relay / diode question
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relay / diode question
I have been searching the internet and have not found anything to match what i am looking for. I currently have foot lights that i wired into my truck. They are controlled by a relay triggered off the dome light. I would like to be able to turn them on independently of the dome light with a switch. My question was is there a way to wire two relays together to achieve this, or can i have two inputs on the one 86 terminal and use diodes to prevent the power flowing up the other trigger wire?
And if a diode would work, where do you find one for this type of application? I have been looking at radio shack and other sites and am not sure if im looking at the right stuff.
And if a diode would work, where do you find one for this type of application? I have been looking at radio shack and other sites and am not sure if im looking at the right stuff.
Hotshot
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From: St Louis
Sure, you can use diodes to make the relay activated by either switch or circuit.
Assuming one side of the coil is grounded and you're switching the power side of the coil, just attach the cathode (banded) ends of both diodes to the "86" terminal, then apply switched battery power to the anode of either diode to energize the relay. This will isolate the supply circuits and will prevent accidental backfeeding of circuits at undesired times.
Radio Shack should have what you need. Look for a 1N400x where x can be any number between 1 to 7 (doesn't matter which).
Assuming one side of the coil is grounded and you're switching the power side of the coil, just attach the cathode (banded) ends of both diodes to the "86" terminal, then apply switched battery power to the anode of either diode to energize the relay. This will isolate the supply circuits and will prevent accidental backfeeding of circuits at undesired times.
Radio Shack should have what you need. Look for a 1N400x where x can be any number between 1 to 7 (doesn't matter which).
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From: Northville, NY
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5x-solar-wind-6-Amp-Axial-Rectifier-blocking-Diode-US-seller-/400439564178?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d3c0ed792
These particular diodes are 6 amp rated which is probably a bit more than you will need, but they'd work just fine. They are large enough and have wire in sufficient diameter to work really well in automotive applications. Some of the smaller diodes are a pain in the butt to work with.
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From: Northville, NY
Look, I did a quick Ebay search on a seller I've bought from previously. The five pack of 6 amp diodes was near the top of the list so I grabbed it. The OP said And if a diode would work, where do you find one for this type of application? I have been looking at radio shack and other sites and am not sure if im looking at the right stuff. I thought it was a fair alternative SOURCE to the Shack who doesn't seem to carry a tenth of the hobby stuff it used to. Ebay is easy to use and fast! He'd have the diodes in just a couple of days in the mail. He doesn't have to buy a five pack either. But he could use the info and search for a two pack. He could even search for a better price. He might even know that a one amp diode or smaller might work, too.
And, I've found that using electronic stuff with really small wire leads (like a 100 Ma diode) in an automotive application isn't always a good idea. They can flex and break quickly. At least the diodes I pointed out have larger wire leads. They are also much easier to work with because of their physical size.
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Thank you all for your input. I also had a question regarding time delay relays, are there any out there that are cheaper than $30? I am taking my bed lights off of the main circuit so that they may be switched independently and i was going to put in a time delay relay to avoid accidentally leaving them on. Only one i found was wolsten tech and thought maybe you all had some experience with other brands.
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From: Virginia
This place has some timers.
MCM Electronics - Search Results for timer
$30 is a pretty good price though. The link above has one for $7.29 (that's on sale, I don't know if you can see that price)but you have to put it together yourself.
Here's a link to the above timer. The hard part is finding a language you can read.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/conten...s/28-12705.pdf
I am not sure how you actually want to operate the lights, but the above timer will stay on for 5 minutes.
MCM Electronics - Search Results for timer
$30 is a pretty good price though. The link above has one for $7.29 (that's on sale, I don't know if you can see that price)but you have to put it together yourself.
Here's a link to the above timer. The hard part is finding a language you can read.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/conten...s/28-12705.pdf
I am not sure how you actually want to operate the lights, but the above timer will stay on for 5 minutes.
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thank you. Im probably going to go with the one in English for 30 LOL. For powering them, i am running power up to the lights off my aux fuse panel. Right now just running all the wiring and getting it all in place so that when i get the relays i will just have to wire them in and make the connections at the bed lights.
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