How can I wire an on/off switch on a 12v/5ah SLA battery?

Question

I have a 12v/5ah sealed lead-acid battery wired to inverters, which are then wired to cold cathode tubes for a lighting effect under plexiglass on a table. My question is, what kind of on/off switch can I use to easily power the lights on and off without disconnecting the battery every time. Also, where in the line would it best be places?

Battery--->(split three ways)--->3 Inverters--->(split two ways each)--->lights (6 total). Make sense?

The following links show the products I am using:
Lights with inverters: http://www.xoxide.com/colcatblu.html (but I removed the computer-related parts, and just left the wires and hooked the inverters to the battery)
Battery:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062120&cp=2032056&f=Taxonomy%2FRSK%2F2032056&categoryId=2032056&kwCatId=2032056

Answer 1

If all three lights are supposed to be lit at the same time (and not independently on or off), then put a switch at the positive pole of the battery. Then all 6 will light at once. If you want to split it up into pairs of lights (two lights to each inverter), you can put 3 switches, one each on the individual inverters on the low voltage (battery) input side. The advantage is that you will be switching LOW voltages, so it is pretty much safe. You can also use small switches that are rated at least 12V (which is virtually all of them), so you can have a good variety to choose from.

To do all six lights independently, you would have to put switchs AFTER the inverters, one before each of the six lights (six switches needed). But you will be switching HIGH Voltage, so you need to be very careful with wiring, proper insulation, and so on for safety.

Answer 2

You are probably better off switching the inverter circuits.
Starting the inverters under load as a regular thing
might cause problems.