Now, the trick is to remember to turn the main battery switch off!
I'm good at turning everything on my boat off, but often forget the main
battery switch because I don't see it. I mounted it on the side of the
engine box, under the rear, lift off seat, to keep it close to the batteries
and to protect it from damage and water. (I've got a bowrider and one use is
for water sports.)
I hard wired a cable to the mount for my hand held GPS, to avoid using the
cigarette lighter plug. The cable has a monitor light to indicate when power
is applied but since it's under the instrument panel and out of site I don't
see it, and it continues to draw power unless the main battery switch is
off. So, I guess I should add a switch to the GPS circuit. It's powered all
the time so that it will operate regardless of ignition key position while
fishing and as an anchor watch.

"Jack Erbes" wrote in message
...
Gordon wrote:

Why does the above draw 5 ma when turned off? Had this sucker hooked up
direct to the batt and over several months, it drained the it.

Is it a DSC radio? Maybe it draws something to save the position data?

If nothing else you've learned that hooking anything direct to a battery
is not a good idea. For me, everything on a boat needs to be on a breaker
(with the possible exception of a bilge pump with a foolproof, zero draw,
switch).

If you're short on breakers you can usually isolate a group of low draw
accessories like the radio on one breaker that is large enough to handle
them all (each device with individual an in line fuse on it power lead of
course).

Do you have an mains switch on the battery? That should turn off
everything in the boat.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)