Rely on relays

[556Tactical]

So here's a question for the electrically incline (and/or TJTJ) I'm going to have 8 HID 7" spots. 4 on the roof facing forward(the 2 outer lights will face slightly outward and the 2 center will be dead ahead), 2 on the bumper and 2 facing rear.
Being that they are HID I'm sure I will need relays. Will I need 1 relay per light or can I use multiple lights on 1 relay? (Don't know if it matters but they are all 6000k)


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[TheFauxFox]

What wattage?

 

[556Tactical]

I'm not sure. They don't specify but if it's anything like hid headlight I would say either 35 watts or 55 watts each. I seriously doubt they are 55


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[Prime]

What you need is not the wattage of the bulb, but the wattage (including start up) that the ballast draws.

A proper HID bulb will use AC power so there needs to be a ballast in play to convert the DC of the vehicle to the AC for the bulb. That DC amperage draw is what will determine your relay load and ultimately how many you need.

If the lights that you are looking at are DC "HID's" (note the quotation marks) then they're crap and you should just run good LEDs and be done with it.

 

[556Tactical]

It's suppose to have h3 bulbs with built in ballast. I looked into LEDs but good ones are extremely expensive and a lot of people in here at the eBay ones only look bright due to glair that they don't really have any lighting distance. (Although the hid lights are in eBay as well)


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[556Tactical]

It's suppose to have h3 bulbs with built in ballast. I looked into LEDs but good ones are extremely expensive and a lot of people in here at the eBay ones only look bright due to glair that they don't really have any lighting distance. (Although the hid lights are in eBay as well)


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[Prime]

I don't see anywhere that talks about the draw of the lights. You need that info in order to figure out your relays.

 

[Jbat]

More important than the wattage of the bulbs you need to know what amp they draw, typically the continuous draw isn't that much but the startup draw to fire the ballast is what you need to know, a popular relay is about 35 amp, you just need to find out how many lights you can hook to that relay. You may need one for each light.

 

[Muadeeb]

Knowing the wattage will give you the amps. P=IV or Watts = Current * Voltage

 

[556Tactical]

Well I'll just be extremely safe and just use 1 relay per light. They don't specify what the draw is. All it says is 12 volts. And being that the ballast is built in I'll treat them like headlight conversion


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[granitex]

Run one relay per pair of lights, you can have one switch do multiple relays, but just stick to the cheap parts store relays. That way if you have any issues down the road you can pick them up anywhere.

 

[TJTJ]

So, when you're done buying EIGHT HID, relays, switches, etc...how much total $ will you have laid out?

 

[Prime]

I want to know this also.

 

[556Tactical]

How much are relays. That's how much I'll personally have invested. My father in law is wanting to get them for me. The lights are $345 on eBay. I know what you are all thinking. There is ALOT of essentials I could use that much for (lift for instance) but I'm not going to complain when he's trying to be nice. Every year he has gotten my spot lights (usually auto zone brand such as the ones that are on my truck now.). Which are on there because after all he gave me the truck for free. But now he wants to get me the hids which don't seem to be bad. Might be better then the ones I have on there now. Worst case scenario is they suck. But paw in law will be happy.


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[556Tactical]

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[556Tactical]

The truck was a 7 year late wedding present Lol


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[556Tactical]

Update:
The seller messaged me back he said they are 35 watts. He's going to email me back about the amps.


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[Muadeeb]

That's about 3 amps

 

[556Tactical]

Do I even need relayed for that?


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[Muadeeb]

For two? Meh. For 8? Yeah, absolutely.

 

[granitex]

it is better to keep the low voltage stuff in the cab, and the higher stuff, like the relays and power supply under the hood.

 

[Muadeeb]

And by voltage, you mean current. Almost everything in a car is 12ish volts

 

[556Tactical]

Yeah that makes sense. So how many relays do you think I need? I do plan on going with some decent switches. I really don't want to roast marshmallows over an open X. And the truck WILL not be receiving any other lights. 8 is just fine. Especially when cruising the woods with the ole lady.


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[granitex]

4 relays, one for each pair of lights, also pick up an aux fuse block to make everything easier to hook up

 

[Prime]

And by voltage, you mean current. Almost everything in a car is 12ish volts

I chuckled

 

[556Tactical]

Cool beans. 4 relays it shall be. Hopefully they will have some quality to them. But we'll have to wait and see.


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[TJTJ]

How much are relays. That's how much I'll personally have invested. My father in law is wanting to get them for me. The lights are $345 on eBay. I know what you are all thinking. There is ALOT of essentials I could use that much for (lift for instance) but I'm not going to complain when he's trying to be nice.

Every year he has gotten my spot lights (usually auto zone brand such as the ones that are on my truck now.).

Which are on there because after all he gave me the truck for free. But now he wants to get me the hids which don't seem to be bad. Might be better then the ones I have on there now. Worst case scenario is they suck. But paw in law will be happy.




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Why would you need spot lights every year?

:zomg:

 

[556Tactical]

I honestly don't. But he's done it almost every year for the last 7 yrs. lol. I honestly think it might be because of my old hunting truck. That thing lit up like the 4th of July. But they where useful at 4:00 am in the middle of the woods trying to get the gear and stand set up. He probably thinks I'm a light fanatic or something. Idk


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[556Tactical]

So here's an update on the lights. They have a built in ac ballast they are 55 watts 6000k they pull 3..2 amps they even have 15 amp switches (4) that come with them

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[TJTJ]

HID use a LOT more power when first turned on, and they can take a minute or so to light up all the way, etc...so, the fuses need to be a lot higher than the average draw, hence the 15 amp fuse for < 3.5 amp run use, etc.

55 watts at 12 v = ~ 4.6 amps (Give or take depending on how you want to load in that "12 v" supply, which varies of course.)

~ 3.2 amp draw means the HID is not wired to full 55 watt output though.

With eight on there though, its not like its going to be that dark no matter what though.

:kewl:

 

[556Tactical]

I figured that. I have 12000k on my car. And the take a minute to warm up


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[556Tactical]

I found out because I was going to run 2 per 15a switch but I'm going to run relays anyway. And where I go it gets extremely dark. Also like I said they are not all going to be firing in one direction. 4 will be firing forward. 2 will be fired to the side slightly and 2 will be firing backward.


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[TJTJ]

I found out because I was going to run 2 per 15a switch but I'm going to run relays anyway. And where I go it gets extremely dark. Also like I said they are not all going to be firing in one direction. 4 will be firing forward. 2 will be fired to the side slightly and 2 will be firing backward.


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The dark says its scared of you.

 

[556Tactical]

Darn skippy


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