Police lightbar Wiring In Garage

[D45]

I have a Federal Signal Arjent s2 light bar (53" iirc)......LED

Specs shows it uses a max 13.6 volts (11v min)

I want to mount it in the garage and wire it to use a wall outlet

Simple as buying a 110v to 12v converter?

 

[laser3kw]

I have a Federal Signal Arjent s2 light bar (53" iirc)......LED

Specs shows it uses a max 13.6 volts (11v min)

I want to mount it in the garage and wire it to use a wall outlet

Simple as buying a 110v to 12v converter?

check the installation manual. It shows a 40 amp inline supply fuse and 10 ga wires. It also shows a control unit to make it function

 

[D45]

It works completely fine when I touch the wires on a spare car battery.......no controller needed in this manner of use

 

[Wrench97]

12v DC transformer will replace a battery.

 

[dogdog]

just put an amp meter on it when it operates on a battery full lights on... then you'll find out what the current draw and what power supply you needed... round the amp up then add another 25% to the number...

12V is cheap... MeanWell is a good brand.

 

[dogdog]

12v DC transformer will replace a battery.

hard to find a 12V dc transformer transformer these days..

 

[Vintage Veloce]

I've been trying to get away from these my whole life... and you are putting one in the garage!?

 

[Wrench97]

hard to find a 12V dc transformer transformer these days..

Last time I needed one I used one from a old PC.

 

[LeonardY]

You can get a DC landscape transformer. Or a LED light transformer. Some of those have remotes. Just make sure they can provide the amperage required.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

12v DC transformer will replace a battery.

No. A transformer converts AC voltage up or down, but can’t make DC.

 

[Ray-CA]

I have a 1954 F-100 front end complete with lights hanging on the wall off the garage. Just wired a 12-volt landscaping light transformer to the wires. It’s plugged into a switched outlet and takes 45-seconds or so to turn on (has to sense darkness for a short time) but it’s been working for 15-years or so.

 

[jfleisher]

No. A transformer converts AC voltage up or down, but can’t make DC.

I am pretty sure my HO train transformer converted 110AC to DC...

 

[Wrench97]

I am pretty sure my HO train transformer converted 110AC to DC...

Now you are going to have to hear how that's not actually a transformer in technical terms................................

 

[LeonardY]

Inside a DC power supply is a rectifier. It converts AC to DC.
The term transformer is used loosely.
It's like when you ask for Kleneex, no one usually says "It's called called facial tissue." They just hand you one to wipe your nose.

 

[RPH]

DC-to-DC converter - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Dc to dc converters can change potential. But you still need to supply dcv. Seen many transformers used on a dc circuit as a choke. Very common in high power electronics control circuitry.

No. A transformer converts AC voltage up or down, but can’t make DC.

 

[speedracerfx]

Simple as buying a 110v to 12v converter?

Yup! I have a 50 amp power supply running a Code 3 MX7000 light bar in my basement bar. Since yours is an LED unit, the draw won't be anywhere near my light bar draws.

 

[Outlander]

I used an old PC power supply and instructions all over the internet to provide 12v power to old trailer lights I mounted on the wall. Turn them on occasionally, for effect

YMMV

 

[goldtang]

Agree with the PC power supply had one to power car radio I was using in the garage till the radio died lasted about 6 years power supply was still working

 

[csi123]

The technical term for the device that converts AC to DC is called a AC to DC converter, which has a transformer inside to first lower the voltage of the AC to 12V, then followed by a rectifier to convert the AC to DC.

The device that is used as a "choke" is called an inductor. It *looks* very much like a transformer but it isn't a transformer. Your can however make an inductor out of transformers but rarely you will do that when you can just use a inductor, which is cheaper and smaller.

 

[D45]

Since the light bar is led, do I need a 110v to 12v led driver transformer?

 

[Wrench97]

Since the light bar is led, do I need a 110v to 12v led driver transformer?

The driver should be part of the light bar since it works on battery power.

 

[1967mgbgt]

On short notice I needed to rig up some blue strobe lights (from an unmarked car) for some LEO indoor training. I took an old 12V, 2/10 amp battery charger, plugged it into an unused switched outlet and used it as a power supply. While meant as a temporary setup, its been working well for 15 years.

 

[Solarphil]

One of my favorite sources for cheap power supplies is local thrift stores - they inevitably have a bin of mismatched and orphaned power supplies from laptops, routers and other electronics. It takes a bit of rooting through them to find something with the right voltage and current output, but I’ve always been able to find something that will work and you can’t beat the price.

 

[Two Speed]

Since the light bar is led, do I need a 110v to 12v led driver transformer?

No. Just look for a 12 volt power supply (or a 13.5 volt supply) that is able to deliver the amperage you need (plus some headroom). The federal signal manual calls for 40 amp fused line--but that is with halogen alley lights. If your all LED it'll be less (won't know until you measure). As mentioned, an old computer power supply. An old 12volt laptop power supply (fyi most newer ones are 19v). Or hit up digikey/mouser/etc and get an open frame single output power supply (120vac in, 12vdc out) to mount in your own box.

 

[kaymccampbell]

This ought to power your light bar.

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