thebyus

So I finally got around to installing a locker in the rear end, and went with an Ox, because I like having electric switching.

I had previously installed a homebrew relay box copied from BleepinJeep


The setup has been working great, as I routed all my electronics through the relay box and home-built switch box I built from some OTRATTW switches and a project box from Mouser.com

The ONLY problem is that the relay box is set up for POSITIVE side switching, and the Ox Locker is SPECIFICALLY set up for NEGATIVE side switching operation. So, after going round and round for a while about how to make a POSITIVE side switch into a NEGATIVE side switch, I finally called Ox, and they directed me to their that tells you EXACTLY how to convert a Positive Side Switch into a Negative Side Switch through a relay box (a SPod, in their case).

The gist is, you ground out the fuse on the ground side (NOT the supply side) ahead of the relay, jump a power supply that is wired to the ignition straight to the power supply (for the actuator) (in my case I jumped from the CB, figuring I would ONLY ever need the locker when I am out with other people and have my CB on!), and run the actuating ground (the magical GREEN wire) to the terminal AS IF IT WAS GOING TO RECEIVE POWER. (But don't worry, because you already grounded out ANY possible power to the relay, the GREEN wire will NEVER receive power!) Now, when you flip the switch in the cab, the relay is activated, and instead of SENDING power to the actuator, it simply OPENS a grounded path back OUT the relay. Voila, the actuator works, without any big issues.

I finished wiring this up on Friday, and then took it wheeling in Farmington, NM over Memorial day weekend. It worked BEAUTIFULLY! Not a single issue.