PRED-ATOR Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 hey guys, If i hook L.E.D light chips (run in parrallel) straight up to my battery VIA A SWITCH, will they overheat or draw more power than what they need? Reason I ask is a guy told me he has some form of resister (i cant remember the name he used) and he said if you dont have it they will overheat. Do i need anything extra or can i hook them straight up? Thanks Raiders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoB Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 G'day predator Firstly you need to install a fuse to protect the cable, Secondly a resistor would dim the lights, they may have been too bright, but would also increase power usage. Give us a pm if you need any more info (I'm a sparky so I'm happy to give a few pointers) Cheers Leo Cheers Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helliconia Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) I just plumbed mine straight in without anything but a switch and a fuse. They don't seem to get 'hot' or drawn much power. Edited October 17, 2011 by EmptyHooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) hey guys, If i hook L.E.D light chips (run in parrallel) straight up to my battery VIA A SWITCH, will they overheat or draw more power than what they need? Reason I ask is a guy told me he has some form of resister (i cant remember the name he used) and he said if you dont have it they will overheat. Do i need anything extra or can i hook them straight up? Thanks Raiders When you say "L.E.D light chips" what type exactly are you referring to? (maybe a picture would be handy ?) Are they bought from an automotive or boat store, or are they a single L.E.D bought from an electronics store? If they are bought from a automotive or marine store and are mounted on/in an epoxy resin coated circuit board, they will already have a resistor in the circuit depending on what the L.E.D requires. If you have bought them from an electronics store as a DIY spare part, there is a fair chance you will need to put a resistor in the circuit. The size of the resistor (to lower the voltage) will depend on what voltage the L.E.D requires. An L.E.D running at the correct voltage should never become hot nor should it draw much power. This is the beauty of them! Edited October 18, 2011 by aquaman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRED-ATOR Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 thanks for the replies guys, it shouldnt be too difficult now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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