Wiring LEDs to two separate power supplies

[RebelRyder]

Hello everyone, I am not an electrician by any means but I can do some basic tasks like soder and splice.

What I can't do is understand currents and the logic that goes into building them. So maybe if I post what I want to do, someone can help me figure out how to do it.

I'd like to wire up some LEDs to run on two different sources of power depending on the situation. These sources will never be used together, at least not intentionally so if there's a way to build in some kind of safety switch I'd like to hear it.

So the LEDs would surround the rig, and most of them would operate off a rocker panel inside the truck with power provided by the truck itself. This is normal and pretty easy to do, this circuit would rely on ACC power so it won't work when the truck is off.

I want to add a second set of rockers which power the lights via my Goal Zero battery, but I'm not sure I can just splice those hot wires directly into the ACC hot wires. I feel like this could potentially cause a problem.

I feel like I need something to marry the two power sources before they hit LEDs themselves. I'm not well versed in electronic components, I think I need a relay, but am not exactly sure what to look for or how to wire it in.

Can anyone explain?

 

[danwyandt]

Hello everyone, I am not an electrician by any means but I can do some basic tasks like soder and splice.

What I can't do is understand currents and the logic that goes into building them. So maybe if I post what I want to do, someone can help me figure out how to do it.

I'd like to wire up some LEDs to run on two different sources of power depending on the situation. These sources will never be used together, at least not intentionally so if there's a way to build in some kind of safety switch I'd like to hear it.

So the LEDs would surround the rig, and most of them would operate off a rocker panel inside the truck with power provided by the truck itself. This is normal and pretty easy to do, this circuit would rely on ACC power so it won't work when the truck is off.

I want to add a second set of rockers which power the lights via my Goal Zero battery, but I'm not sure I can just splice those hot wires directly into the ACC hot wires. I feel like this could potentially cause a problem.

I feel like I need something to marry the two power sources before they hit LEDs themselves. I'm not well versed in electronic components, I think I need a relay, but am not exactly sure what to look for or how to wire it in.

Can anyone explain?

It's not terribly difficult. You would have to use an interlocking relay to isolate the second power source.

You could use an SPDT relay with the LED on the L1 and feed the cab rocker power into the NO, the rear rocker power to the NC. Then add ACC power to the coil.

This would allow the power from the cab while the truck is on to power the lights and keep the battery power isolated, even if you forgot to turn off the rear rocker.