So I've looked a lot of places here and on the web (on the web I keep getting directed to household 3-way switches). I have seen some dimmer switch diagrams but its usually a single light "system". I have contacted some off road lighting companies hoping they had a diagram for this but did not get any ideas back from them.
What I would like to be able to do is have a flood light mounted on the side of the vehicle. I want to be able to switch it on from the cab/drivers seat to light up the side at full intensity. I also want a switch at the rear of the vehicle that allows the same. But I also want to be able to dim it from the rear for those times in camp where I don't want full intensity and instead want some "lesser" light. I am not positive this would work so put it to you guys who know a *bleep*load more than I do on this stuff!
So I put together these three "scenarios" that I could use some help on. I want to run all this on a bench initially to see what works and what doesn't but the last thing I want to do is "try it", have it (sort of) work and then burn up my vehicle because I missed something obvious. Which is why I'm here posing it to you all!
#1- I get using relays (thanks to you guys) to lessen power draw need at the switch.
#2 But it's not clear if I can link two switches to one relay? It "seems" to me that the relay would "trigger" with any current so either switch would work to power the light? But maybe I need two relays? One off each switch? I am also somewhat uncertain about distance- would it be okay to have the relay at the rear of the vehicle and run the lower current line from the switch in the cab? Or do switches need to be nearer the relay in which case maybe I should use two relays- one up front and one in the rear? But this doesn't really get me to where I want to take this so I went to #3 below....
#3 I figured if I wanted a dimmer I couldn't just put that after the (a single) relay because then the dimmer at the rear of the vehicle would control the light all the time (which I could solve by remembering to always turn it back to full when I leave camp, but I don't trust myself enough that I would always do that). So, I figure to have the dimmer I would need two relays. One which runs the switch from the cab which always provides full light. The second one at the back of the vehicle then has the dimmer attached. But I don't know about power feeding back and forth there or if power feeding back to Relay #2 from Relay #1 (when I turn the switch on in the cab) would cause a problem?
Anyway I figure others may have solved this already so I am wondering what you guys would do? Thanks!
What I would like to be able to do is have a flood light mounted on the side of the vehicle. I want to be able to switch it on from the cab/drivers seat to light up the side at full intensity. I also want a switch at the rear of the vehicle that allows the same. But I also want to be able to dim it from the rear for those times in camp where I don't want full intensity and instead want some "lesser" light. I am not positive this would work so put it to you guys who know a *bleep*load more than I do on this stuff!
So I put together these three "scenarios" that I could use some help on. I want to run all this on a bench initially to see what works and what doesn't but the last thing I want to do is "try it", have it (sort of) work and then burn up my vehicle because I missed something obvious. Which is why I'm here posing it to you all!
#1- I get using relays (thanks to you guys) to lessen power draw need at the switch.
#2 But it's not clear if I can link two switches to one relay? It "seems" to me that the relay would "trigger" with any current so either switch would work to power the light? But maybe I need two relays? One off each switch? I am also somewhat uncertain about distance- would it be okay to have the relay at the rear of the vehicle and run the lower current line from the switch in the cab? Or do switches need to be nearer the relay in which case maybe I should use two relays- one up front and one in the rear? But this doesn't really get me to where I want to take this so I went to #3 below....
#3 I figured if I wanted a dimmer I couldn't just put that after the (a single) relay because then the dimmer at the rear of the vehicle would control the light all the time (which I could solve by remembering to always turn it back to full when I leave camp, but I don't trust myself enough that I would always do that). So, I figure to have the dimmer I would need two relays. One which runs the switch from the cab which always provides full light. The second one at the back of the vehicle then has the dimmer attached. But I don't know about power feeding back and forth there or if power feeding back to Relay #2 from Relay #1 (when I turn the switch on in the cab) would cause a problem?
Anyway I figure others may have solved this already so I am wondering what you guys would do? Thanks!