Traveller Reversing and Fog Lights

Post by **Kevin** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:37 pm

You could easily put 12V at several amps down it

True, I am not up on electrics but I thought that resistances and flow were affected by conductor sizes otherwise wouldnt you have the same size for all applications ?

Post by **bigginger** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 5:42 pm

True, but in fairness, in practice any mains cable would cope with the 12v supply to a lamp. Just don't try it to the starter motor

I'd still agree the wisest choice would be the correctly rated auto wire though.

Post by **lowedb** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:19 pm

One point, that I didn't see mentioned. The fog lamp must be on centre, or towards the offside if only fitting one. So if one fog and one reverse, the fog must go on the offside (ie RH in the UK).

Post by **lowedb** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:25 pm

And a point regarding the cable. Mains cable is fine for the job, so long as it's thick enough. The main (sorry about the pun) difference is in the insulation to withstand 240v needs to be thicker than for 12v. Current carrying capacity is the same, but voltage drops will be more significant. One 21W bulb will take about 1.5 amps so 5A cable should be fine. But with the long runs to the back, you might be better using more like 10A cable. To avoid the volt drop in the return path, it's normal to earth to the body, but do it somewhere dry so it doesn't corrode!

Post by **Rob_Jennings** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:41 pm

points taken and I have edited the page. thanks for the advice.

of course everyone is free to edit and add new material, or I'm happy to feed back points from the boards.

Post by **washer-bottle** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:30 am

If you find a scrap MG Midget gearbox they come with a reversing light switch. I picked up one at last years National rally. Its brass, the size of a cork and screws in near the gear stick. You need to fit the remote selector housing from the MG gearbox to the Minor but they are identical apart from the switch fitting in the casting.
I fitted both fog and reversing lamps - I use a relay on my fog lamp.
Both circuits have a discrete in line fuse.
Al

Post by **Dru** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:01 am

I've just been reading this thread for ideas about repositioning the fog and reversing lights which are fitted to my Trav. At the moment they're mounted on a bracket under the rear bumper; ground clearance is minimal; I've already written off the red shiny-through plastic thing on a kerbstone, and last night I wrote off the white one while reversing up a bit of an incline in a Somerset lane. I think I'll try mounting them on the bottom piece of wood on the starboard back door. That way, they'll be out of harm's way height-wise and protected by the bumper fore-and-aft-wise.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:44 pm

Reversing lights and rear Fog warning lights are just a waste of time and money in my view!! Use the indicators and/or the brake lights when reversing at night (is it really that dark anywhere these days - well maybe in Orkney!!?) - and the fog lights do NOTHING to make your car any safer in Fog. If you MUST have them, then warning lights are required inside the car unless the rev light is 'automatic'.

Post by **Dru** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:43 am

I suppose that, since I haven't actually followed my own car, I don't know how bright the back lights are compared to other, newer cars... but the relatively small size of them suggests that they're relatively less bright. Which gives me cause for concern when I'm on the motorway in a pea-souper, and I see other cars' rear lights are barely visible. Some folk on the local motorways seem to have a touching faith in their own immortality, the blithe way they charge around at full whack in hazardous conditions.

I once went some way along the M27 by the light of my motorbike's indicators, after blowing the headlight. See Hampshire by strobe...

The main trouble with the reversing light is it's so bright, foxes jump out of the hedge and take a curtain call.

Post by **MikeNash** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 7:44 am

"and the fog lights do NOTHING to make your car any safer in Fog." says bmcessosse.

Rubbish! Have you never travelled behind a mog in fog or in motorway spray? Mog standard rearlights are no better than a pair of bright fag ends. We need every watt of rearlight we can get in bad weather! MikeN.

Post by **southerly95** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 11:03 pm

I've fitted a very nice rev light to SWMBO's 65 convertible today but I know she's going to switch it on and leave it on despite having a warning light. Where can I get a beeper like you get on trailers. I've looked on the net but can't one. Thanks, John

Post by **MikeNash** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 8:58 pm

Common you electronic folks, John's got a brilliant idea. Where can we get cheap 12v bleepers? All I can find is the Maplin £4.99 kit to build a siren sound generator! MikeN.

Post by **bigginger** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:13 pm

Last time I was after one (for the indicators) they sold buzzers for 99p, IIRC
a

Post by **Axolotl** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:21 pm

Maplins have two plain 12v buzzers:

"Miniature buzzer" FL40T 400Hz 75dB £1.21
"Round buzzer" FK82D 450 Hz 80dB £1.73

www.maplin.co.uk Search for "buzzer"

Post by **MikeNash** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:22 pm

Thanks Axolotl,
That's exactly what I want. Hadn't thought to look up "buzzer"!
Regards, MikeN.

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 10:56 am

nice one, axolotl

how loud is 75 or 80 decibels? you want it to be loud enough to remind you about the light being on, but not so loud that it distracts you from your picture-perfect reversing

wibble xx

ps thanks to everyone else for their tips and advice posted on this thread, have taken some notes

Post by **alex_holden** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 11:36 am

If it's too loud, cover the hole the sound comes out of with a piece of masking tape.

Post by **wibble_puppy** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 12:44 pm

i guess one could save £1.21 by making a beeping noise oneself while reversing

Post by **IaininTenbury** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:39 am

JimK wrote: My opinion is that rear foglights are very nearly completely and totally pointless, I've used them perhaps twice in fifteen years of driving. I wouldn't bother fitting one

Reversing light is another matter, I travel down dark lanes where two cars can't pass and I have to ask people to reverse because I can't see where I'm going.

Quite agree. Even if a car has very poor lights on the back you can always see theres a car there, because a: his headlamps will be lighting up the foggy road in front and reflectors on the back reflect your lights. I haven't had the need to use foglights in the last ten years. When it has been that foggy (which is very unsual), theres invariably been a car behind me anyway.

Now reversing lights, a different matter. Indeed I've had to use the indicators to provide some light when reversing onto the drive and for backing up for folk on narrow lanes - 'I can see, cant see, can see' etc (This technique dosnt work with trafficators btw!

)
One day all my cars will have reversing lights...

Post by **RussLCV** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:51 pm

Just for info..............this is waht I have done to my LCV, I did slam in some extra wires when rebuilding. The reversing lights work of the MG box conversion, as it has the switch needed. The fogs are fused and run via an illuminated switch under dash mounted (also note I run an alternator with 2 fuse boxes) the reversing lamps are standard issue drilled through the chassis and the fogs are mounted in line under the standrad LCV lights in specially made housings, my pick-up is beaing treated exactly the same and I am just re wireing that.

Hope it helps

Russ