Interior Dome Light Install.

[swindad2]

So a few months ago, I bought one of the dome lights from Matt (Vintage Iron). I was a little confused about how to ground it, So Matt and I both asked for pics and suggestions, and never got a response. I was unable to find the listing to update my install, so I thought I would post it here for anyone who was as confused as I was.

Just got the inside of my truck painted and put back together, So I installed today.

So I installed the light first, using 1 inch Hillman rubber lined clamps I bought from Lowes (Lowes part number 881297). I already had my wire and Packard connector assembled, so all I had to do was plug it in and route the wire. As for the ground, I just used a smaller diameter black wire and attached it to one of the housing screws (see pic) and it worked, so there is the ground point. I just tucked the wires neatly behind the soft top bows and attached with wire ties. There was a convenient hole right behind the rear of the door frame, so no drilling there.

I had planned to run the wiring through the floor, but then thought about the slave terminal. It's hot, and it is powered off when I turn of my cutoff switch on the ground side of battery 2. The top cable is the positive on mine (better test to be sure), so I attached the wire from the Packard connector to the positive slave terminal. I chose to use one of the slave plug, through body, mounting bolts as the ground, just because of the proximity of the two terminals on the slave plug. Just make sure you have your battery disconnected when you start removing that slave terminal bolt (found out the hard way).

Hope this helps those who had the same questions I did.

 

[Another Ahab]

Good post, thank you (part numbers, pictures, how-to: great!). Wondering, what's the light output from these domes like, any good?

Subjective I know, but what do you think? If authenticity is not an issue, do you think a commercial cab light is a better bet?

 

[Scar59]

Nice work Larry, how did the paint job come out, the green looks good, what paint did you use.
JC

 

[steelandcanvas]

Good write-up and photos! When I installed my interior armor light, I just grounded my light to the tubular framework with a short piece of wire. Nice job!

 

[JCKnife]

Good post, thank you (part numbers, pictures, how-to: great!). Wondering, what's the light output from these domes like, any good?

Subjective I know, but what do you think? If authenticity is not an issue, do you think a commercial cab light is a better bet?

These lights are extremely bright and look great in a deuce. Very nice write up!

 

[swindad2]

Another Ahab:
Thanks. The light output is decent. Better that I expected. I wanted to keep the look all military. I'm sure you could get something brighter. It's turned on in the first pic, sitting outside in full sunlight.

Scar59:
Thanks. The paint turned out pretty good considering how rough the finish was (parts of the floor looked like it had been sprayed with rubber popcorn). I would have liked it a little cleaner, but it's the best I could do without removing the cab and sandblasting. I used Rapco/Gillespie 383 thinned with Xylene. Sprayed it with a cheap Harbor Freight gun. Probably a little "shiny" for some, but I like the semigloss myself. Still have a few parts to paint and put back in.

steelandcanvas:

Thanks. I wasn't sure if the movable top parts would be a good ground or not, and I was afraid of scratching the new paint, so I went for the closest bolt.

 

[rmgill]

The saturation will fade with about a year's worth of time. I used the 383 green from Rapco as well about 5 years ago and it's a darker color now.

I mounted my armor'd vehicle dome light the same way but ran a ground near the driver's side and tapped the power lead off one of the leads under the dash. Running a connection to the slave connection receptacle makes so much more sense. Did you add a breaker though?

 

[59apache]

Nice job! 2 things i would suggest to change:
Use a rubber grommet or a cable glance there the wire goes through the sheetmetal
and close to the slave terminal a fuse.

Something like this, for example https://www.google.de/search?q=flyi...de&q=flying+fuse+holder&spell=1&tbm=isch&um=1

 

[Vintage iron]

Nice work. I hope to have more lights available soon. I still have about 80 left. I just need to test, clean and paint them.

 

[swindad2]

I did think about a fuse, and that would be a simple addition. Not sure about what size I would need or if there is such thing as a 24V blade fuse. 15 amp maybe. More research.

 

[59apache]

If i remember correct, there is a 21w with a BA15S bulb in it. 24V:21W= 1,14A .....with a 5A you'll be fine.

 

[steelandcanvas]

A 15 Amp blade fuse would be ideal. All you're trying to accomplish is protecting the small gauge wire to the light. With it not being fused, you could draw quite a few hundred amps through that wire until it burned up, should there ever be a short.

 

[59apache]

as a rule of the thumb:
for long time use 5A / mm²
for short time use 10A / mm²

American Wire Gauge (AWG)	Diameter (inches)	Diameter (mm)	Cross Sectional Area (mm[SUP]2[/SUP])
0000	0.46	11.68	107.16
000	0.4096	10.40	84.97
00	0.3648	9.27	67.40
0	0.3249	8.25	53.46
1	0.2893	7.35	42.39
2	0.2576	6.54	33.61
3	0.2294	5.83	26.65
4	0.2043	5.19	21.14
5	0.1819	4.62	16.76
6	0.162	4.11	13.29
7	0.1443	3.67	10.55
8	0.1285	3.26	8.36
9	0.1144	2.91	6.63
10	0.1019	2.59	5.26
11	0.0907	2.30	4.17
12	0.0808	2.05	3.31
13	0.072	1.83	2.63
14	0.0641	1.63	2.08
15	0.0571	1.45	1.65
16	0.0508	1.29	1.31
17	0.0453	1.15	1.04
18	0.0403	1.02	0.82
19	0.0359	0.91	0.65
20	0.032	0.81	0.52
21	0.0285	0.72	0.41
22	0.0254	0.65	0.33
23	0.0226	0.57	0.26
24	0.0201	0.51	0.20
25	0.0179	0.45	0.16
26	0.0159	0.40	0.13

 

[59apache]

I hope that list is correct, if not please feel free to correct me.
I allways like to be on the save side, so i never exceed the 5A per mm². The fuse should be as big as necessary, not much bigger. And never bigger than the maximal allowed amperage for the wire.

 

[Another Ahab]

Thank you, Bavaria! Your posts are always detailed and useful, greatly appreciated.

One question only is the translation: "For long time, use..." and "For short time, use..."

I'm thinking that the German and the English expressions do not exactly correspond here. And I am adding a comma, which actually might not be the intent on your part. (Reminds me of a joke "Let's eat Mama. Let's eat, Mama. Commas save lives!").

Can you clarify the "long time" "short time" meaning, please? I mean, if possible. And forgive me, I know next to no German, and for that I apologize. Danke. ~

 

[59apache]

No, don't use the comma there.
Short-time means the the usage of your electrical consumer. Not the lifespan of of your installation.
Example:
You have a back-up light that is only used for a few seconds, that is short-time-use.
You have a working light that is used for hours, that is long-time-use.

With the higher load of the "short-time-use amperage" you allow a defined overload on your cable.
With the use, the temperature in your cable increase and the electric conductivity decrease. Thats bad.
In a short-time-use the cables cools down. In a long-time-use not. Thats also bad.



Thats the reason why i allways use the long time rule.

Your question is highly appreciated. If we could use an other term, please tell it.

I have to apologize for this inaccuracy, i hope it doesn't lead to mistakes. I do my very best.

 

[Another Ahab]

10-4. No criticism at all, and nothing but praise, absolutely!

Understood completely. I appreciate your precision, your good spirit, and your help. Cheers and Danke Schoen!

 

[59apache]

Constructive criticism is allways welcome.
Auch (also) danke schoen!

 

[Jeepsinker]

Perhaps "intermittent" and " extended" use would be better terms? Ich habe ein bisschen Deutsch, aber, es ist nicht so gut.

 

[ECR CUCV]

I bought a couple of these lights off Matt a little less than a year ago. I never got to mount them in my truck. I gave them to a friend (local law enforcement). They are being used in a gorgeous HMMWV. They are the white/blue ones and they work great. Matt please PM me when you have 4 more tested and ready.