77' 16ft Starcraftt ss

[Watermann]

What gauge wire supplies the pos bus bar from the battery? You have a bottle neck of amps somewhere.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

I didnt end up running a pos bus bar because the ones I bought saind grounding bars. So I ran the two side lights into one wire from the front to the back switch. and the same for the to front lights. The wire is 14 guage. I also added and inline 20 amp fuse right near each light before they tied into one 14 guage line. green circles are the fuses.

also, granted I am not using the best battery and clips at the moment. But the difference was night and day. So I am thinking i have to fix something here. thanks for the help!

 

[GA_Boater]

If you have one, put a meter on the battery when just the front spots are on and flip on the running lights. See if the voltage drops. Or put a charger on the battery to see if the light change, The battery might need a charge.

 

[Watermann]

I say lets bump this lighting project up a notch!

 

[Grandad]

What you're experiencing when one light affects the brilliance of the other is "voltage drop". Even when wires are technically large enough to carry the current that your lights are using, the resistance of those wires contributes to the total voltage drop of the circuit. The weak link in the system you've drawn is that you only ran one negative for circuits that have individually supplied positive wires. Just for giggles, after your battery is fully charged, while the lights are on, try adding a second negative wire to show what effect this could be having. Also, as a battery ages, its internal resistance also rises, adding internal voltage drop and affecting performance even when fully charged. - Grandad

 

[g0nef1sshn]

What you're experiencing when one light affects the brilliance of the other is "voltage drop". Even when wires are technically large enough to carry the current that your lights are using, the resistance of those wires contributes to the total voltage drop of the circuit. The weak link in the system you've drawn is that you only ran one negative for circuits that have individually supplied positive wires. Just for giggles, after your battery is fully charged, while the lights are on, try adding a second negative wire to show what effect this could be having. Also, as a battery ages, its internal resistance also rises, adding internal voltage drop and affecting performance even when fully charged. - Grandad

I appreciate the input grandad, Are you saying run an additional neg wire from rear bus to front bus? Or neg bat to front bus where I have all the 4 led's grounded?

 

[Grandad]

Whichever runs are the longest will have the most resistance and will be most benefited from a second parallel run wire. I suggest experimenting with a loose wire joined at each terminal point while the lights are on, just to see the benefit. Usually, large wire such as a #10 AWG wire is used from the battery to the distribution block for both the negative and positive portions of the circuit. Remember that negative wires contribute just as much to voltage drop as the positive wires. - Grandad

 

[g0nef1sshn]

No volt meter on hand yet. But ran 2nd ground from bus to bus. Now instead of dimming, one led light shuts off out of two instead of dimming only when running light flipped on/off. Troubleshooting is in the future. Gotta check battery on charger and get voltmeter.

one thing I did notice though is that the leds stayed brighter when switching from two to four with no running lights going.

I think I will also try and get larger ground wire to run like mentioned.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

From what I have read I didnt think I would need a relay, but do you think putting relays in would help this?

Should I start a thread in the electrical forum for these questions?

 

[Grandad]

From what I have read I didnt think I would need a relay, but do you think putting relays in would help this?

Should I start a thread in the electrical forum for these questions?

A relay is required only when the switch used to control the load is not rated to carry that much load. Add up the current to whatever is being switched and compare that to the switch's rating. I wouldn't start another thread. Rebuilds wander through all aspects, even to trailers and tow vehicles. - Grandad

 

[GA_Boater]

You shouldn't need a relay. I calculate 3 amps for 2 lights as the max.

Watts/voltage = Amps or 18/12 = 1.5 per light or 3 amps per pair.

So the two switches need to handle 3 amps each.

Have you recharged the battery? Try connecting the battery charger and see if the makes a difference when flipping lights on and off. I think you may have low housepower from a low battery.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

May have found one issue. My bow light has only black and white wire. I crossed them. Pit balck to pos and white to ground?

Thats not right i dont think. Cant get to it later in the week to test it out i think.

 

[GA_Boater]

The light socket should be isolated from ground, but who knows if it is?

If the wires are crossed and the socket isn't isolated, you wouldn't know until a motor is hung on the back and the fuse blows every time the battery is hooked up.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Well just did the swap blck to neg and white to pos and same thing.

Run lights never dim or change. Only the leds. Cant wait to get this figured out though and post what works. Need to pick up a multimeter but work and sick kids keeps my time occupied most days in the week.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Kinda fun having something new to learn and trouble shoot though i must say. I have a few more things to try and do better that could make it work. Connectors to grounding bars and sruff like that. They are tight and snug but who knows.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

The light socket should be isolated from ground, but who knows if it is?

If the wires are crossed and the socket isn't isolated, you wouldn't know until a motor is hung on the back and the fuse blows every time the battery is hooked up.

Running lights are on a 5 amp breaker. Leds i moved 2 each to a switch on 10 amp breaker and have a 20 inline fuse i need to reduce i think to a 10 -15 fuse. Also want to up the gound wires to 10 guage maybe.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

The battery read fully charged when i tried charging it. But it is an older one. Have to rule that out also.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Just tried fron and rear running ligh on different/seperate switches and same thing. Not sure what more i can try for tonight.

More to follow.....

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Ok, pretty sure my issues are like grandad said. I tightened some things up on the grounding end and its back to only dimming, not losing a light. Plus it looks like running lights got brighter. Gotta play more another day.

 

[GA_Boater]

Hey g0ne - Open up the spot lights and make sure all the connections are good inside. Ya never know if an assembler was having a bad hair day!