LED dimmer wiring

[REM]

Has anyone fitted the Cree 30W LEDs spot lights with remote controlled dimer? I have a pair from Hong Kong. The idea is to have the LEDs dimmed to a preset level (using the remote) on dipped beam, the when the high beam is switched the LEDs go to full brightness. A cheap version of the Clearwater LED system.

Do any of you electrical gurus have any view on my proposed wiring plan - requires two relays - one trigered by the ingition power on and the other triggered by the high beam which causes the dimmer to be bypassed.

 

[Fanum]

Doesn't look right to me, but I'll have another look when I can think straight in the morning.

You're going to need a NO relay and a NC relay to do slightly different things, if you're aiming to have one 'switch' turn off a second 'switch' which is in turn powered open by the ignition.

Off Ignition off
ON ignition on makes dimmer feed active, main beam OFF
ON Main beam bypasses dimmer altogether, feeds LEDs with full current



Head not clear enough to stand by that right now though

 

[REM]

Yes that is the intention, and thanks for your thoughts Les

1 Off Ignition off
2 ON ignition on makes dimmer feed active, main beam OFF
3 ON ignition Main beam bypasses dimmer altogether, feeds LEDs with full current

Never knew there were two types of relay!

I assume that an NO relay is needed for dealing with states 1 and 2 - the one on the left.

The dimmer has a +ve and -ve input and output terminals - I should have drawn the -ve output more clearly.

If the high beam relay is NO and lights dipped, then the power circuit for the LEDs earths/completes through the -ve input - presumably the dimmer setting is applied.

So when high beam is switched on a current goes to the second relay and closes it. Now the power circuit for the LEDs earths short circuits/bypasses the dimmer. There is an assumption that the dimming circuitry operates only through the negative return feed and somehow this is higher resistance than a regular earth. This part is how the supplier indicates the dimmer should be wired with a relay (type not specified).

What they do not say is how to achieve an ignition triggered ON/low beam. So that is the bit I have added with the extra relay triggered by the ignition.