since they're all new LEDs.

Still, have all kinds of house and cockpit lights, and other stuff, which would do well with a step down converter at the panel. I'm curious how they squeeze it in there - and a little paranoid about disturbing that all original, undisturbed wiring back there.

I will see if I can get a picture for you tomorrow. Mine is inside the panel. I added it to the supply side of the breaker and spliced in the circuit. I think I zip tied it to a wire loom but will send pic tomorrow

I appreciate it! You know, if I mimic what you did it'll take 5 minutes. If I screw around trying to figure it out, 2 hours will pass quickly.
 
Almost embarrassing comparing my work to the original Hatteras wiring. The black tape is because I couldn't bring myself to cut the original wire thus I used a bolt to hold two ring eyes together. I ran the yellow wire directly to the ground bar and the input of the convertor directly to the breaker. The bolt connection is the output of the convertor to the wire that was on the breaker.




IMG_1425.webp
 
Almost embarrassing comparing my work to the original Hatteras wiring. The black tape is because I couldn't bring myself to cut the original wire thus I used a bolt to hold two ring eyes together. I ran the yellow wire directly to the ground bar and the input of the convertor directly to the breaker. The bolt connection is the output of the convertor to the wire that was on the breaker.




View attachment 48769

I think that's great. 20 years from now, tech may have changed to where 32v is fine for everything. Being the least disruptive to the original design is paramount.

Thanks....
 

Forum statistics

Threads
38,156
Messages
448,748
Members
12,482
Latest member
UnaVida

Latest Posts

Trending content

Back
Top Bottom