Dual Helm Ignition question

[Dante D]

Ok, as some of you already know, I have been bombarding this forum with questions regarding my F28, and must add it has been very helpfull, and special thanks to prowler, who has really helped my out on my last posting, here is another question. My boat has two helms, how should the ignition work on this, as its a little confusing to me, The upper helm comes complete with ignition keys etc, very conventional setup. My lower helm is a little confusing as such. there are two toggle switches per engine control. One rocks up and will crank the engine, and when rocked down will shut off the engine, but when this toggles is in the down position I cant turn the ignition on from the upper helm. Then there is another toggle at the lower helm next to the one I just mentioned, which is doing nothing. Im assuming this is the toggle that shuold turn the ignition on from the lower helm . Right now what I have to do is turn the keys on up top, and everything works fine up there, when I go below everything works as well, and you can shut the engines down from there but you still have to go up top at the end to do the final key shut down? In other words, I cant turn the ignition on or off from my lower helm, I have to go up top to do that, is this a normal thing? or should I be able to shut the ignition on or off from either station,,, hoping this makes sense,,
is this normal?

[Diverted Income]

I do not have key ignition switches in either location. Both of my helms have a toggle switch for each engine. They are 3 position spring return on one position (OFF- maintained, ON - maintained, START- momentary) . I can start from either independently however if you start from one helm you cannot shut off from the opposite helm as the other helm has the ignition turned on. The way I deal with that is always start from the fly bridge. I figure I can kill the engines from the fly bridge or if I go to the lower station I can always kill them from the panel if need be. Have thought about an E-Stop at the upper and lower helm in series with the ignition mains but that is as far as I have gotten on that!

[ready123]

Two toggles per engine, is one red?
The toggles at the lower helm should have a central position or more correctly the down position is spring loaded so after killing the engine it returns to the central neutral position. Whichever station you use to start the engine is where you need to shut it down.... why I rarely use the lower helm for starting. I don't need to do anything at one helm to effect action at the other.
I.E. I can start/stop at upper using keys....
I can start/stop at lower using toggles while keys are off at upper.

Maybe your PO replaced the sprung style toggles?

The red button on my dash is for the battery crossover solenoid....... combining port & starboard batteries in an emergency start situation.

[prowlersfish]

My set up works just like Diverted Income switches



Michael (Ready) my helm looks just like yours but my switches are only spring loaded to start , switch is off-on-start . A monetary off (spring loaded ) Sounds like a diesel set up that uses a shut down solenoid . Any chance your thinking about the trawler ?

Dante something sounds off do you have a photo of the switch set up ?

[captainmaniac]

I have toggles both at the lower and upper stations. Off, Run, and spring loaded Start. As others have said, whichever station I used to start the engines I have to use to shut them down. Also... whatever station you started them from, you need to re-start them from in the event of a stall... so you should generally start them from the station you intend to operate from unless you want to be scrambling up or down a ladder if one quits on you.

The other toggle (port side), as Michael says, should be the paralleling crossover switch.

[ready123]

My set up works just like Diverted Income switches

Michael (Ready) my helm looks just like yours but my switches are only spring loaded to start , switch is off-on-start . A monetary off (spring loaded ) Sounds like a diesel set up that uses a shut down solenoid . Any chance your thinking about the trawler ?

Dante something sounds off do you have a photo of the switch set up ?

My diesel has buttons to hold for start and shutdown red and green.... Under wheel from center out is key (empty), Green button start, red button stop, then red light for run



I may just have had memory issues, or it's the cold up here in TO (I'm not in FL this winter) Yes, black toggle rubber covered is spring loaded up for start, red toggle is press down for stop and red button for crossover I think that's right....
Keys on bridge are like regular ignition/start... turn on then spring turn to start.

[prowlersfish]

Bet you were getting spoiled be south for the winters .

[Dante D]

OK thought my lower helm had two toggles per engine, but apparently only one per engine. The other toggle next to the engine start/stop is for something else. So I guess its ok, but one thing I noticed. It works much like everyone described here, however if I start my engines from my lower station , and then go up top, and lets say one engine stalls, I can restart from up top, I dont have to go below to re start it, which is a good thing,,Captainmaniac, I think you will find if you leave your upper helm in the "ignition on" position, and then start from your lower helm, you will be able to restart any engine from either location. and when you shut down from the lower you dont have to return the upper helm key to off, as it is dead until you restart again.

[prowlersfish]

But if you start from below you can't shut it off up top . Not good in a emergency . Always start it at the helm your going to use .

[DAVIDLOFLAND]

OK thought my lower helm had two toggles per engine, but apparently only one per engine. The other toggle next to the engine start/stop is for something else. So I guess its ok, but one thing I noticed. It works much like everyone described here, however if I start my engines from my lower station , and then go up top, and lets say one engine stalls, I can restart from up top, I dont have to go below to re start it, which is a good thing,,Captainmaniac, I think you will find if you leave your upper helm in the "ignition on" position, and then start from your lower helm, you will be able to restart any engine from either location. and when you shut down from the lower you dont have to return the upper helm key to off, as it is dead until you restart again.

Mine had 2 white toggles for Off - On - Start (Momentary), plus two red toggles, one was emergency start (battery combine, and the other is the horn switch.

[larryeddington]

I have two f28s one is a parts boat and the other operational and here is what my observation and understanding is regarding exactly what you are asking about. My parts boat (77) came with keyed ignition switches on the fly bridge and a rotating lever type switch in the salon. My operational f28 has toggles both fly bridge and in salon. Now in my opinion the keyed topside was for security so that if you had the keys out and the bottom master switches on, no one could start from the top set. That said on the newer one it can be started on either as long as the master switches are on. Normally if you are not aboard the boat the salon area, and its master switches, would be under lock and key leaving the boat reasonably safe from unauthorized use. Apparently they made the change 77 to 78.

Oh yes the toggles I am speaking of are definitely not the red crossover switches but pure ignition which are off-on-momentary

[Lou]

Donte - I have a wire diagram for trojan fly bridge boats. It may be useful to see where wires come from and go to. Inbox me your email address and I'll forward it to you!

[prowlersfish]

Just remember the wiring can change from model to model and thru the years .

[DAVIDLOFLAND]

Just remember the wiring can change from model to model and thru the years .

That's a fact. Mine's changed a couple of time since I've owned her.

[larryeddington]

Just remember the wiring can change from model to model and thru the years .

I have wiring diagrams for 77 and 78 F28s, they appear to be the same.