Bought a small hobby switch

[heymrdj]

I'm making a small circuit so I headed to Radioshack and got some parts. First switch was an illuminated rocker switch for automotive, 12V 30A rated. It turned out all its *guts* were stored in the head of the switch (in front of the threaded mount) which takes up too much room for the door to shut on my project. So i went back and got another illuminated switch, this one stores all the guts in the threaded part of the switch, leaving a near flat illuminated rocker switch out front, taking up only 1/8" space instead of 3/4" like the other. Problem is it says 100-250V, 125VAC @ 16A or 250VAC@10A. I'm putting on a 7A 12VDC load. Will this fail to make the light on the switch illuminate? And seeing as 7A 12VDC is less than 120VAC 16A, it shouldn't burn up the switch right? I really don't care about the switch, it's only $2.99. I'm more worried about burning up the expensive power supply I running this thing because the illuminator in the switch blows up with only 12VDC or something.

New switch

Old Switch

 

[heymrdj]

I know that RS's switches are just switches made by other companies, so I went to digikey and i found something interesting.

http://digi-key.dirxion.com/WebProject.asp?BookCode=dus08flx&SectionIndex=0&PageIndex=2038#

It says that the LED inside runs off of 12V while the switch is rated in 120-250 AC's. How by krikey does that work

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: heymrdj
I know that RS's switches are just switches made by other companies, so I went to digikey and i found something interesting.

http://digi-key.dirxion.com/WebProject.asp?BookCode=dus08flx&SectionIndex=0&PageIndex=2038#

It says that the LED inside runs off of 12V while the switch is rated in 120-250 AC's. How by krikey does that work

LED + resistor in series.

 

[DrPizza]

Oh, and OP, the light probably won't come on.

 

[Eli]

I don't even understand what the problem is.

No, you won't burn the switch up with a 12V @ 7A load.

Whether the LED lights up is another matter. If it's meant for a 120VAC circuit, it most likely won't.

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: Eli
I don't even understand what the problem is.

No, you won't burn the switch up with a 12V @ 7A load.

Whether the LED lights up is another matter. If it's meant for a 120VAC circuit, it most likely won't.

Yeah I knew the switch wasn't going to burn up. What I was worried about was *if* the led is made for 120v, what happens when it only gets 12, it won't cause a backfeed that could damage the power supply would it?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: heymrdj

Originally posted by: Eli
I don't even understand what the problem is.

No, you won't burn the switch up with a 12V @ 7A load.

Whether the LED lights up is another matter. If it's meant for a 120VAC circuit, it most likely won't.

Yeah I knew the switch wasn't going to burn up. What I was worried about was *if* the led is made for 120v, what happens when it only gets 12, it won't cause a backfeed that could damage the power supply would it?

Not only will it destroy your power supply, but it will power up the LHC and destroy the Earth.



...No.

It would be like trying to run a flashlight that takes two batteries on only one. There is not enough voltage to push enough current through the circuit, so nothing happens.

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: heymrdj

Originally posted by: Eli
I don't even understand what the problem is.

No, you won't burn the switch up with a 12V @ 7A load.

Whether the LED lights up is another matter. If it's meant for a 120VAC circuit, it most likely won't.

Yeah I knew the switch wasn't going to burn up. What I was worried about was *if* the led is made for 120v, what happens when it only gets 12, it won't cause a backfeed that could damage the power supply would it?

Not only will it destroy your power supply, but it will power up the LHC and destroy the Earth.



...No.

It would be like trying to run a flashlight that takes two batteries on only one. There is not enough voltage to push enough current through the circuit, so nothing happens.

Thanks alot then . I'll just have to wire it up and see what happens, now that i know I can't destroy anything.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: heymrdj
Thanks alot then . I'll just have to wire it up and see what happens, now that i know I can't destroy anything.

Don't be too confident in that. There are still probably a dozen ways you could let the smoke out of things.

Just don't short anything out, and you should be good.

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: heymrdj
Thanks alot then . I'll just have to wire it up and see what happens, now that i know I can't destroy anything.

Don't be too confident in that. There are still probably a dozen ways you could let the smoke out of things.

Just don't short anything out, and you should be good.

I don't suck that much at wiring . Although i did once try my hand at a battery powered battery charger....oh and "overclocking" an LED with 6v instead of th 3v...i dubbed it the supernova...really hot..really bright..then really gone..

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: heymrdj

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: heymrdj
Thanks alot then . I'll just have to wire it up and see what happens, now that i know I can't destroy anything.

Don't be too confident in that. There are still probably a dozen ways you could let the smoke out of things.

Just don't short anything out, and you should be good.

I don't suck that much at wiring . Although i did once try my hand at a battery powered battery charger....oh and "overclocking" an LED with 6v instead of th 3v...i dubbed it the supernova...really hot..really bright..then really gone..

lol

Hook a >12V tantalum capacitor up to your power supply.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: heymrdj

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: heymrdj
Thanks alot then . I'll just have to wire it up and see what happens, now that i know I can't destroy anything.

Don't be too confident in that. There are still probably a dozen ways you could let the smoke out of things.

Just don't short anything out, and you should be good.

I don't suck that much at wiring . Although i did once try my hand at a battery powered battery charger....oh and "overclocking" an LED with 6v instead of th 3v...i dubbed it the supernova...really hot..really bright..then really gone..

You haven't lived until you've hooked a 15" inch loudspeaker to a wall outlet, and turned the switch on. :Q

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft

Originally posted by: heymrdj

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: heymrdj
Thanks alot then . I'll just have to wire it up and see what happens, now that i know I can't destroy anything.

Don't be too confident in that. There are still probably a dozen ways you could let the smoke out of things.

Just don't short anything out, and you should be good.

I don't suck that much at wiring . Although i did once try my hand at a battery powered battery charger....oh and "overclocking" an LED with 6v instead of th 3v...i dubbed it the supernova...really hot..really bright..then really gone..

You haven't lived until you've hooked a 15" inch loudspeaker to a wall outlet, and turned the switch on. :Q

Depending on the speaker, you probably wouldn't have to suffer too long.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: heymrdj

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: heymrdj
Thanks alot then . I'll just have to wire it up and see what happens, now that i know I can't destroy anything.

Don't be too confident in that. There are still probably a dozen ways you could let the smoke out of things.

Just don't short anything out, and you should be good.

I don't suck that much at wiring . Although i did once try my hand at a battery powered battery charger....oh and "overclocking" an LED with 6v instead of th 3v...i dubbed it the supernova...really hot..really bright..then really gone..

The real fun is making a SED (smoke emitting diode).