Short

[spes]

Hello,
I'm setting up a new to me boat.
One of the first things I did was replace the fuse block with a Blue Sea Screw Terminal Blade Fuse Block.
I didn't track down each wire I just switched everything over.
THEN, I newly installed my VHF on it's own run directly to the fuse block.

When I installed my battery I noticed I was getting an arc/spark when I connected my+ cable. So, I disconnected the cable and started removing a fuse, one at a time to see which one was doing it.
It appears the VHF is doing it. I don't understand how it could be. It has a 3 amp in-line fuse at the radio, and a 10amp at the fuse block. Nothing else is connected to that wire or terminal.

 

[Zum]

Is something turned on(powered up),prior to you hooking your + cable up?
If you had a short,you would be blowing fuses.

 

[spes]

Ok, "short" was the wrong choice of words.
"Draw" would be more like it.
The radio is off. But when I hook up my power cables to my battery I get a small arc.
When I remove the fuse to the radio and hook up to the main cable to the house battery there is no arc.
If I have to I will put the radio on a switch. I just don't know why it would be drawing if it's off.

 

[TheMaestro]

Does your VHF have a memory function? Or a clock on it? Those would draw power, like a car radio does even when the ignition is off. Just a guess!

 

[spes]

I don't think so.
It does have an NMEA connection to my charplotter.
The chartplotter is removed from it's base when the boat is out of the water.
That breaks the connection there.

Bottom line I have to get an On/Off switch by the battery!

 

[sawmill]

Did you run the wires or were they in the boat already?

 

[spes]

The vhf is a home run I ran.
I will put a on/off switch on the radio and a on /off switch at the battery.