[Pegu club]

So, last season we installed a new mast light, connected up the wires to the new light, done I'm thinking... Mast gets stepped, and the light of course does not light. We are thinking in might be that in my infinite wisdom I forgot to clean the very old wires before connecting to the new light.
So I want to connect a 12 volt motor scooter battery to the plug ends of the mast wire to see if juice is getting to the light, after I clean the years of use off the wires at the light end and reconnect them to the light.
The question is, can I just attach wires to the battery terminals and touch/connect then to the plug end of the mast wire without finding out that I did something not so smart?
Any advice would be much appreciated, and the admiral will then think I know what I'm doing

Again thanks for any insight.
Happy thanksgiving to all of you here.

 

[Gladrags1]

Yes, as long as it is a 12 volt battery it will be fine.

 

[Cap-Couillon]

Afore you head up the stick, I might put a voltmeter on the "boat" side of the wiring harness plug, and make sure you have a nominal 12V with the switch on. Next use the meter to check for continuity on the "mast" side. If it is an incandescent bulb, it will show a few ohms, but anything except "open" should work. If it is an LED fixture, and you got the connections reversed, it won't light. Most have reverse current protection (most).

Something to check before going aloft.

 

[Pegu club]

The mast is presently unstepped, and on the mast rack at the marina, I should have said as much in the op. Thank you for your advice.

 

[Pegu club]

Yes, as long as it is a 12 volt battery it will be fine.

Thank you, it is a 12 volt battery, so I will give it a go.

 

[socal c25]

Thank you, it is a 12 volt battery, so I will give it a go.

I would add a 10 amp inline fuse, if there is a short it won't melt the wires in the mast.

 

[Pegu club]

Yes, as long as it is a 12 volt battery it will be fine.

Thanks again, worked out as I hoped it would.
Turns out that when the mast was stepped one of the wires got pinched/cut when the mast was put in place, spliced the wire back together, and all is well.

 

[Rockter]

I have got a masthead light. I never liked them.... hard to reach, hard to align, and you have got to drop the mast when they go wrong. Oh, and the sun embrittles the lenses until they shatter.
I have learned to rely on my deck-level lights.
.

 

[mitiempo]

You need a masthead light if under power.

And you do not have to drop the mast - climb it.