The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Where to pull a hot lead?

I am presently re-wiring my 1950 3600 with a Classic Parts harness. I am converting to 12-volts and want to install a small fused panel for accessories. My question is where is the best place to pull a hot lead from to this panel? I was thinking the headlight switch or ignition switch, any ideas? I will be running the fresh air heater w/new 12-volt motor, turn signals, and eventually a 12-volt reproduction look radio/speakers.

Brad,

Basically there are three choices for power. If the choice is to have the panel and all it's accessories shut off when you turn the key OFF and leave the truck, then it must get power through the key switch.

If that isn't important to you, then it can be tapped off the - side of the ammeter or even of the starter switch itself...or even the battery. Just make sure you fuse the power feed to the panel properly.

A third choice would be to power it through a husky relay that was controlled by the ignition switch. This way all accessories would shut down when you left the truck and the key switch wouldn't take a hit on passing all the current for the new panel, only the small relay.

Stuart

Brad;
I installed a 10 point fuse box under my dash near the steering column but up high enough so one can't see it. I took the switched hot from the ignition switch and ran it to one side of the fuse block and then jumpered the hot to the accessories that I didn't want to draw voltage until the ignition switch was turned on. The other items that I wanted to be able to turn on without the switch being on were fed with 12v hot all the time. Pretty easy to do. Good luck.

I use relays like this http://www.delcity.net/delcity/serv...791800&page=1&tabset=1&new=y It takes the load off your switches and you don't have the voltage drop. You can have one common wire going to the ammeter or the battery and control them with your ignition switch.

Check this guy out:
http://www.madelectrical.com/
He sells a relay kit with all the parts to do what you want to do. He also includes great tech instructions on how to wire it.

Thanks Big Chevy for a zero skills electrical guy that is the kind of stuff I can use!

http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h298/1951otter/?action=view&current=0732700-R1-044-20A.jpg
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h298/1951otter/?action=view&current=0732700-R1-034-15A.jpg
This is where i placed mine.

If you want your ammeter to read correctly, you need to hook up to the load side of the ammeter or downsteram from it. If you feed the load from the starter or battery, your new load will show up as a charging current. You could have a charging indication and yet have a discharging battery and you wouldn't know it until the battery failed.

I didn't realize anyone made a setup like Carilines truck shows in the first picture. Mine look more like the second picture, but the end result is the same. You take the load off the switches and it is so simple to troubleshoot.