convoy lights

[DaveP]

is there a particular power source to hook up convoy lights on the 800's ? got a nos set coming and dont know if i should just grab power off the batts. fused of course. how many amps do they draw ? this is supposed to be a complete set. whatever that contains.

 

[mangus580]

Dave, where did you get it?

Mine had complete instructions stating where to get the power from... oddly enough, it would allow the convoy's to be on, even in blackout mode..

 

[DaveP]

maybe i jumped the gun here. i will have them in the morning (via UPS). did'nt think about them coming with instructions.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I installed my first set exactly as the instructions said. Power was stolen, as per directions, from the dimmer switch. With that configuration, the convoys could only be used when in service drive mode. I can see the reason for this but I also see some other reasons to hook them up for use on the power side of the accessory switch. They do draw some amps as there are 4 sealed beams total and 2 drive motors in the lights. The lights are a Federal Model 14 but 28V.

 

[DaveP]

is the accessory switch fed from one of the breakers on the firewall? can it handle the extra load ?

 

[Recovry4x4]

The accessory switch gets direct battery power. The same wire that provides this power branches off to provide power for the circuit breakers on the fire wall. Looking at the schematic, these breakers have battery voltage all the time. One would do good to add an extra breaker in line with the power feed to the convoy lights regardless.I would think that this switch could handle the load better than the headlight switch could and if wired according to the directions, the headlight switch carries the load.

 

[CGarbee]

Mine are wired per the directions and come off the dimmer switch... I'm planning on inserting a relay so that the relay is fed from the dimmer, but that the lights themselves are fed from the battery (fused, of course). I also plan to insert a relay to the headlights since I am running Hella H4's with E-code lenses... Nothing like a little extra piece of mind when rolling down the road at night... Parts (relays and the H4 lights are from Suspquehanna Motorsports... Part numbers are on my website...).

 

[mangus580]

Hmm, maybe I didnt wire mine according to the instructions....

 

[rizzo]

on my 543 they are hooked up to an accessory switch, but I haven't looked to see where that is wired in to

 

[DaveP]

picked them up this morning from UPS and got em on tonight. took about 2 hrs. i went to the accessory feed and fused right there ( 30 amp breaker ) then to the switch and out. you guys were right, they came with plenty of instructions. a very complete kit indeed. i have to admit it was pretty cool getting all those parts still in the original boxes and wrappers! everything i needed was there right down to the last fastener. i really dont care for the way they pinch the cab top at the back wall. i will look at shimming them out some. very satisfied with the purchase and i think they add to the unit not to mention another level of safety when needed. thanks for the info.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Dave, I too was not particularly happy with the way they were against the top. I took a PVC coupling and sawed it in half and ground out the lip in the center. Painted them green and used them to shim the uprights away from the cab. I also didn't came much for the height of them and lowered the entire assy a bit.

 

[DaveP]

i dont like the height either but i did not want sound like i was complaining. the pvc would be a good idea as it should conform to the shape thus give it support so as not to crush the tube. i was thinking of shimming the whole verticle brace but your idea sounds eaiser. also the stationary uprights could be utilized with a cross bar for more lights such as a tri bar front and back. how did you lower yours ?

 

[Recovry4x4]

Instead of using the piece welded to the bar, I just relied on the clamps to hold it on place. It was piggybacked 2568 miles with the lights like that and they never budged. WCJIV has the truck now and they are still just as I installed them back in 2003. I forget was size couplings I used.

 

[cranetruck]

As far as the electrical hook-up goes, a relay is the only way to go if you want to maintain the black out light feature (running the convoy lights only when the head lights are on).
Cabell hinted at this in a previous post.
Below is a diagram that shows how to to it. A 25 amp mil spec relay can handle a 10-amp lamp load. Don't forget the inrush current.
The 3-lever lamp switch has a built-in 20 amp circuit breaker and adding lights, such as the convoy and marker lights will increase the possibility of suddenly losing all your lights. Another reason for using a relay.

At one time yours truly did experience the sudden loss of all lights when the turn signals and brake lights were appplied at the same time before making a turn. It took close to a minute before the circuit breaker came back on again. The road was deserted and no traffic was encountered, but it was not a fun experience.

Here is the perfect relay for this application:
http://cgi.ebay.com/CH-3PST-pn-9134...ryZ78205QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I now use several relays in my light/solenoid circuits to prevent this. The flasher unit is one other device that needs all the help it can get (= external relay).