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Hello all,
I am about to install some switches in my F 250 SD and have a question. I am using 3 contura XIV switches that are 5 pin. I am also using a relay control board to power my accessories that the switches run to. The pins on the back are represented as followed. Looking at the back: the two top pins are grounds, the single pin below that one is to a switched/hot 12v source,(pin 2) at the bottom (pin 3) is to accessory or relay and the pin on the right next to it is for illumination
I hope that makes sense. My question is as follows. I have pin 2 ,the 12v power, daisy chained together and am running them to the vehicle fuse box and going to put an add a fuse to a switched circuit. I need to know approximately how many amps that will pull? I am using a relay and separate fuse box to load my accessories. So in theory, the 12v pin will come on with the accessories and all it will do is close the circuit allowing the relay to activate. In other words I am not running direct battery power through the switches.
Thanks but I wasn't talking about the relay. It is hard to explain so I attached a very rudimentary diagram lol. I am trying to figure out how many amps (what fuse) I would need on the 12v wire that powers the switches. I made a control board that consists of an additional fuse block and relays that will carry the load of the accessories. In the diagram I need a ballpark estimate of the amps of the three daisy chained switches.I am estimating about 5 amps a switch in this configuration but wanted to see if any one had a better assumption.
Referring to the red wire, on the left side it goes to the trucks fuse box to a 12V supply to power the switch/switches the wire going out to the right side is just to show that there are two more switches connected to that red wire. I will have 3 switches in series drawing 12v from the trucks fuse box (basically to control the low amp side of the circuit) I just was wondering an estimate of how many amps would be pulled with 3 switches connected to the red wire so I could fuse them properly.
The switches are rated at 20A max a piece. However, I am not running the switches directly to the battery to power my devices instead I am running them to a relay bank. So i will pull no where near max amps per switch.
I hope that makes more sense
Referring to the red wire, on the left side it goes to the trucks fuse box to a 12V supply to power the switch/switches the wire going out to the right side is just to show that there are two more switches connected to that red wire. I will have 3 switches in series drawing 12v from the trucks fuse box (basically to control the low amp side of the circuit) I just was wondering an estimate of how many amps would be pulled with 3 switches connected to the red wire so I could fuse them properly.
The switches are rated at 20A max a piece. However, I am not running the switches directly to the battery to power my devices instead I am running them to a relay bank. So i will pull no where near max amps per switch.
I hope that makes more sense
Look at the relay manufacturers specifications on the Amp draw for the relay coil. Take that and add the 3 together (approx 150 - 200 mA each) that will tell you the amperage draw. Take that number and add 25 to 30% and that is the fuse you want to use (generally 0.5amp).
Cool, thanks. I have been looking for the specs for those switches but they seem to only list the max amperage (20A). I will keep searching. It seems that a 5 to 10 amp fuse would do the trick then.
Generally the switches do not pull power unless they have lights. The lights on the switches are most likely LED and pull a few mA's. What you are looking for is the Relay coil power draw which is simple. The switches have the ability to run 20A through them but that would require running larger wire to them an I would also use relays in that situation.
Generally the switches do not pull power unless they have lights. The lights on the switches are most likely LED and pull a few mA's. What you are looking for is the Relay coil power draw which is simple. The switches have the ability to run 20A through them but that would require running larger wire to them an I would also use relays in that situation.
Yea that is what was eluding me. the amperage is rated when running your device directly through the switch, not through a relay. That is why i wasn't sure of the amp load on the trigger side since I was using a relay bank. --Makes sense, thanks
