Electrical hookup

[Ramchops]

As some of y'all know I have a 47 or48 8n front mount still 6volts. Now that it's operational I need lights. I purchased a step up converter to go from 6v to 12v just for the lights. I am running an led pod on front and back. I may run a relay as well as obviously fuses. My question is how do I wire this to the tractor? I'm confused how due to the 6v pos ground tractor and the negative ground step up converter. From my limited research I believe I wire the red wore on lights to ground and neg wire from lights to the converter. The converter has 2 input 6v and 2 output 12v wires. I know this is a cheap and probably wrong way to do it but I'm going to try. Anyone have a clues how to do this?

 

[Bruce (VA)]

I've found that many new components will not work on positive ground, e.g., your converter. Best switch the polarity of the tractor to negative ground.

But, we've got real EE's around here who may be able to offer a better solution.
75 Tips

 

[Ramchops]

Thanks for the reply Bruce. I researched this on Amazo n and several people have successfully used this on their 6v 8ns for running led lamps Just none really stated how to do it.

 

[old]

Hook directly to the battery + to + and neg to neg

 

[Jim WI]

From the answers to questions on several of the converters, it appears that you can use them on a 6V positive ground system as long as you do not connect either output wire to ground. You may want to ask the vendor of the one you have. The question may already have been answered on the item page.

If you have an ohm meter you could also verify this by measuring from the case to each of the wires. If they are all high resistance in both polarities (red probe on case and black probe on case), it should work.

6V input side, + input wire to + battery terminal and - input wire to - battery terminal.

12V output side, wire + output wire to headlight + and - output wire to headlight -. Don't ground either wire, just wire directly to the headlights.

 

[Btzj02]

Pay attention to + and - and for the moment and forget about "ground". On the 6 volt side attach + and - just as the tractor battery is. On the 12 volt side run two wires to the lights. Connect the + to the + on the lights and connect the - to the - on the lights. I kept the "grounds" separated but, since I ran the wires in a plastic tube it still looks clean.

 

[Ramchops]

Thank you Jim and Btzj. So should I not use a relay? Also will I need to insulate the mounting brackets of the light? Since I'm mountimg to the hood metal.

Otherwise I will run the 6v input + to battery + and - to - battery post. Then the output + and - directly to the lights. Obviously with a switch and fused links.

I didnt get a notification email that I had more responses. Thats why I was delayed in getting back.

 

[Btzj02]

Sounds like you have it:

On the 6 volt side I have one wire from the light switch/fuse and one wire to tractor ground(battery). + and - dependant on how your tractor is grounded. Turning on the light switch completes the 6 volt circuit.

On the 12 volt side, in parallel I have 2 pair of wire, one pair running to the front of tractor and one pair to the rear. At the front of the tractor I split the pair so I now have a pair in both light housings. Don't worry about isolation of the housings, mount them as usual. Connect both pair of wire to the LED lights keeping your polarity correct. Don't connect any wires to the light housing.

I am not sure of your thinking on the relay? Switched vs unswitched accessory power?

 

[Ramchops]

Thanks. I dont know much about wiring ecpecially 6v pos ground. I was always under the impression you should use a relay to lessen the power draw or something I dont know. But I'm glad I can do this without a relay complicating things more. Thanks for your input. Hoping to hook it up after work.

 

[Jim WI]

Most tractors have the headlights wired directly to the switch without a relay. The relay makes it possible for a switch to control larger amounts of current than the switch could handle. It's not that important on tractors with only two headlights (and maybe a taillight) as the switch can handle the current needed. LED lights draw less current than incandescent lights, so even less need for a relay.

The only time you would need to insulate the housings would be if one side of the light were connected to the housing. From what Btzj02 says that sounds uncommon. You could use an ohm meter to check from the headlight terminals or wires to the housing.

 

[Ramchops]

Thank you for the info Jim.