# Big Foot Switch Wiring



## Big Buck

I am installing a big foot switch on my boat. I have installed my own plug on my front deck. My question is, do I plug the positive and negative from the motor to the plug and then the ground from the plug to the switch and then the other wire from the switch to the battery? Or, do I run the negative from the motor to the switch the one of the wires from the switch to the plug and then the wire from the back of the plug to the battery? I have attached a picture that i drew of the first one that i have talked about. This is the way that I would prefer. Do you think it will work.

Thanks in advance.

By plug I am talking about this.

https://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/...1_23099_225001006_225000000_225001000_225-1-6

and the big foot switch is this

https://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/...1_16071_225001006_225000000_225001000_225-1-6


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## russ010

the way that you want to do it will work... it doesn't matter where you put that switch - all it does is break the ground.

I've actually got 1 big foot running 2 trolling motors that are in the rear of the boat...


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## redbug

I would go with what ever give your project the best look.
if you install the switch before the plug you will have wires laying on the deck
if you choose to go between the plug and battery you can hide the wires below deck
just bringing them out to make the connection


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## Big Buck

Thanks guys, thats what I thought. I will go with what I have drawn, it will be so much easier to take the motor off as well.

Thanks Again.


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## warren126

Russ do have a pic are a diagram of your setup Im trying to do the same thing but dont know anything about electrical thanks


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## russ010

I don't have a pic, and if I wasn't in a hurry to meet my wife, I would draw a diagram... I'll be back tomorrow night to explain it. Sorry I'm in a hurry!


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## russ010

Sorry I couldn't do this before... this is wiring 2 batteries in parallel (12 volt) and running 2 trolling motors off of 1 big foot switch.

I used large wing nuts to put the wires together, with A LOT of electrical tape on the outside of the nut and down the wire. 







Let me know if you need anything else... this is all there is to it though


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## Brine

Russ,

Are you still using this setup? I'm wanting to run one bigfoot to my two transom motors.

What would be the cleanest way to make the connections? What AWG wire are you using at your connections?


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## bassboy1

The problem I see with those drawings is the big foot switch is the weakest link. You have 2 motors, each of which probably needs 6 gauge wire for the run being used, and you are bottlenecking both through one 10 gauge lead (the switch). 

Hence why I usually use the relays. The control current is very small, so 16 gauge is usually adequate to run bow to stern, it eliminates buying a good bit of large (expensive) wire, and eliminates the voltage drop caused by running the current through the flimsy switches. These days, most everything with sizable amp draw is controlled by relays (outboard tilt/trim pumps, starter motors, and so on). 

Furthermore, one Big Foot switch can control multiple relays, allowing one to run multiple trolling motors off one switch.


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## rusty.hook

The way I have always connected mine is to cut the black wire in half and connect one end of the switch to one end of that black wire and to connect the other end of the black wire to the other end of the black wire from the switch. You have a red wire that is postive, and the black wire is black, your just breaking the closed circuit thats all with the switch.
see pic below.


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