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Re: Headlight switch amperage?

To: Robert Allen <boballen@sky.net>
Subject: Re: Headlight switch amperage?
From: Paul Hunt <paul.hunt1@virgin.net>
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 20:30:20 +0000
Robert Allen wrote:
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kurt Schmidt <schmidt_kurt@hotmail.com>
> 
> >I have a 75B and have noticed that the on/off switch gets quite warm
> >The wiring allows all of the current (a lot) through the switch so the
> >fact that the switch gets warm does not surprise me too much...
> 
> The lighting consumes electricity; specifically watts, which is amps times
> volts. The less volts available then the more amps required. Amps cause
> heat. So check your charging system to make sure you're getting sufficient
> voltage out of it.

Beg to differ.  With a given load a lower voltage will result in lower current, 
a 
higher voltage in a higher current.  Watts at a load is indeed amps in the load 
times volts across the load, but amps in the load is voltage divided by 
resistance, 
which is relatively constant.  For the amps to rise as the voltage fell the 
load 
would have to reduce in resistance.  Lamps do exhibit an increasing resistance 
as 
the power dissipated by them (and hence the wattage and brightness) increases 
(that's why bulbs usually blow just as you turn them on - they are drawing 
their 
maximum current momentarily), but it has a much smaller effect on current than 
does 
the change in the voltage.

PaulH.



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