ballast placement/distribution block question

[panda24619]

ballast placement

i got 2 more kc 100 watt lights and will get 4 more later on. then i want to convert them to hids. the 2 in the grill ill just put some where in the grill. but the 6 i want on the roof rack idk where to put the ballasts. it'll look tacky with them just laying there. should i make a box or something like that to put them in that lays right behind the rack? idk. whats everyones opinions on where to put them?

 

[WHOISMOOTOO]

You building a spaceship? Lol i'd do as you said and fab up metal box of some sort to house them and use rubber grommets so rust wont be an option since you like to play in the mud

taking a deeper look, have you thought about how your going to run a relay to the battery? And also controls for the lights?

 

[panda24619]

from what i keep reading and seeing. i can buy h3 bulbs and ballasts and cut off all the useless junk. like all the other plugs that go with them. and just use positive and negative wires. im trying to follow this.
http://www.thenewx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=25215
and this
http://www.f150online.com/forums/ot...-pro-comp-off-road-lights-hid-conversion.html
idk how im going to do this yet. i think a metal box with a power distrbution block would be better. have 1 wire running up the side for power. but who knows. the lights i picked up dont have a relay. http://www.kchilites.com/lights/daylighter/daylighter-100-watt-long-range-black/
while the ones in my grill do.
http://www.kchilites.com/lights/daylighter/daylighter-130-watt-long-range-chrome/
those are a more pain in the ass but i think wiring those would be easier. i could always buy the relay wiring kit and then make a metal box and put a distribution block in it. who knows. i need ideas.

o and yes i want a space ship! something that can been seen from space as a world wonder like the great pyramids and great wall of china. haha naw i just like the look of lights on trucks and i like to see at night. i have a hard time at night. i think its cause of my contacts but idk. i wish it was legal to drive with my kcs on all the time they help a lot! but o well.

 

[WHOISMOOTOO]

THAT FIRST LINK IS PRETTY STARIGHT FORWARD BUT NOT ALOT OF THOUGHT PUT INTO THE WIRING. THE LIGHT SET UP IS A GOOD ONE AND YOUR ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH THE DISTRIBUTION BLOCK. THE F150 DUDE WAS ON POINT ALL THAT RUBBER SHIT IS THERE TO KEEP WATER OUT! HOT GLUE GUN KEEPS A PRETTY GOOD SEAL ON THEM, BUT HE NEVER REALLY GOES INTO THE WIRING TO THE BATTERY RELAYS ON THE SECOND LINK WILL WORK WITH SOME MODIFICATION TO THE BULB CONNECTOR (IF YOU DO THE DISTRIBUTION BLOCK) JUST AS EASY IF YOU GOT THE LIGHTS YOU WANTED AND RELAYS SEPERATE (AROUND $25/EA RELAY)

TIME TO GET ALL NERDY...FEEL FREE TO SHOOT ME AFTER THIS LOL

WATTAGE / VOLTS = AMPERAGE (PER BULB)

IM ASSUMING YOU WANT 55W (SPACESHIP COMMENT) x6 HERES THE MATH

55W/12V=4.58 AMPS X 6 BULBS = 27.5 AMPS AT START UP

I'D RUN 12 AWG WIRE (44 AMP CAPABLE) FROM THE BATTERY TO A DISTRIBUTION BLOCK THEN MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD CHASSIS GROUND RAN WITH 12G WIRE TO THE DISTRIBUTION BLOCK (PLACED IN THE FABBED UP BOX) ---- FYI----14G IS GOOD TO 28 AMPS BUT WHY NOT GO TO 12G FOR THE ADDED CAPACITY(ROOM TO EXPAND LATER). ONCE THAT IS COMPLETE HOOK UP 3 RELAY KITS FROM THE DISTRIBUTION BLOCK WHICH WILL SEND POWER TO ALL 6 BALLASTS.

THE REASON FOR THE RELAYS IS BECAUSE THEY CAN CONTROL 2 BALLASTS (PER RELAY KIT) AND AFFORDS YOU THE ABILITY TO TURN ALL 6 OF THEM ON AND OFF AT THE SAME TIME USING YOUR CURRENT TOGGLE SWITCH WHICH WILL BE THE POSITIVE INTO THE STOCK INPUT ON THE RELAYS. AT THIS POINT WHEN YOU FLIP ON THE TOGGLE SWITCH IT SENDS POWER TO THE RELAY WHICH PULLS BATTERY POWER THRU THE RELAY AND KICKS ON ALL 6 BALLASTS WITHOUT A FLICKER (PLEASE USE DIGITAL BALLASTS IF YOU DONT THEN YOU SHOULDNT OWN A VACUM JUST SWEEP YOUR CARPETS...LOL) ROSWELL NM HERE YOU COME

IF YOU NEED ME TO EXAPLAIN FURTHER LET ME KNOW, I CAN HOOK YOU UP WITH SOME AN EXAPMLE WIRING DIAGRAM

 

[tallsville]

hey panda have you tried offroad lights with internal ballasts?

http://www.fasthid.com/HID_Off_Road_Lights_s/4.htm

http://www.sidebysidesports.com/7hidoflica.html

http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/electrical/154_0905_budget_hid_offroad_lights/index.html

 

[panda24619]

yeah ive read some where maybe from you that you need a digital ballast. i can get ballasts from ebay or off a guy on f150 forum maybe. ill have to see. but anywho. thanks for the input. but i want to control two lights per switch. or could 1 switch control all of the lights? i understand the wiring of it all. i have some old 10 gauge wire from my amp wiring laying around. i could just use that. since its not being used after my fuse melted its holder. maybe ill get actual 12 gauge wire so its black and dosent say rockford fosgate on the side. haha and the 2nd link is for procomp lights but i was following the same thing with how its wired. and then ill go driving to go see racenut since hes in NM. haha


and talls yeah ive thought about actual hid off road lights but look at the price. $100+ for one light. i got my kc lights for $50 in the box and i can get a hid kit for about $50? so $100 i got 2 hid lights. haha and i like DIY projects! keeps me busy when not in school since i only have 2 classes at night this semester.

 

[WHOISMOOTOO]

Its better to do one toggle per 2 lights it will simplify wiring up the relays.

Im not too deep into the off-roading game i didnt know there was digital ballasts built into lights thats very very convienent, if you run those there would be no need to fab up a box to house 6 ballasts

 

[panda24619]

yeah there is hid lights. but for the price im better off saving $100 and making my own. it is less complicated but i think i will keep the halogens for now and then convert them to hid later on. i have to save my money for when i move for school later. getting 11 mpg isnt very much. haha

 

[panda24619]

so what gauge wire would i need...
im going to wire up 6 kcs with out the hid conversion for now. and i want to make it simple and put a distrubtion block up top. make it easier for me. haha so what gauge wire would i need. i did the math. 600 watts / 12 volts = 50 amp. would 10 gauge be big enough or should i go to 8?

http://www.rbeelectronics.com/wtable.htm

is that correct? it says 10 gauge should be enough. then when i do the hid conversions i will defiantly be okay.

im making this wiring more complicated then i need to. to do hid i need to do the distrubtion block up top. for these right now i can do it next to the switches. so this will work. ill buy everything i need and ill do a write up.

 

[panda24619]

distribution block

i cant seem to find one with out it being for car audio. dose any one know of a good one either or on the internet or if they of a store where its at. orielys/kragen didnt have one. i was just there 30 mins ago.

 

[ELVATO]

Where are you mounting it? Does it need to be waterproof? How are you going to wire it?

I was going to reply to your other thread, but I wouldn't use 10 gauge wire to "feed" the distribution block. I'd go for at least 8 guage, depending on how long the wire will be. You can't have too much. When calculating, you want to take a safety factor into account. Don't rememeber what people usually do, 20% of the load? If you do 20%, that brings you to 720W.

Also, I think the 55W is for continous use, not the peak value (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Bulbs (HIDs as well) pull more at startup, then stablize out. You'll want to take that into account as well.

 

[panda24619]

for now no not water proff. the way my light hook up is the power goes threw a fuse to the switch then to the lights. the switch is grounded and the lights as well. so the shorter the wire to the block the more wire i have to reach the lights up top. since KC only gave me a limit amount of wire i figured cant go wrong with a block the goes under my center console. here.
http://www.kchilites.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/6301-Harness.pdf
i figured since the wire to the block isnt going to be on the roof for now that a 10 gauge would be enough. if not ill go bigger. not a big deal. and then maybe 8 up to the roof when i do hid.

 

[ELVATO]

Not expedition forum, but interesting info: http://www.thenewx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=25718

Are you going to put everything on one switch, or wire the lights in groups (or 2 or 3). Either way, you'll probably need relays, a larger one if only doing one switch.

 

[panda24619]

actually not with this kit. my front 130 watts need a relay cause thats what it says. and these dont. its weird.
http://www.kchilites.com/lights/daylighter/
some need relays and some dont. the ones im going to put on top dont need a relay. and im doing 2 lights per switch like the instrustions say. so 8 lights total 4 switches.

and thats the guy i was looking at to switch my kcs to hids. thats the block i was looking for too. thanks. this is like a 2 stage light thing. 1st stage wire up the kcs as normal. then 2nd stage wire them as hids.

walla!
http://bluesea.com/category/9/35/productline/186
thats what ive been looking for. its called a busbar! sweet. thanks elvato!

 

[anjy834u]

well u r trying some high end stuff.. how about taking a guess from a professional ??!!

 

[panda24619]

so i just my dual busbar in today from ups. things is MASSIVE! okay about the size an i-phone and about as thick of a handle from a screw driver. thing will work great. got 2 sides. + and - gonna rewire my light switch to it. so from what ive been told maybe 10 gauge wont be big enough well i found some cheap and i mean cheap "4 gauge" cable laying around. its 8 gauge copper 4 gauge cable. gonna use that for the power for this and ground. then hook up my switch to it. should i ad a fuse in between the battery and busbar? it doesnt say i should or shouldnt.

 

[anjy834u]

well adding a fuse definitely sounds sensible to me..have u already tried something like that before ?