# Wiring questions



## eastcoastjava (Apr 2, 2011)

Getting a set of hid away strobes for head and taillights as well as some thin led's for my back rack my question is how can I wire these in, specifically do I have to run it directly to the battery or is there something that I can run my strobe wires to and then run that to my battery. I really don't want to have 3 cables running directly to my battery. Also I want to have individual switches one for the hid aways and the other switch for my led's.

I suck at wiring, I usually had my buddy do it but he's deployed now. So I'm giving it a shot, please post anything or any equipment that would be useful. 

Thank you in advance.


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## myzx6 (Nov 17, 2013)

You can run to your fuse box, or battery. If you don't already have one, now would be a great time to add a second battery or just use a double fuse setup for running 2 amps then you have 1 going to battery and 2 feeds off of that, hell I bought mine at Wal-Mart in the audio section


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## blueline38 (Dec 22, 2007)

If you purchase a fused distribution block you can run one line to the battery and have the new block for a number of applications. I have a couple of these, http://www.delcity.net/store/ATC-&-ATO-6-Ganged-Fuse-Block/p_10960, which work good. You can usually find these at your local auto parts store; http://www.delcity.net/store/ATC-and-ATO-Fuse-Panel-without-Grounding-Pad/p_650091. Just make sure to fuse the line after the battery, in the engine compartment.


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## blueline38 (Dec 22, 2007)

*wiring*




























This is my added panel as an example but this is more intricate than you probably want or need. Just showing what's available.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

I have one 4ga cable ran to a 150 amp resettable beaker by battery. From there it runs behind back seat to fuse block with smaller fuses. From there I run work lights, air compressor, strobes, light bar, and more.


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

i run everything off the battery through relays. this way all the wiring inside the truck is low amperage.


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## eastcoastjava (Apr 2, 2011)

Thank you guys so far.

Ok so my next question were do I tap my switch into? Also do I have to use the flash pattern wire or can I just forget about that, i dont really care about changing flash patterns all that much.will I get the default if I don't wire it?


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## speedy1wrc (Feb 15, 2014)

Most lights with multiple patterns default to the last pattern selected. It should say in the instructions.


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## eastcoastjava (Apr 2, 2011)

So far I'm thinking about running all the strobe tubes to the power supply that came with the hide away kit. From there run the wires from the hide away power supply to a distribution block then to the battery. 

Still unsure though about how I would wire in my led's for my back rack. Could I some how connect it to the hide away power supply or should I go another route on wiring those in. 

The hide away kit is the one strobes N more makes it has 4 tubes and my led's are nova sd24 surface mounts.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Just pwr your LEDs to the power switch of the strobes


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## norfolk2way (Jan 31, 2014)

I would bring it to a professional shop if you don't know how to do it. I see too many trucks burn up because someone didn't know what they were doing


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## Triton2286 (Dec 29, 2011)

^^^ Agreed. If you can take it to an installer do that for now, save yourself the hassle and confusion and risk of wiring something wrong. Then you can learn from it for the future by seeing a pro install done.


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## eastcoastjava (Apr 2, 2011)

Bought the led's this morning at a truck equipment place locally, got them wired up in about an hour and a half. Thought I screwed up, but it was a stupid mistake straight up forgot to reconnect the negative cable. But for the most part it went smoothly.

As for paying some place to do it, the quotes I received were outrageous the lowest one came in at $350 for just the install.


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

eastcoastjava;1782525 said:


> Bought the led's this morning at a truck equipment place locally, got them wired up in about an hour and a half. Thought I screwed up, but it was a stupid mistake straight up forgot to reconnect the negative cable. But for the most part it went smoothly.
> 
> As for paying some place to do it, the quotes I received were outrageous the lowest one came in at $350 for just the install.


May sound outrageous to you, but someone could say the same thing about your plow pricing

Most shop installs are worth what you pay. They usually add some extra steps without telling you or charging you


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

PM sent........


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## Fourbycb (Feb 12, 2009)

I have found that Ridge Runners work great for such projects


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## Fourbycb (Feb 12, 2009)

http://www.powerwerx.com/


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## norfolk2way (Jan 31, 2014)

Fourbycb;1783224 said:


> http://www.powerwerx.com/


a lot of ham guys use those. big money for Anderson plug stuff but works great


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## eastcoastjava (Apr 2, 2011)

blueline38;1781603 said:


> If you purchase a fused distribution block you can run one line to the battery and have the new block for a number of applications. I have a couple of these, http://www.delcity.net/store/ATC-&-ATO-6-Ganged-Fuse-Block/p_10960, which work good. You can usually find these at your local auto parts store; http://www.delcity.net/store/ATC-and-ATO-Fuse-Panel-without-Grounding-Pad/p_650091. Just make sure to fuse the line after the battery, in the engine compartment.


Well I'm doing my hide aways today, I picked up a 6 way fuse block do I have to fuse it again between the fuse block and rocker switch or can I just run with the 15 amp fuse that's on the distribution block which hooks right up to the battery. My LEDs are going to be switched to the block, right now they are on a 5 amp inline fuse


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## blueline38 (Dec 22, 2007)

eastcoastjava;1783817 said:


> Well I'm doing my hide aways today, I picked up a 6 way fuse block do I have to fuse it again between the fuse block and rocker switch or can I just run with the 15 amp fuse that's on the distribution block which hooks right up to the battery. My LEDs are going to be switched to the block, right now they are on a 5 amp inline fuse


First, make sure you have a fuse between the block and the battery, under the hood.

Second, the answer is no. There is no need to fuse the circuit after the block.

However, depending on what you are running, 15amps is too high of a fuse. Led's don't draw that much and a strobe power supply has a power in and separate switch leads. The power in should be a separate line fused at the same level as the unit. The turn on leads need only a low level fuse.


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## eastcoastjava (Apr 2, 2011)

blueline38;1783961 said:


> First, make sure you have a fuse between the block and the battery, under the hood.
> 
> Second, the answer is no. There is no need to fuse the circuit after the block.
> 
> However, depending on what you are running, 15amps is too high of a fuse. Led's don't draw that much and a strobe power supply has a power in and separate switch leads. The power in should be a separate line fused at the same level as the unit. The turn on leads need only a low level fuse.


Yea my led's are running a 5 amp inline fuse right now right to the battery. I plan to just put a 5 amp in one of the open ports on the 6 way fuse block for the led's and then a 15 amp fuse in another open port on the same fuse block for the hide-a-way strobes so that then I only have one cable running to my battery. I haven't put the fuse block in and didn't get around to the strobes today

What type of fuse should I use between the 6 way fuse block and the battery? Inline if so what amperage? Could I use a 60 amp auto circuit breaker?

I'm trying to do this wiring job so that I won't have to worry about it at 2am mid storm and my lights fail. I had some fun doing the Led's and if anything goes wrong do the road I can most likely fix it instead of being screwed and having no lights.


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## eastcoastjava (Apr 2, 2011)

Not a 60 amp breaker.

http://shop.pkys.com/Blue-Sea-Syste...-285-Series-Circuit-Breaker-150-Amp_p_74.html
That's the one I'm looking at its 150 amp waterproof breaker


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

i use 40 amp circuit breakers, and relays. this way i can use 18 gauge wire to trigger the relays, and only use 1 amp fuses on the wire inside the truck. with the setup i use, there is no way i will ever have to worry about melting wires.


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## blueline38 (Dec 22, 2007)

eastcoastjava;1784347 said:


> Not a 60 amp breaker.
> 
> http://shop.pkys.com/Blue-Sea-Syste...-285-Series-Circuit-Breaker-150-Amp_p_74.html
> That's the one I'm looking at its 150 amp waterproof breaker


Check your fuse block you bought. It should have a rating and that is what you should fuse it at. If you over fuse it, you take the chance of melting the block before the breaker gives.


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