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spotties

For all things Electrical.

Moderator: -Scott-

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Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 4:06 pm
Location: Brisbane

spotties

Post by The unit1 »

just wondering if i ran the right size cable or not.

i used 4mm cable to hook up 4 x 100w spotties, wondering if is sufficent enough. any help would help ease my curious mind

cheers
Posts: 3739
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 10:10 pm

Post by mickyd555 »

sounds like it should be ok, but if they all run through one contact on the relay it might wear the contacts faster...........

if the relay has two N/C contacts maybe split it up just incase.
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2004 10:57 am
Location: melbourne

Post by bradley »

4mm cable is only good for 15 amp, so its marginal for 2 lights, you will be getting voltage drop and resistance from heat in the cable if you are running all 4 off the one circuit and one relay.

Insufficient wiring is a good way to kill lights quicker, as well as not getting the best performance from them.

I have found the best way is to run a 10 amp feed and return to each light, narva make a real nice twin core with sheath cable for lights etc. in 10 and 15 amp etc. Run a large guage cable with fuse from the batt + to a relay with dual output terminals , from there run the 10 amp cable to the light and return the earth direct to the battery - . I have done them this way for the last 10 years or so, and all the lights i fitted in the workshop were done this way, no dramas at all with any of them. The wiring that comes with spotties is only just marginal and not worth using.

My 4 narva 170s on the jackaroo use an 8 guage feed from the batt to a dual 30 amp fusible link box, then 2 30 amp dual terminal relays running a 10 amp feed and return to each light back to the battery. No voltage drop there, and they are a lot brighter than people would think.

i added a pic where you can see the fuse box, relays and wire feeds off the batt, with the 4 earth returns coming back up on the left to the batt.

cheers Brad
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Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 5:37 pm
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Post by bj42turbo »

I agree with Brad on this one, better thicker wiring makes a huge difference, I upgraded the OEM wiring on my stanard headlights c/w relays I was amazed at the difference

Dazz
Posts: 367
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:45 am
Location: Tasmania

Post by Tas_Dean »

If your wiring is individual to each light (see my dodgy paint job below) then it's probably ok. If you are looping to each light, then I'd say that it is not good enough wiring.

Image
Just a web wheeler now!
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Post by scotto »

bj42turbo wrote:I agree with Brad on this one, better thicker wiring makes a huge difference, I upgraded the OEM wiring on my stanard headlights c/w relays I was amazed at the difference

Dazz


Where'd ya get that?

I used to draw everything out of one relay and thinner wires...
I run my spotties of individual relays and real thick cable.
They work much better now, overkill? Maybe.
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Posts: 3073
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 5:37 pm
Location: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Post by bj42turbo »

scotto wrote:
bj42turbo wrote:I agree with Brad on this one, better thicker wiring makes a huge difference, I upgraded the OEM wiring on my stanard headlights c/w relays I was amazed at the difference

Dazz


Where'd ya get that?



ih8mud tech ;)
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