E=IR and decorative lights

syandoa · 10-08-2009, 07:30 PM

My original post was for adding decorative lights to my cart that has six 6V batteries in series. My assumption and the answer I received was that I could connect alligator clips to two of the batteries in series and get my 12V power to power the cigarette lighter. I connected the clips to two batteries and did not have any (or sufficient) power to get my AC/DC inverter to light up. Yes, I did put red to positive and black to negative. I chose two batteries half-way through the series because it was more convenient.

One group of people I spoke with told me that since I have six 6V batteries that I have a 36 volt system and that I need to split the current and add resistors to bring down one branch to 12V, then add my leads onto that 12V section.

Another group told me that it is a 6V system, and I can hook my leads to the same pos/neg that my charger and motor are hooked to (the full series), and that I will be able to pull the sufficient amperage that I need to power the my adapter.

Which school of thought is right?

Regards,

Scott

roady89 · 10-08-2009, 07:34 PM

You can do either one. They both have their ups and down. The two 6 volt batts will give you 12 volts but you drain those batts faster than the rest. Not so much a problem if you rotate the connection between the other sets.

The other way.
Don't know about a resistor...you need to use a voltage convertor. You connect to full pack voltage and it drops it down to 12 volts. The upside to this is it pulls from ALL the batts. THe down side is the cost. Some can be pretty pricey.

syandoa · 10-08-2009, 07:40 PM

Okay, so I guess I must have hooked up to the wrong two posts. After thinking about it I was thinking the way AA batteries line up together. If I hook this up to two batteries and I have pos to pos and neg to neg and then plug in my inverter, can I hurt myself or the inverter? It has a fuse on the back for 24V and 34 amps. And while we are on the subject, are 6 batteries that are 6V in series a 6V system or a 36V system, or is this just a semantic debate? It's the amps that power the motor, correct?

syandoa · 10-08-2009, 07:41 PM

I have alligator clips, so I can move them around, but I heard the system is no stronger than the weakest battery.

scottyb · 10-08-2009, 07:47 PM

This is fun isn't it !? You get tons of infornation and it all rattles around your brain until you are tounge tied

Okay series is when we connect batteries pos to neg until we have a string and connect to the open pos on 1 end and open neg on the other end

this mulitpies the aperage. We add the voltage of each battery in the series to get a volteage total 6x6=36v
And Paralell is when we connect pos to pos and neg to neg. In this way we add amperage and not voltage

Um....... what was the question

syandoa · 10-08-2009, 07:55 PM

Okay, so both schools are partially correct. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. The positive post on battery 1 is connected to the charger and the negative post on battery 6 is connected to the charger and they are in series. If I connect pos on 1 and neg on 6 to a cigarette lighter adapter with alligator clips on the opposite end, is that a good/feasible way to hook halloween lights to my cart for my tour through the neighborhood with the kids?

syandoa · 10-08-2009, 07:56 PM

Assume that I will have an inverter plugged into the cigarette adapter powering the string of AC lights.

roady89 · 10-08-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syandoa

Okay, so both schools are partially correct. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. The positive post on battery 1 is connected to the charger and the negative post on battery 6 is connected to the charger and they are in series. If I connect pos on 1 and neg on 6 to a cigarette lighter adapter with alligator clips on the opposite end, is that a good/feasible way to hook halloween lights to my cart for my tour through the neighborhood with the kids?

No, you will have 36 volts there.

Hook to the positive on the first battery and the negative on the second battery and that will give you 12 volts DC. Just follow from the first battery to the second and that makes 12 volts. Use a volt meter if your scared to mess something up.

syandoa · 10-08-2009, 08:43 PM

Okay, so when I go to my friends tomorrow and tell them that I am using two batteries, I can tell them I am using 12V and not 36V? They were under the assumption that when you have them all in series you are using 36V. I will try this tonight - it makes sense to me.

roady89 · 10-08-2009, 08:46 PM

Ok...your REALLY confusing me now. You have 2 threads on the same thing.

Your invertor. What is the input voltage on the invertor? What is the output of the inverter?

When you connect to ALL of the batteries you have 36 volts. (you can't connect a 12 volt device to this)

When you connect to 2 of the batteries you have 12 volts.

If your invertor is a 12 volt DC to 110 AC you need to connect to 2 batteries in series. 12 volts

10-08-2009, 07:30 PM	#1
syandoa Not Yet Wild Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Charlotte Posts: 31	E=IR and decorative lights My original post was for adding decorative lights to my cart that has six 6V batteries in series. My assumption and the answer I received was that I could connect alligator clips to two of the batteries in series and get my 12V power to power the cigarette lighter. I connected the clips to two batteries and did not have any (or sufficient) power to get my AC/DC inverter to light up. Yes, I did put red to positive and black to negative. I chose two batteries half-way through the series because it was more convenient. One group of people I spoke with told me that since I have six 6V batteries that I have a 36 volt system and that I need to split the current and add resistors to bring down one branch to 12V, then add my leads onto that 12V section. Another group told me that it is a 6V system, and I can hook my leads to the same pos/neg that my charger and motor are hooked to (the full series), and that I will be able to pull the sufficient amperage that I need to power the my adapter. Which school of thought is right? Regards, Scott

10-08-2009, 07:34 PM	#2
roady89 nimda Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 13,022	Re: E=IR and decorative lights You can do either one. They both have their ups and down. The two 6 volt batts will give you 12 volts but you drain those batts faster than the rest. Not so much a problem if you rotate the connection between the other sets. The other way. Don't know about a resistor...you need to use a voltage convertor. You connect to full pack voltage and it drops it down to 12 volts. The upside to this is it pulls from ALL the batts. THe down side is the cost. Some can be pretty pricey.
roady89 nimda Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 13,022

10-08-2009, 07:40 PM	#3
syandoa Not Yet Wild Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Charlotte Posts: 31	Re: E=IR and decorative lights Okay, so I guess I must have hooked up to the wrong two posts. After thinking about it I was thinking the way AA batteries line up together. If I hook this up to two batteries and I have pos to pos and neg to neg and then plug in my inverter, can I hurt myself or the inverter? It has a fuse on the back for 24V and 34 amps. And while we are on the subject, are 6 batteries that are 6V in series a 6V system or a 36V system, or is this just a semantic debate? It's the amps that power the motor, correct?

10-08-2009, 07:41 PM	#4
syandoa Not Yet Wild Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Charlotte Posts: 31	Re: E=IR and decorative lights I have alligator clips, so I can move them around, but I heard the system is no stronger than the weakest battery.

10-08-2009, 07:47 PM	#5
scottyb Happy Carting Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern California Posts: 73,408	Re: E=IR and decorative lights This is fun isn't it !? You get tons of infornation and it all rattles around your brain until you are tounge tied Okay series is when we connect batteries pos to neg until we have a string and connect to the open pos on 1 end and open neg on the other end this mulitpies the aperage. We add the voltage of each battery in the series to get a volteage total 6x6=36v And Paralell is when we connect pos to pos and neg to neg. In this way we add amperage and not voltage Um....... what was the question

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10-08-2009, 07:55 PM	#6
syandoa Not Yet Wild Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Charlotte Posts: 31	Re: E=IR and decorative lights Okay, so both schools are partially correct. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. The positive post on battery 1 is connected to the charger and the negative post on battery 6 is connected to the charger and they are in series. If I connect pos on 1 and neg on 6 to a cigarette lighter adapter with alligator clips on the opposite end, is that a good/feasible way to hook halloween lights to my cart for my tour through the neighborhood with the kids?

10-08-2009, 07:56 PM	#7
syandoa Not Yet Wild Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Charlotte Posts: 31	Re: E=IR and decorative lights Assume that I will have an inverter plugged into the cigarette adapter powering the string of AC lights.

10-08-2009, 08:43 PM	#9
syandoa Not Yet Wild Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Charlotte Posts: 31	Re: E=IR and decorative lights Okay, so when I go to my friends tomorrow and tell them that I am using two batteries, I can tell them I am using 12V and not 36V? They were under the assumption that when you have them all in series you are using 36V. I will try this tonight - it makes sense to me.

10-08-2009, 08:46 PM	#10
roady89 nimda Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 13,022	Re: E=IR and decorative lights Ok...your REALLY confusing me now. You have 2 threads on the same thing. Your invertor. What is the input voltage on the invertor? What is the output of the inverter? When you connect to ALL of the batteries you have 36 volts. (you can't connect a 12 volt device to this) When you connect to 2 of the batteries you have 12 volts. If your invertor is a 12 volt DC to 110 AC you need to connect to 2 batteries in series. 12 volts
roady89 nimda Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 13,022

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