New NMEA Network - Parker Fuse Blocks Switched?

[gman1001]

I'm installing a new NMEA 2000 network and I've read that NMEA draws current while the boat is off if wired to a non-switched power source.

Question, are the main fuse panel's on Parker boats typically switched? I'll put a meter on it on Friday but until then I'm researching.

I suppose I could wire to an accessory switch, but I'd prefer not to.

Tx!

 

[warthog5]

If the Power wire....goes to the fuse panel....and the fuse panel is switched via main On/OFF master switch.......It is switched.

 

[pelagic2530]

Basically what warthog said. You will want the NMEA network to be online any time the boat is “on”, so that electronics and instrumentation will function. So, you would want it energized whenever the battery switch is on, which is the case with the fuse panel or positive dash bus bar. The NMEA power draw is so minimal that there’s no worry with it being energized while the boat is in use, but you’d definitely want to have it secured when the boat is in storage, which you accomplish anyway by turning off the battery switch.

 

[Bodick93]

Just wire it to the positive and negative bus bars Parker provided, and don't give it a second thought. I only connected the yellow wires for all my Simrad units to the accessory switch. The switch doesn't supply power to the Simrads, just tells them to turn on. The backbone power comes from the busbar (factory setup). Be aware that the vhf radio "position" for the mayday button may come through the nmea network. Kill power to the network and you kill the emergency button on the vhf. My radio will alarm if I turn the simrads off, since it kills the "location" input to the NMEA network, which the radio needs.

 

[pelagic2530]

Just wire it to the positive and negative bus bars Parker provided, and don't give it a second thought. I only connected the yellow wires for all my Simrad units to the accessory switch. The switch doesn't supply power to the Simrads, just tells them to turn on. The backbone power comes from the busbar (factory setup). Be aware that the vhf radio "position" for the mayday button may come through the nmea network. Kill power to the network and you kill the emergency button on the vhf. My radio will alarm if I turn the simrads off, since it kills the "location" input to the NMEA network, which the radio needs.

To confirm, the VHF position data most certainly comes from NMEA, unless it has its own antenna. Shutting off the MFDs will cause position loss if their internal GPS antenna is providing the position info to the NMEA network. If you have an external NMEA GPS antenna, such as a GS25, that will continue to provide position information to the NMEA network regardless of whether the displays are powered on or not.