Mystery helm panel buttons

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crpdx

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Jul 13, 2024
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Anyone with an OA 42 sedan of late 80s vintage know what the little unmarked black buttons on the helm gauge panel do?
I'm redesigning my helm panel to accommodate a chartplotter and trying to figure out what to label these (or even if they're useful to keep). Buddy at the marina who has the same boat had no idea either. Nothing in the manual about them. Perhaps it cancels the alarm buzzer? I have Detroit Diesel 8.2Ls and there are already separately marked STOP buttons. Mystery button is circled in red in the attached pic (there's a matching one for the starboard side). Thanks!
 

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It looks like the button that says I'm popped, investigate and fix the problem then reset of a cheap circuit breaker to me. Removal of the panel will allow you to find out.
 
Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Time to get intimate with your mistress. Yep. Remove panel and trace wires.
 
Thanks all. Definitely wired somewhere on the backside. Looks like I'll be digging through the spaghetti with my multimeter unless someone sees this who might know offhand.
 
Looks like a switch that the PO wired to turn a mystery device on or off. I would put a warning label on it that says "Don't press this button!" and see how many guests press it.

Here is an example of a toggle switch and a lighted led momentary button switch I installed between my fuel gauges. I know what they are but no one else would. I should lable them but ... maybe someday.

The toggle is a on/off/on switch to control my fuel transfer pump to pump fuel either to the port tank or starboard tank. The little red button turns on a timer that control a solenoid which then powers the toggle switch. I have been known to forget about the fuel transfer pump in the past. This avoids that and will transfer about 11 gallons per cycle.

Anyway, lots of reasons for mystery buttons on boats. I still have a relay I have yet to figure out on my boat after 8 years.
 

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I have a rocker switch on my helm labeled, simply enough, trim tabs. When we did the sea trial years ago I played with the switch to see if the tabs had any effect. Couldn't feel anything so I figured maybe they didn't work. Turns out Mainship included that switch on every helm on this model, but the tabs were optional. When we pulled the boat, no tabs, no wiring, and no evidence tabs had ever been installed. Extra switch.
 
I would put a warning label on it that says "Don't press this button!" and see how many guests press it
Click to expand...

Funny. that reminds me of the big red "Eruption" button at the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center. Probably most pressed button in Washington State.

I'm actually reasonably sure this is an OEM button as my friend in the slip next to me who has an OA42 sedan one year later has the very same mystery buttons too. What are the odds of two separate identical PO hacks. Anyways, I'll maybe label it "Fire Depth Charge" and call it good. :)
 
Tag it as self destruct timer
 
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