Exterior Light / Motion Detector swap out

Take it from someone that got in a rush one day.......

Connected a low voltage security light to power on the bench and it lit up fine (momentary light off when connected even in daylight).

Chopped out the incandescent light and noticed tiny flicker sparks when I went to crimp the butt terminals to the power supply. The light failed to operate at all.

Conclusion. I caused the failure. Somehow the tiny sparks failed one or more of the IC's in the unit. Disconnecting the power at the battery causes far fewer spikes and line voltage deformation because of the distance.

I won't be doing that again.

Ok, I''ll disconnect the batteries. Seems like the right thing to do.

Thanks for the feedback. You'all are a crazy bunch!

It is simply not a big deal. It's not on a dimmer and I'm sure he's smart enough to be aware of lightening, although is it hits the coach he's in trouble anyway. And he's not going to blow anything up hooking it up backwards. You simply cannot hurt it.

RJsfishin wrote:
Well, if ya think about it, if I really needed to ask that question, switch or no switch, I'd head straight for the battery !:B

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and.....yikes! - How hard is it to disconnect the battery??.:S

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Lets see, We have someone who ACTUALLY READS the install instructions. I looked them up and it says at least 3 times to disconnect the battery before doing ANYTHING with the 1000. Then he goes to a open forum and asks a bunch of yahoo's if he should NOT follow the instructions. DUH. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. From MY read of the instructions, it appears the 1000 has a battery sense circuit also. THAT may be the reason for the battery disconnect warning. Doug

Do what the insructions say. I hooked up a dimmer switch while hot and it did not work. Talked to an electrician friend and his first comment was , you hooked it up hot didn,t
you. Burned something up so back to the store to buy another.

Well, if ya think about it, if I really needed to ask that question, switch or no switch, I'd head strate for the battery !:B

Doesn't really apply to 12V, but worthy of mention:

Ten Commandments of Electrical Safety
(1) Beware of the lightning that lurks in an undischarged capacitor lest it cause thee to be bounced upon thy backside in a most ungainly manner.

(2) Cause thou the switch that supplies large quantities of juice to be opened and thusly tagged, so thy days may be long on this earthly vale of tears.

(3) Prove to thyself that all circuits that radiateth and upon which thou worketh are grounded lest they lift thee to high-frequency potential and cause thee to radiate also.

(4) Take care thou useth the proper method when thou taketh the measure of high-voltage circuits so that thou doth not incinerate both thee and the meter, for verily though thou hast no account number and can be easily replaced, the meter doth have one and as a consequence bringeth much woe upon the supply department.

(5)Tarry thee not amongst those who engage in intentional shocks for they are surely non-believers and are not long for this world.

(6) Take care thou tampereth not with interlocks and safety devices, for this incureth the wrath of thy seniors and bringeth the fury of the safety officer down upon thy head and shoulders.

(7) Work thee not on energized equipment, for if thou doeth, thy mates will surely be buying lunch without thee and thy space at the table will be filled by another.

(8) Verily, verily I say unto thee, never service high-voltage equipment alone, for electric cooking is a slothful process, and thou might sizzle in thy own fat for hours on end before thy Maker sees fit to end thy misery and drag thee into His fold.

(9) Trifle thee not with radioactive tubes and substances lest thou commence to glow in the dark like a lightning bug.

(10) Commit thee to memory the works of the prophets, which are written in the instruction books, which giveth the straight info and which consoleth thee, and thou cannot make mistakes.

-From Orbit, the Journal of the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory, Didcot, England (31 January 1965) p.12

There are several versions of this on the web. I was first introduced to it by a retired Cutler-Hammer EE who taught me to teach electrical motor controls. I especially like #8.

Jim, "Isn't rise and shine an oxymoron?"

real men work on hot circuits with impunity.
bumpy

Might as well find out what a heart attack feels like. :B