bertram31.com

I'm going to start this off with one of my mantra's - The enemy of good enough is better

and I struggle with it...........

Here's where I am at, I wanted to plan out my dash with 2 simrad GO9 spaced out evenly on sides leaving room to upgrade to 12" panels if I chose to do so somewhere down the line, Tach in the center and switches below the tach. A 2nd switch panel would go high up on port side of VHF panel holding 5 switches for lights
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FbkXeqro14TouKNu9

Before really thinking about this seriously, quite a while back I bought a blue seas 8 gang switch
https://pimages.solidsignal.com/4378_medlrg.jpg

So I started to plan out the dash and the switch panel is too tall and I might not be able to stack the switch panel + a tach vertically down the middle.

From there I started searching and found https://newwiremarine.com/ and they make some standard stock carling switch panels as well as custom panels. I think a setup of a 10 switch panel 2 rows x 5 switches under the tack and a 2nd panel up high with 5 switches would work and give me room to grow but am questioning what switches to put into this.

If I go with their printed Contura II switches it will run roughly $250 and the switches will light up when in use but are not back lit for night use. For roughtly $350-400 I can jump up to their etched Contura V ones in white backlight, and for 75$ more than the white backlight, I could get their red backlight switches.

All this screams overkill to me and the enemy of good enough is coming into play. I've never had backlight switches in the past, I've done plenty of night time fishing and it hasn't bothered me. I think it hasn't caused me issues due to a combination of overhead light and enough light coming from display screens and guages, lastly purely memorizing the location of the switches.

for those who have had backlight switches, does it add value? For those who haven't has it been a big deal for you and something you've wanted to change?

On the boat, in the dark, I typically start mashing the switches until I get the desired result. Chart plotter only takes a minute to reboot.

I’d get the backlit (etched) ones. You’ll forget you ever spent the $$ on them, but they’ll always be nice.

Only small concern is replacing them later if one breaks or to add a switch in a couple years. Seems to be a unique font style. Hopefully the company will still be around to make replacements.

I made some templates and went out after work to see how they would look
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cg2YLy2mPe8YZkpm7

center of dash is 2 rows x5 carling switches
upper vhf is 1 row of 6 and the fusion radio in the center, I didn't do a template of the vhf but that will go starboard side up high

Anytime I did a night trip I always carried a roll of gaffers tape in my go bag to put over lights, switches lite up and anything that glowed.
I didn't have to flip switches when running, so no need to lite them up.

I did blue backlit switches from new wire. Pay to have them wire the switches. Worth every penny. Makes for a super clean install.

My panel is from New Wire. Very pleased. Note that the panel is plastic, not metal. I did not opt for integrated fuses - this saved space on the helm. I also wired everything myself because I'm insane and I have all the right tools.

As an option, consider a cockpit light mounted to your top to illuminate the helm. I have Lumitec #114128

In the past I had 2 small LED lights on the bottom of the radio box over my center console, it was easy enough to turn it on quickly see what I needed and turn it off. I found a hella led light strip https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=3711643 which can either be white or red and was going to mount it underneath the VHF panel on a flat area I created for this purpose. https://photos.app.goo.gl/wnB1ojjD8knnupFz9 The only item I came across as wanting lit up at night is my compass as there is a place to put a light in it but the light was long gone before I got it.

I am leaning to no back-lights as I have never ran into the issue of needing to cover up lights as Bruce has, but I have struggled with getting GPS/Radar/Fishfinder displays turned down enough to not mess with my night vision. Thinking down that path I also never have had a windshield in front of me either so I need to be cognizant of any light source which could bounce off the windshield or side glass windows and blind me

Most of my fishing trips start with being on the water well before first light along with needing to run considerable distances dodging lobster pots to get to fishing spots so preserving my night vision has to be a priority.

My switches are the etched, backlit style. Light up when the NAV light is on. They are not super bright, just bright enough to see what the switch is. Convenient. It would be easy enough to install a switch in the LED feed to control the lights.

After looking at the pics that Cam posted in his thank you post and finding more online of what they look like at night I ordered up the plain white back-lit switches.

Prizes showed up today, I'll have to think about the positions of all the switches before I start making up wires.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Vy1fkjF93DgG8tTz6