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Switch for camera

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kookie22

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Hi, this is probably very simple, but i still need some help. I have a 12V helmet camera, powered by an external 12V battery pack. Whenever i want to turn the power ON or OFF, i have to connect/disconnect the power cable.
I would like to add a small, illuminated rocker switch, so i can just leave everything hooked up and simply power it from the switch. I found a switch i liked at the local electronics surplus store, and it has 3 connector pins. The camera power cable has 2 wires, positive and negative. How should i interconnect everything? The 2 wires from the battery need to input to the switch, and then output 2 wires from the same switch to a 2.1mm DC jack.
Any help would be appreciated. thanks!
 
Do you want the switch to be illuminated continiously?

If so connect the light accross the power supply from the battery. Connect break the positive connection to the camera and put the switch in series with it.

Have you checked the current rating off the switch, are you sure it can handle the current required for the camera?

What kind of light is it?

Is it an LED?

If so you'll need a series resistor.
 
the switch has a built-in light, and i would like it to light on only when the power is ON, not OFF. Thank you.
 
...and on the switch it says: 15A/125VAC...10A/250VAC...
the battery is 12V 300 mAh nimh type, the camera draws 130 mAh.
 
the illuminated rocker switch have three pins.


____
A ------O O------------ B
I
I
lamp
I
I
C ------------------------ C

the switch like this figure.
you must cut the wire



d------------------- cut here e------------------- + wire
from power source camera power lines
f------------------------------------------ - wire


connect d-A
connect e-B
connect f-C


after this the rocker switch lamp illuminate only rocker switch power on
 
I'm not sure i understand your diagram. Can we try something different? I know which wire on the battery is + and - and also for the DC connector. So can you tell me which of the 3 pins on the switch to connect:

+ wire from battery = pin #...
- wire from battery = pin #...
+ wire from DC connector = pin #...
- wire from DC connector = pin #...

Thanks a lot!
 
kookie22 said:
the switch has a built-in light
You still haven't said what sort of light it is, is it an LED, incandescent, or neon?

This is pretty important, an incandescent lamp can be connected directly to the power supply (assuming it's rated at the right voltage), an LED normally needs a series resistor and a neon will require a high voltage power supply and a resistor/capacitor to limit the current so an inverter would be required in this instance.
 
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I'm not certain, maybe you can tell better with a picture?

**broken link removed**
and
**broken link removed**
 
kookie22 said:
...and on the switch it says: 15A/125VAC...10A/250VAC...
the battery is 12V 300 mAh nimh type, the camera draws 130 mAh.

My guess is that it is a neon lamp, what else could work on both 125 & 250v AC? Of cause there is also a current limiting resistor.
Forget about getting it to light on 12v, unless you can get it disassembled and a LED and a resistor can be substituted.
 
I've noticed it only has three connectors. My guess is that one's for the live, the middle is for the load and probably has one end the neon connected to it, and the other is for neutral which the other end of the neutral is connected to. So yes I agree, forget about getting the lamp to light with only 12V, if there was a separate connection for the neon you could build a small inverter for it but there isn't so if you can't disassemble it and replace the neon with an LED and resistor then it's just tough. You need to buy another switch, one that's rated for 12V.
 
OK, i will look for a different switch, can you tell me where to solder the wires, given it's a proper 12V switch? thanks.
 
That depends on the switch.

By the way you don't seem to know much about electronics, perhapps you should read up a bit more.
 
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kookie22 said:
OK, i will look for a different switch, can you tell me where to solder the wires, given it's a proper 12V switch? thanks.

I would just use the same SW and cement the LED and the resistor to the side of it, or if you put it in a box just mount the LED next to the SW.
Trying to find a lighted 12v might not be so easy.
**broken link removed**
 
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Thanks folks, i just went and got another switch. This one rated at 12V 16A. It has 3 pins just like the last one, and i got it to function as wanted initially.
Hero999 you're right, i'm a bit green behind the ears, got any good readings to recommend as start-up?
 
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