Steven Dullum
Steven owns Sparky's Marine Tech in Newport Beach, California, where he wires, rewires and troubleshoots boat electrical systems every week — from helm switch panels, battery banks and shore power to outboard starting circuits and marine electronics.
Articles by Steven Dullum
Boat Won't Start or Crank: Starter Solenoid, Ignition Switch and Wiring Diagnosis
What the click (or silence) tells you, how to voltage-drop test the cranking circuit, and how to test the solenoid, interlock and ignition switch before buying parts.
Marine Wire Gauge Chart: Wire Size, Voltage Drop and Fuse Size for Boat Wiring
Ampacity and 3% / 10% voltage-drop charts for 12V circuits, how to read them for any run, and how to pick the fuse that protects the wire.
Boat Switch Panel Wiring Diagram: How to Wire, Fuse and Troubleshoot a Switch Panel
The wiring diagram nearly every center console uses, which rocker terminal takes which wire, how to size the feed and fuses, and how to troubleshoot a dead circuit.
Marine Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping: DC (12V & 24V) and Shore Power (AC 120V / 240V) Causes and Fixes
Read the timing of the trip to find the cause — shorts, overloads, corroded terminals, worn breakers, or a shore power ground fault tripping the new 30 mA pedestals.
Dual Battery Setup for a Boat: Switch Positions, ACR vs Isolator, and Fixing a Battery That Dies Overnight
Which switch position to use, when an ACR beats a diode isolator, and how to track down the load that flattens a battery overnight.
