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When hooking up electronics. What do you connect the green ground wire too?
Ground Wire
- Thread starter HappyKamper
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Could be the bonding system. I forgot my electronics from high school...but that was a little bit different 50 years ago. I think it helps (prevent)interference between electronic components.
Wait til Billy gets here.
Wait til Billy gets here.
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It is a secret. Sort of.
The colors used are ABYC Standards ( The USGS regs refer to them ). They are secret because it costs $195 to buy a legal copy...
<< Excuse me. I as biased on the subject. I should not need to spend $195 to read a portion of the law, IMHO >>
However ( your question is difficult to understand ), for many years the color code standard was solid RED for 12 VDC positive, solid BLACK for 12 VDC, and solid GREEN for earth ground/bonding.
In a boat, ( in present day boats, a "negative common ground system" ) it is typical to see the negative terminal of your 12 VDC system joined with the "Earth Ground system" which is green. The "rule" is that in 12 VDC systems, where a circuit is expected to carry current, you use Red positive, black negative, and reserve green for non-current grounding applications ( even though the two systems are joined ). In the most recently built boats, the 12 VDC "negative is solid YELLOW rather than BLACK. This change was made to avoid confusion with A/C high voltage systems.
This of course confuses some old boaters ( like me! )
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<< Wow, read wrong post !!!?!??!? >>
"When hooking up electronics. What do you connect the green ground wire too?"
The green wire should be connected to "earth ground".
ie: in a SSB radio, to the grounding plate. This connection is to dissipate static charge ( if any ) and is used as part of an antenna system, if present.
The colors used are ABYC Standards ( The USGS regs refer to them ). They are secret because it costs $195 to buy a legal copy...
<< Excuse me. I as biased on the subject. I should not need to spend $195 to read a portion of the law, IMHO >>
However ( your question is difficult to understand ), for many years the color code standard was solid RED for 12 VDC positive, solid BLACK for 12 VDC, and solid GREEN for earth ground/bonding.
In a boat, ( in present day boats, a "negative common ground system" ) it is typical to see the negative terminal of your 12 VDC system joined with the "Earth Ground system" which is green. The "rule" is that in 12 VDC systems, where a circuit is expected to carry current, you use Red positive, black negative, and reserve green for non-current grounding applications ( even though the two systems are joined ). In the most recently built boats, the 12 VDC "negative is solid YELLOW rather than BLACK. This change was made to avoid confusion with A/C high voltage systems.
This of course confuses some old boaters ( like me! )
--------------
<< Wow, read wrong post !!!?!??!? >>
"When hooking up electronics. What do you connect the green ground wire too?"
The green wire should be connected to "earth ground".
ie: in a SSB radio, to the grounding plate. This connection is to dissipate static charge ( if any ) and is used as part of an antenna system, if present.
If it says green ground wire then hook it to the ground assuming it's a DC device, what is the electronic device you are installing?
It depends on the electronics if they are 110VAC AC appliances then it goes to the AC ground buss bar usually behind your main AC breaker panel.
If the device is a DC powered electronic component then it should go to the bonding system on the boat. The bonding system usually ties all the through hulls, the tanks if they are metal and possibly a Dyna-plate which is used mainly for an SSB HF radio's antenna ground. At some point the black or yellow main ground connects to the bonding system.
A small gauge green wire within a cluster off wires from an AM & FM radio might be one of the speaker wires or if the device has NMEA0183 or CAN Buss it could be used only in that circuit but the lead should be labeled as such and the wire will be very small diameter or gauge and usually in a twisted bundle.
Bill
It depends on the electronics if they are 110VAC AC appliances then it goes to the AC ground buss bar usually behind your main AC breaker panel.
If the device is a DC powered electronic component then it should go to the bonding system on the boat. The bonding system usually ties all the through hulls, the tanks if they are metal and possibly a Dyna-plate which is used mainly for an SSB HF radio's antenna ground. At some point the black or yellow main ground connects to the bonding system.
A small gauge green wire within a cluster off wires from an AM & FM radio might be one of the speaker wires or if the device has NMEA0183 or CAN Buss it could be used only in that circuit but the lead should be labeled as such and the wire will be very small diameter or gauge and usually in a twisted bundle.
Bill
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The electronics is a Northstar Radar. 4kw. There is a black and red that hooked up to neg and Pos respectfully. There is a green grounding stud on the casing. Should I connect it to neg. or the bonding system. Billy, I do not think i have a Dyna-plate.
The problem is I installed the radar last summer. Some times the monitor (6000i) does not recognize the radar. It will be working one minute then it says it does not recognize a radar in the system. I was thinking of a grounding problem. Any thoughts?
The problem is I installed the radar last summer. Some times the monitor (6000i) does not recognize the radar. It will be working one minute then it says it does not recognize a radar in the system. I was thinking of a grounding problem. Any thoughts?
I doubt it's the ground but it would be worth checking all power and data connections. I would attach the green wire to the bonding system, Dyna-plate or not.
How is the radar connected to the MFD? It's possible your losing the data, this can be a power problem but it might also be software related. Make sure your software in the 6000i is up to date.
Is there anything you notice before the radar is not recognized, like a voltage drop, you hit a wake any information you could provide might help in troubleshooting your problem.
Bill
How is the radar connected to the MFD? It's possible your losing the data, this can be a power problem but it might also be software related. Make sure your software in the 6000i is up to date.
Is there anything you notice before the radar is not recognized, like a voltage drop, you hit a wake any information you could provide might help in troubleshooting your problem.
Bill
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What is so unbelievable? Was not knowing where to connect a green wire ground, too dumb of a question for you?
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Bill,
The plug into the MFD is 16 pin connector and the other end has a 3 way split. One plugs into the processor with a 7? pin connector. I can be in my slip and have data come on and off.
The plug into the MFD is 16 pin connector and the other end has a 3 way split. One plugs into the processor with a 7? pin connector. I can be in my slip and have data come on and off.
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Sorry. Forget it . I will figure it out on my own.
It's not a swipe so much at the OP, but really, knowing the difference between what a DC negative is and what a safety ground is, and where and how and where they all tie together on a boat, is pretty fundamental. Since it is also a safety matter, it is important.
Wow. It is fundamental but we all have to learn sometime and that, supposedly, is what this site is all about boater education. We used to say there were no dumb questions. where did that go?
To the OP yes the green wire goes to the other green wired bonding system connections. Indeed you might not notice any difference in operation if it wee connected to the negative 12V side however that is not the correct way to do it and radar probably has some internal high voltages making proper system grounding important. There is not supposed to be any current in that wire except if something fails. That is when it becomes important. IMO if hooking it up fixes the problem there might be something else going on that
needs investigation.
After that consider rechecking all the antenna connections assuming the antenna continues to rotate during these failures.
As Bill pointed out now that we know what's happening it does sound like an intermittent connection or at least that is the easiest thing to check. Wiggling and tugging on all wires and connections while the system is running to see if you can reproduce the problem is a good test.
The makers web site might have some trouble shooting advice.
I would start by installing the green case ground to your bonding system. On my vessel the hardtop and arch is connected to the bonding system. I connected my radar ground wire to the arch and coated the connection with No-Lox.
After you do that try wiggling each connection to see if the displayed Radar stops working. If that all fails let me know and I'll research the equipment you have and try and provide suggestions.
Bill
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Let me give you the back round. The radar system I have was in my previous boat which is identical to the one I have now. We lost the old boat in Sandy. (same marina as Currentsea) I transferred it and have not been able to to have it consistantly running. I have had 2 technicians look at it with no success. I have wiggled all wires and even replaced data cables. I have 2 monitors and have switched from slave to master on both to see if its the monitor. People often overlook grounding, so I asked the question. The book says not grounding the case is not a big deal but I was just trying to eliminate issues. Now if anyone of the resident smartasses would like to show an idiot like me how to do it. I would be gladly pay airfare and all expenses because I'm almost out of ideas.
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Yes