The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Trying to get headlights to work wallhanger frontend

I’m making a wallhanger out of a frontend of an old truck and want the headlights to work. A friend did this with an exide brand manual batterycharger 6/12 volt 10amp unit. Very simple he ran two wires from each headlight, one connection of wires got hooked to the red clip and one to the black charger clip, flipped it on and the lights worked, they’d be dim on 6 volt charge and brighter on 12volt. So I tried his charger on my setup and it worked great. But when I try to do that with a different type of charger, it won’t work. Any ideas why that’s the case?? The other two chargers I tried it on are 1) Minn Kota 10 amp automatic battery charger for 12 volt battery’s and 2) a Cen-Tech battery charger with a 6 volt 6 amp charge selection and a 12 volt 6 amp charge selection options. Thanks for any help.

I have had a similar problem trying to use my automatic battery charger as a power supply. I think the charger sees the light bulb(s) as a shorted out battery and simply shuts off the current. However, there is a "start" switch on my charger that seems to override the automatic shut off circuit so it can be used a power supply.

Ok thanks that helps, so I need to find a manual charger?

It doesn't need to be a charger. It can be a transformer like from a model train track.

I’m guessing you can’t get a model train transformer just any place???

How about something like this?
Cheap power supply

Thanks for getting me on the right track. I'm going to try a Power Inverter from WalMart for like $35. It converts 12v to 110V with one side having a connector for both wires, and the other side has a couple of 110 outlets. So I'll just have to dig out a double sided plug in from my box of Christmas lights, and I should be good to go. I'll let you know if that works.

If it was me I would just rig up smallish 120V bulbs and plug it in the wall. No one will see. No inverters , no chargers.

You said it converts 12V to 110V.......do you mean 110V to 12V? Maybe I'm not seeing what you are trying to do. I assume you have a front grill, etc., and want to hang it up with headlights and parking lights illuminated? Do you really want bright headlights blinding you?
Go to the lamp hardware dept. somewhere or Christmas light sockets and bulbs.

It will be mounted high above a person's head, so the lights shouldn't blind anyone. The problem i have with what you are saying is that i don't have lenses to go in front of the bulbs. I'm going to try this route with the power inverter first with just regular car lights and if it is blinding from where it will be located, i'll go the route your suggesting. But getting a housing rigged up to hold the bulbs and lenses in front sounds like a lot of work. Maybe i'm just not seeing how to do it with bulbs in an easy manner. If there is a way, please let me know. Would a guy take an old car light, cut out the back so the bulb would shine through that?

I see your point but I don't know what year the hanger is from. Or what it looks like. Don't try this at home. Others have done the cut open and insert a candelabra bulb. But it does take a bit of work and tools and safety precautions.

Your idea is also doable.

A power inverter converts 12 VDC to 110 VAC. It won't work. You need a power supply that converts from 110 VAC to 12 VDC that can handle the current draw of the headlights.

If you want to go with 110V candelabra bulbs, you could get the headlights that have replaceable halogen bulbs. Simply replace the halogen bulbs with the candelabra bulbs (or whatever fits).

I think the truck is like a 1930's Chevy, so it has the large headlight buckets. I tried the power inverter and that didn't work. I think they must have made it so it can only receive power in from the two terminals and supply it to the two outlets. But you can't supply power to an outlet and have it supply power to the terminals that i would be tieing to the headlights. My next attempt will be to get one of those outdoor light power units and see if that will work. If that doesn't do the job, i'll probably just buy a 6 volt battery and power it direct from the battery and just charge it up time to time. I won't have the thing powered up unless i have the guys over to the garage for a beverage or two. LOL

The 30's didn't have sealed beam headlights. This is easier than I thought.

Yeah but i don't have the large light lenses to go in front and cover all the stuff behind it. That's why i am just planning on using your typical headlight for like a 40's to 60's car.

Well if you have the buckets all you need is Home Depot acrylic sheet and cut out some rounds for lenses. Opaque or clear....or a Tupperware lid

I have a 1957 Mack b-61 front end and 1982 Jeep front end that I have the head lights and parking operational. I used a 12 volt power supply (110vac to 12 vdc) I will get the supplier info later today and post, I believe it was around $40.

I opted to just use a small ATV battery for now to power the lights, i'll just charge it up from time to time. Dunfire if you can get me that info on the power supply you used that would be much appreciated. As for the home depot acrylic sheets, i will take a look at that also to see how good or how bad it would look, LOL