too much amps, strobe light
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Lights, Neon, LEDs, HIDs
Forum Discription: Under Car Lighting, Strobe Lights, Fog Lights, Headlights, HIDs, DRL, Tail Lights, Brake Lights, Dashboard Lights, WigWag, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=109825
Printed Date: July 16, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Topic: too much amps, strobe light
Posted By: jason.brown
Subject: too much amps, strobe light
Date Posted: December 17, 2008 at 8:23 AM
OK here is what I have. I am installing a special strobe light in a light bar on out fire engine. We have a light in the light bar that turns off when the parking brake turns on. I was this new strobe light to do the same. So I taped into the wires, but its seems to many amps are going to the new strobe light. And it has a 5 amp fuse in it, that keep tripping each time.
12v----------------------Original Light 15amp fuse
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|---------New Strobe 5 amp fuse, only need 1.43 amps to run
SO I know I need something to regulate or drop the amps coming from the source, but what I don't know. Resistor? Diode? Voltage regulator. What should i get and from where? Any help would be great, they are on my case about getting this to work.
Thanks Jason
Replies:
Posted By: jason.brown
Date Posted: December 17, 2008 at 8:51 AM
One more thing, the strobe light needs 1.43 amps to run, but will work up to 5amps, so I dont want to run it at 5amps just for some safety buffer.
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: December 17, 2008 at 9:18 AM
What kind of strobe is it? Where did you find the info about 1.43 amps.
Posted By: jason.brown
Date Posted: December 17, 2008 at 10:11 AM
ITs a preemption device nova brand. See the link https://www.strobe.com/support_documents/Preemption_Warning_Signal/INSTALL-MDASH_PRE-EMPT.pdf
that is where its says device drain, I thought that is the amps it needs. Maybe not.
Thanks for your help.
Posted By: ckeeler
Date Posted: December 17, 2008 at 7:28 PM
you have another problem. it doesnt work the way you are thinking. the source amps that feed the light can be higher than the light is rated. when its giving you the amp rating its telling you one of two things, 1. either it draws that much to work, or, 2. that is the max amount it will draw. current works like this......the device drawing the current can only draw the current it takes to run no matter how much current is available. you could have 1000 amps behind that light and it will only draw the amperage its rated at no matter how much is available. think of it this way.......you have X amount of power and amps at your the input of you breaker box in your house. waaaaayyy more than a bulb in your house draws right? why doesnt the bulb just explode or burn out when you turn it on? no matter how much you have to use the bulb can only use as much as it uses, no more. another one. you have a sports car that can go 160 MPH. that doesnt mean as soon as you turn it on and step on the pedal you are propelled to that speed unless you stop or turn it off. you can go much slower even though the engine can produce much more power. think of your foot as the current draw, and the engine as the available current you can use. and the speed limit as the draw of whatever device is using current.
Posted By: tedmond
Date Posted: December 19, 2008 at 5:35 PM
ckeller, your post should be stickied, very good and detailed explanation of how current works and great analogy !
Posted By: ckeeler
Date Posted: December 19, 2008 at 5:57 PM
tedmond wrote:
ckeller, your post should be stickied, very good and detailed explanation of how current works and great analogy !
Thanks tedmond. and this is off the subject, i meant to ask you earlier on another post but i got side tracked, what is it that you are studing in school?
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