[chillysalsa]

I've been looking around for some power switches that have the LED built in... either push-button or rocker would be fine, but I'm looking for something for a large power supply (110 VAC, 4 A).

I remember seeing this Bulgin switch on a nice PPA, but it was 24VDC, 50mA only I believe... but is that rating just for the LED or something?

And then there's the one on the Full Monty:

which I think I like better.. but have no info on: specs or availability.

 

[The_Mac]

The bulgin is indeed a low power and current switch, but it's also a momentary-operation switch, so it's not intended for high-power loads, but rather for low-power logic switching. Use it as a trigger to a circuit that controls a relay or a solenoid that handles the big power, and it's happy as a pig in..... a blanket.

The switch on the full monty doesn't really get me fired up, seems clunky to me. But if you like it, then I'm sure that you could use it as a trigger to a relay as well (design the circuit appropriatly if it's MO or continuous). Ask larry what switch he used, or contact ipodstudio (or whomsoever he sold the amp to) and ask if it has a model number written on it.

Should do the trick.

 

[Lil_JV]

I think the one on the monty is a nkk iluminated pushbutton. I remember seeing a green one on jamont's PPA. Searching....... Here it is!
CLICK

The blue one is basically impossible to find last time I checked. The only way I could find it was directly from nkk. They do have a sample program but I don't know if you could buy it from them. I always wanted to try one of these.

IIRC the bulgin needs a whole relay circuit to operate however the nkk does not.

JV.

EDIT: oh, three Canucks in a row.

 

[skyskraper]

alps makes a pcb mounted blue led push button switch that should be around 1usd....

 

[DaKi][er]

Mouser has the Bulgin pushbutton switch with the blue ring around it (link ) but it doesn’t come cheap, at nearly $20 each

Need to find some digital circuitry to run the thing though, probably isn’t too hard to design something up myself

 

[Edwood]

BTW, the Bulgin switch is pretty stiff, and has very little travel. So unless your amp weighs at least 5-10 lbs, you are probably going to have to hold the amp while you press the button.

-Ed

 

[Edwood]

Oh yeah, the blue color of the Bulgin is more of a turquoise color rather than the deeper, almost purple-ish color of most blue led's.

-Ed

 

[tangent]

Quote:

I think the one on the monty is a nkk iluminated pushbutton

Yes, the KB series. But, that's a custom-machined aluminum cap on there.

The switches look like this with the factory lenses:

One's the white lens, the other is the blue. Neither LED is operating.

Also, the LED in these switches is a separate circuit -- it doesn't automatically light up when you turn the switch on. If you are building a PPA, for instance, you'd run wires from the switch's LED lugs to the LED pads on the amp board, and use the amp board's current-limiting circuitry.

Quote:

The blue one is basically impossible to find last time I checked.

I didn't have any particular problem finding the lenses in the picture above. I'm pretty sure I got everything from Mouser. If you mean the LED itself, you don't need to use NKK's LEDs. You can jigger regular T1 LEDs to work in the switch.

(Incidentally, the reason I used two different lens colors was because that amp was an experiment. I wanted to see a blue LED under both the blue and white lenses, to see which I preferred. I think I actually like the blue-under-white, so even if the blue lens is harder to find, it's not a big deal, to me. I'm not using NKK LEDs.)

Quote:

IIRC the bulgin needs a whole relay circuit to operate however the nkk does not....

Relays are one way to go, but probably a little heavy-handed. See below.

Quote:

Need to find some digital circuitry to run the thing though

I don't know about "digital", but how about a mechanically-triggered flip-flop:

http://edn.com/contents/images/102804di.pdf

If you want something simpler, the first circuit in this article should work, since the more complicated circuit the rest of the article describes probably is only necessary when running the latch signal from the output of a DC-DC converter as shown in the first schematic:

http://edn.com/contents/images/112300di.pdf

Quote:

the Bulgin...doesn’t come cheap, at nearly $20 each

The NKK KBs are in that same range as well, after you add all the accessories in.

 

[DaKi][er]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangent Relays are one way to go, but probably a little heavy-handed. See below. I don't know about "digital", but how about a mechanically-triggered flip-flop: http://edn.com/contents/images/102804di.pdf If you want something simpler, the first circuit in this article should work, since the more complicated circuit the rest of the article describes probably is only necessary when running the latch signal from the output of a DC-DC converter as shown in the first schematic: http://edn.com/contents/images/112300di.pdf

I was thinking of something more like this - http://www.discovercircuits.com/PDF-FILES/4013cir.pdf (2nd circuit down, the latched one)
powered off a separate simple rectifier circuit to switch, via a relay, the main amps psu on and off to keep the switch circuitry and amps separated from each other, adding some complexity to it, yet keeping the actual circuitry behind it simple for me to comprehend

Though this would require the transformer to be in the same case as the amp which could be restrictive to those that don’t have internal transformers as some people seem to have
Quote:

Originally Posted by tangent The NKK KBs are in that same range as well, after you add all the accessories in.

Yet still, imo look ugly compared to the Bulgin one

 

[tangent]

Quote:

I was thinking of something more like this

Hmmm...two transistors and a resistor vs. four passives, an IC and a relay...I know what I pick. Even the first circuit I posted, while more complex-looking, has some real advantages over a relay circuit: solid-state operation, and lower parts cost.

 

[chillysalsa]

Thanks guys.. but the thing I'm doing won't have a DC supply to use the momentary + latching scheme, and I don't want the complications of that either.

Too bad the NKK is only 1A @ 120/250V...

I'll go back to my favourite E-switch rocker switch... non-illuminated.

 

[Wodgy]

If all you want is a rocker switch, there are plenty of illuminated rocker switches. See the Mouser or DigiKey catalogs. Here in the US Radio Shack carries nice-looking illuminated red and green rocker switches.