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Old 09-14-2008, 09:10 PM
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H2Finally H2Finally is offline
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Default Re: help please - wiring my 6 offroad lights on Gobi rack

dna, I'm not familiar with your lights' exact wiring, but in general, while the lights should be directly wired to battery (fused appropriately), the switch itself should control the lights only through relays, because:

1) to protect the switch, which is usually meant to handle only the small current to turn on/off the relay (which in turn turn on/off the lights), and not the big current draw of the lights directly.

2) to control power AVAILABILITY to the switch (and hence, to the lights) -- to be available all-the-time (power direct from battery), ignition-on-only (power from a fuse/circuit that's hot only with ignition on), or RAP (like the way the radio power works). This way you could not accidentally flip the switch during the day (& not notice the lights on), only to come back at night to a dead car battery.

3) to prevent wiring from becoming hot (dangerous!), because 6 off-road lights would draw a LOT of current. So, ideally each pair of lights should have it's own 10 or 12 gauge wiring, connected to its own relay. All the relays (and hence all the lights) could then be triggered from a single switch inside the cabin. Adequate wiring is also said to improve brightness of the bulbs.

Hope this helps.
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Last edited by H2Finally : 09-14-2008 at 09:13 PM.
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