Car Battery Hotwire? Dimmer Switch?

General Discussion
1

I thought I saw where someone had just jumped their hotwire cutter with their car battery, and wondered how that worked out?

And I wondered if I saw where a simple dimmer switch could be used to jump the wire using AC? Cut the out head off and split/strip the wire to clip it on the hot wire… Would it burn out the switch, or I guess it’s just a short and if you keep the current turned down…?

Thanks

2

I don’t think I’ve seen some one use a car battery. Messing around with 300+ amps you get from a battery is kinda scary. I’ve seen people using a car battery -charger-, but that’s different. Maybe that’s what you’re remembering, since they have jumper cable style clamp things?

A dimmer switch is used in this setup and this one, which are really the same. They use a cheap 25 volt/2 amp transformer.

Another option for a power source, not that I’ve seen it done or tried it yet, is the power supply from an old computer. They put out around a maximum of 15 amps on the 12 volt leads.

One thing to consider is that in the dimmer switch example the output of the 25v/2a transformer is AC not DC. The output of a computer power supply is DC. A modern dimmer switch (any one you buy) has three parts a variable resistor, a capacitor, and a thing called a triac. If you want to regulate DC I think you want to pull out everything but the resistor. But I could be full of it.

3

12V DC is 12V DC, the amperage is determined by the resistance, co if you power it with a computer power supply or a car battery at 12V it will be the same. I have used a smaller 12V battery with hotwires, it worked fine, it normally is used for my RC stuff.

4

Sigh… I never said that the amps weren’t determined by the resistance of the circuit. But the number of amps you can get out of a car battery are at least 10 times what you need for a hotwire setup. I just don’t think that it’s worth it. Other power sources like a small battery, battery charger, etc. are just a little safer in case of a short.

5

I’m using a car battery charger at about 50 amps with, I think, an 18 gage wire. Works well. I copied AirFrames setup.

But do put a switch on it. Undoing the leads is a pain.

6

I agree with Greg,

I’ve tried a few different things including the computer supply ( which worked okay), but the cheapest and simplest way I’ve found is with a car battery charger I picked up at Harbor Freight. I shy away from using ac. I think it’s overkill and I have kids around. -matt

7

Thanks guys! I was trying to not have to buy a single thing besides the guitar strings for the cutter, but those links are cool

What could happen if I pull my car battery and just go with that??

Thanks

8

Zzzzaaaaaaaaapppppppppp!

…Well probably, anyway. Big sparks :smiley:

Car battery charger is gonna cost you peanuts at your local “cheap auto bits” store.

9

Yeah, careful with that car battery! I was using one on a “medical treatment device”–pulsing electromagnet. long story. Anyway, you could easily find yourself suddenly sitting on the floor across the room, watchin a small smokey fire.

10

[img_assist|nid=1049799|title=splitting my blank|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=511|height=640]Being a contractor I was able to make my own with a trip to Radio Shack, look it up on some D.I.Y. sites. You will need a transformer, fuze, box, and dimmer switch.If you don’t understand how to do it buy a cheap variac and skip the electrocution.