How Many Circuits Do You Have?

[Old Rotor Flap]

I'm wondering how many electrical circuits I will need for my project.

How many do you have and what are they?

Do you have any spare breakers in your fuse block?

Does the Earth weigh more or less than it did five-hundred years ago? ..... oh, never mind.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Well ORF, it sorta depends on what you consider a "circuit." Are you thinking that each fuse covers a circuit, or each positive wire is a circuit, or each component is a circuit, or each terminal on the fuse block is a circuit, or what?

In my case, I have a Ron Francis Bare Bonz wiring kit. The panel has eight fuses, ten "circuits," and sixteen terminals. But some of the terminals have multiple components hooked up to them. So it's hard to say how many actual circuits there are. Sorry bud, I don't mean to confuse you, but wiring these little boogers can be a little daunting.

Here's an attempt to identify some "circuits" for you. This is how the sixteen terminals on my fuse block are labeled...

1 - IGN FEED / COIL
2 - ACC FEED / ALT FEED
3 - NEUTRAL SAFETY SW
4 - NEUTRAL SAFETY IGN
5 - RUNNING LIGHTS
6 - BRAKE LITE SW
7 - CLOCK MEM (always hot, not used on my set-up)
8 - HORN PWR
9 - HORN SW
10 - TURN FLASHER
11 - HAZARD FLASHER
12 - WIPER (30 amp circuit, I'm using it for the radiator fan)
13 - A/C HEAT (30 amp circuit, I'm using it for the fuel pump)
14 - RADIO / GAUGES (dash feeder)
15 - DIMMER SW
16 - HEAD LIGHTS

Now, I need to point out that for this set-up to work you have to have a GM-style steering column harness, which controls turns, hazards and horn, a certain style of headlight switch, which controls parks, low beams and high beams (through a separate dimmer switch), and a certain style of ignition switch, which controls ACC, IGN and start functions.

I know lots of guys have wired their hot rods from scratch using simple terminal blocks and in-line fuses or breakers, but I gotta tell ya, a wiring harness/fuse block kit makes it soooo much easier.

Just my 3.7 cents (inflation).

EDIT: I should also point out that the Bare Bonz fuse block has the turn flasher, hazard flasher and horn relay built in. Many of the wiring kits have this feature, saving you some intricate wiring.

 

[ellis8500]

Look in my gallery and you'll find a complete wiring diagram for a basic electric system. You can fuse as many circuits as you like but remember, fuses are there to protect the wiring and prevent fires when there is a short circuit. A short anywhere in that circuit diagram will blow a fuse.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Link to Mr. Bill's gallery (Ohhhh noooo!)...

 

[EX JUNK]

Here is a simple set up.

Jim

 

[AndyMenon]

I'm wondering how many electrical circuits I will need for my project.

How many do you have and what are they?

Do you have any spare breakers in your fuse block?

Does the Earth weigh more or less than it did five-hundred years ago? ..... oh, never mind.

Thanks for initiating this discussion inspired by my thread :thumb:

 

[AndyMenon]

Well ORF, it sorta depends on what you consider a "circuit." Are you thinking that each fuse covers a circuit, or each positive wire is a circuit, or each component is a circuit, or each terminal on the fuse block is a circuit, or what?

In my case, I have a Ron Francis Bare Bonz wiring kit. The panel has eight fuses, ten "circuits," and sixteen terminals. But some of the terminals have multiple components hooked up to them. So it's hard to say how many actual circuits there are. Sorry bud, I don't mean to confuse you, but wiring these little boogers can be a little daunting.

Here's an attempt to identify some "circuits" for you. This is how the sixteen terminals on my fuse block are labeled...

1 - IGN FEED / COIL
2 - ACC FEED / ALT FEED
3 - NEUTRAL SAFETY SW
4 - NEUTRAL SAFETY IGN
5 - RUNNING LIGHTS
6 - BRAKE LITE SW
7 - CLOCK MEM (always hot, not used on my set-up)
8 - HORN PWR
9 - HORN SW
10 - TURN FLASHER
11 - HAZARD FLASHER
12 - WIPER (30 amp circuit, I'm using it for the radiator fan)
13 - A/C HEAT (30 amp circuit, I'm using it for the fuel pump)
14 - RADIO / GAUGES (dash feeder)
15 - DIMMER SW
16 - HEAD LIGHTS

Now, I need to point out that for this set-up to work you have to have a GM-style steering column harness, which controls turns, hazards and horn, a certain style of headlight switch, which controls parks, low beams and high beams (through a separate dimmer switch), and a certain style of ignition switch, which controls ACC, IGN and start functions.

I know lots of guys have wired their hot rods from scratch using simple terminal blocks and in-line fuses or breakers, but I gotta tell ya, a wiring harness/fuse block kit makes it soooo much easier.

Just my 3.7 cents (inflation).

EDIT: I should also point out that the Bare Bonz fuse block has the turn flasher, hazard flasher and horn relay built in. Many of the wiring kits have this feature, saving you some intricate wiring.

I ordered the 20-circuit harness and I'm glad that I did. I don't know if my ride is going to have any more circuits than what's listed here. But it is better to get one that has more circuits that you've planned for.

BTW, I wrote to the ebay seller, and the harness comes with one integrated relay (that I can use for the cooling fan), and I'll have to add another one for the electric fuel pump.

Bottom line - I feel it's easier to rollup the extra wires and stash them somewhere on the t-bucket than going thro' the pain of having to add extra circuits, once the fuse block goes under the dash. :thumb:

 

[Old Rotor Flap]

Thanks lads for your valued responses and thanks Ex-Junk for the drawing - it's what I was trying to envision.

Though way ahead of myself thinkikng about wiring, I'm trending in a bit of a different direction.

Take look at this touch screen PLC with the idea of using it as a dash board.

http://www.unitronics.com/Series.aspx?Page=Vision570

You've probably seen glass panels in aircraft which might be a choice if I win the Lotto. In the mean time, a PLC is intriguing to my little gray cells.

Chatting with my pal - he builds environmental control systems for growing.... plants.

He uses PLC;s and tells me it's not all that difficult to build a head(s)-up display to project to my windshield.

He may be buying a wire printer. That is to label wire which means it will be easier to wire my car in all one color wiring...... whick I will de regardless of whether or not he buys the printer.

 

[AndyMenon]

Thanks lads for your valued responses and thanks Ex-Junk for the drawing - it's what I was trying to envision.

Though way ahead of myself thinkikng about wiring, I'm trending in a bit of a different direction.

Take look at this touch screen PLC with the idea of using it as a dash board.

http://www.unitronics.com/Series.aspx?Page=Vision570

You've probably seen glass panels in aircraft which might be a choice if I win the Lotto. In the mean time, a PLC is intriguing to my little gray cells.

Chatting with my pal - he builds environmental control systems for growing.... plants.

He uses PLC;s and tells me it's not all that difficult to build a head(s)-up display to project to my windshield.

He may be buying a wire printer. That is to label wire which means it will be easier to wire my car in all one color wiring...... whick I will de regardless of whether or not he buys the printer.

Hmmm.. How legal is this going to be with images showing up on the windshield? And how does the sunlight factor into the visibility?

 

[Old Rotor Flap]

Yup. I shudda, cudda, wish I wudda proofed my spelling, well except this line.... but life goes on.

Heads up should be legal. I understand Corvettes have it.

The PLC can be programmed to display about anything I can dream up, although I don't think naughty pictures of Pam Anderson would be appropriate. I'm thinking graphics of a speedo, oil and temp would suffice as a default screen with a variety of instrument face designs that would sequence like a slide show. The head-up display would be in addition to the panel displays.

The trick to head-up is a combination of particular lighting and surface to project against. My windshield (when I get there) will tilt via electric motor and worm drive as pictured in another thread somewhere here on the forum.

The head-up projection will have to "focus" in accordance with windscreen angle. I can do that in a couple of different ways - mechanically or electronically.