The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Dome light factory wiring question

Why did they make the dome light "hot" all the time and control the ground through the switch? This requires two wires to the light, when it could have just been powered from the switch to the light and grounded at the case. I assume it has to do with the capability of being able to dim the instrument lights. Think of the miles of wire they could have saved at the factory. Too much trouble to design a switch that would provide power to the light? And why do you need to dim the dash lights? Couldn't they just be off or on?
Just wondering.
Jeff

the dome lite setup is likely because it could then be operated by more than one switch, like door switches as in a car, which had the same headlite switch .... and maybe you don't do much nighttime highway driving, but I kinda prefer being able to see the gauges minus reflection off the glass and without having to flip a switch

Bill

Of course I think the guages should light up, just questioning the need for the adjustment of the light brightness.

I thought that's what I answered "I kinda prefer being able to see the gauges minus reflection off the glass" - on the highway full brightness dash lights reflecting off the windows can get very fatigueing for the eyes, lights at a low level work better in some circumstances, and that's also why aircraft use red light and modern vehicles started going to soft colored light

Bill

I got it now.

The dome light on my '38 is a one wire set up. It grounds to the body with the wire to the switch being hot all the time.