LED Courtesy Light Upgrade

[NickMcD63]

Hey everyone!
Hoping I could get your help on what I feel should be an easy project but my electrical knoledge is very limited so hoping for some assitance. I just recently purchased an AR250 and with the lack of interior courtesy lighting I am hoping to add some blue LED puck lights. From other threads I have read that I can tap into the current courtesy lights and not blow the fuse with 6 lights (close to 5 amps?) - does that sound right? If so, do i just run all the lights to one of the coutesy lights and connect all 7 positive and negative together? That simple?

Any other suggestions would be helpful. Thank you!

 

[Bubba7827]

I did some of this recently. The elec connections are blade type and they (west marine I think) sell these double blade adapters so you can connect two wires to each switch. Still had to crimp some terminal ends on wires but it wasn't difficult.

 

[NickMcD63]

What switch exactly are you referring to?

 

[Bubba7827]

The courtesy light switch into which you intend to tap. The piggy back adapter beats cutting wires in my book.

 

[NickMcD63]

Got it. However I don’t have a switch at least that I’m aware of. It’s all through the digital screen

 

[Bubba7827]

I don't have a screen. My bad.

 

[NickMcD63]

So would you think it would be the same just to tap into exisitng +/- on one of the courtesy lights without a problem?

 

[Bubba7827]

I used the piggy back blade connectors to put 2 positives and 2 negatives on the stock courtesey light switch. My tower LED is rope style and only had one pair of wires. The lights and switches all work. Not sure what I am risking by doing it that way. I also havent yet used the lights very much as the install was recent. I hope I wont have to deploy the fire extinguisher. Again.

You can probably use the same piggy backs at the connection to the existing light (instead of at the switch) and extend the circuit with your new lights as long as the connectors are the same blade type and fit.

My plan for the future is to swap that courtesy light switch for a nav/anchor type with a custom cover so I can turn on the stock courtesy lights alone and then add the tower LEDS as needed. But first, I want to make sure I like the lights.

 

[sastocky]

Photos?