Blue Sea Fuse Block Questions

Not electrical smart whatsoever, maybe I am thinking to much about this or not enough?
On the blue sea fuse block I want to run extra light but also work when the truck is off.

1? I just connect a power cable from the batt to the fuse block and ground it?
2? Then wire the lights to the switch, and then from the switch to the fuse block, with a fuse connected and grounded obviously.
Thats it is it, do I really need a relay?

 

Relay would be a good thing to have...

But you're in the right track
Also would like to add to add a circuit breaker between the battery and fuse block

 

Oh ya forgot about the circuit breaker, haha the one piece I actually have. How bad is it if I don't have a relay on the lights?

 

Technically yea you can...some lights that I have messed with won't work without having a realy hooked in the circuit...
A relay is pretty much another switch...doesn't hurt to add one tho

 

So I aint going to blow anything up without one? And for the rest of it along with the circuit breaker everything else sounds fine?

 

Relays keep you from powering the circuit unless another loop is energized. A relay loop is typically required for aux headlights, slaved off of the high or low beams. That being said... I don't do that. I want to be able to use my lights if the truck is off.

 

Thanks now I jest need the fuse block as my lights are adding up

 

well depends on the capacity of your switch. If you wire your lights directly to the switch without a relay, and the lights use high amperage, itll burn your switch. not many switches can handle a lot of amps.

 

It depends.

If you're using a cheap auto parts store switch and running a couple of 100w lights, you're going to smoke the switch.

The idea behind the relay is to keep the high-current wiring under the hood and out of the cab.
Everything inside the cab runs on smaller wire, which is easier to route, protected by a 5a fuse, switching relays.
The low current makes the switches last longer, reduces the potential for a cockpit fire, and allows for the use of cheaper switches, or more cosmetically-attractive switches.

And no... you do not run a wire from the battery to the Blue Sea block and ground it!

 

Not saying it's right by any means. But an ottrawt switch is rated for 20 amps. My lights are drawing 14.66 amps. So I chose not to wire in a relay. Actually attempted to install it and nothing worked. Followed the diagram to a T but thinking the way the ottrawt switch is wired is why it didn't work.

 

I have a lot of extra wiring in my truck and a whole bunch of lights. YES, definitely use relays! You do not want to be running that much juice through the firewall and into the cab of your truck, you will need to have bigger wire to run that safely. A relay allows you to run a much lower amperage current to the switch rather than all of the juice on the circuit.

 

I've got a brand new fuse block, I'd sell you for 50 shipped.

 

So does Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...a+fuse,aps,399&rh=i:aps,k:blue sea fuse block

 

Just remember free shipping is on items over 35.00 with prime. 34.99 doesn't count. And those you listed are 5025 which are fine for a 6 port hook up. Ben is most likely talking about a 5026 which has 10 or 12 ports. Which 50.00 is a great deal. If i hadn't just bought mine I would have got his.

 

This is my 12 fuse set up with labeled relays next to it

 

this is fine. Yes a relay is better but you are ok with this. You dont wanna load a circuit more then 80% for an overload instance so on a 20 amp circuit you dont want more then 16 amps.

 

Thanks for all the input its all welcomed, my hood lights, bumper led bar and rear lights are all LED and going to use the OTRATTW switches. The relays look so messy and I want to be able to run lights with the truck off.

 

Relays won't change whether or not you can run them with the truck off.

 

This; 12 ports on mine. Lemme know! Tryin to hook up a fellow member here, I can come down to $45 for ya.

 

Just because they are LED doesn't mean they won't draw a shitload of current.

Seriously man, use relays. Keep the high current under the hood.
For items you want to run with the truck off, trigger the relays from an always-on hot source.
For stuff like fogs and driving lights, if you switch them from an always-on hot source, it's a matter of when, not if, you walk out in the morning to go to work and find a dead battery.