Thread: Looking for some info???

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Here is a pic of what I want to do, I am leaning more to my 2nd Idea but I have know clue on how to wire this all up...I want to be able to control each switch with one power plug to ower the whole board and an outlet for each of the switches.... I drew up quick sketch maby one of you guyz will get what I'm trying to build....
I would like to build several of this to control different rooms in the haunt from with in the room, the actor could control a whole room then have a come out for a final scare...

here is my pic.


now I would really like to build Idea #2 witch would be a 6 switch board with 1 master power to feed the board and then 6 Edison outlets to each of the 6 switches just a common theater light board....

:The 1st 2 switches (Single Pole Decorator Switch) would be to power props in the room (electrical/pneumatic) or for what ever scare I can come up with.

:The 2nd set of 2 switches (Slide Dimmer or ON/OFF Dimmers) used for the lighting in the room, this way we can have lights out until the tots walk up to the each of these rooms.

:The 3rd set of 2 switches (Quiet switches or Dimmers)would be used to control sound in the rooms that would be hooked up to cd/mp3s players that are wired to comp. speakers I have tons of these get then for $4 at my store and just use $8 mp3s when we get them I buy tons at cost...


I know there are a few out there even DC/Terror Syndicate use something like this but don't know where to start on the wiring....
http://halloweenforum.com/attachment...4&d=1202658624

OK there you go I think I have included everything That I would like to do...I just don't know how to safely wire this all up...to work the way want... any help would be great on this one.....

First off have you ever wired a switch or outlet in your home any electrical work?

Im not trying to cut you down i just want to know if you have any experience in wiring. I have been shocked enough times by 110 and 220 to know it hurts and can be dangerous. What you want to do is pretty simple. Thats what i do for the holidays when i need lights dimmed.

Ehhhhh I wired mine different. The way i did it was each switch had its own power not one input for all the switches. I think to wire multiple switches your going to need 3 and 4 way swicthes.

Not to cut you down ToeTag, to wire multiple switches in one box you don't need 3 and 4 way switches.That is not their purpose. They are used used for switching in multiple locations, ie top and bottom of stairs you would used 3 way switches at each. Any additional switches in the middle would need to be 4 way switches.

3 way switches are used for 2 locations
4 way switches are used for more then 2 locations along with 3 way switches


NorthernTouch:

Your idea is simple and can be executed without any problems, it can be done simply. I can even build them for you if your not comfortable with doing the wiring yourself. I'm not to far away, you can pick them up or i could ship them to you (at your cost of course...)


What exactly do you want to control with the "quiet" switches, just some audio outputs from speakers? IE have them run on a loop and just turn on and off the speakers?

Let me know and I'll see what I can do...


A note to anyone working with electricity:

Less then 1volt and 1amp can kill you. Consider yourself lucky if you are shocked by 120, 208, 220, 240, 347 and have lived. Consider yourself a miracle if you are shocked with 600volts or above and live to tell about it. If So, you'd will probably spend about 6months to a year in the hospital recovering and have skin graphs. Electricity is not a joke and "people" are way to comfortable working with it. IT CAN KILL and does not choose who it kills, you choose to be killed by it. Not meant to scare anyone but just think before you act while working with electricity. I am licensed electrician and it even scares me to work with it sometimes. When you loose the fear is when it will hurt you. Thats why I'm 7 years and not a single shock.

So just daisy chain those single pole switches?

In a way yes they are daisy chained. I'm talking about this specific application. If your requiring a lot of switching and your loads are more then what a single 15amp plug can handle then it would be advised to run two or more power inputs into your device.

With this controller, unless the total overall load is greater then 15amps I think that one source will do just fine.

Now I do have a little electrical know how but have never hooked up multiple switches... I am starting to understand about the amps and stuff but am not sure if I would be over the 15 amps at a time that you are talking about.... I planed to only power 2 separate lights that would be only for the time that the guests are in the room, then 2 switches to power the props (pneumatic/electric/motorized) in the room and only for only a few sec. that they will be activated. the other 2 switches would be for sound that will be hooked up to comp. speaker that would be plugged into the outlet and to an mp3 player on a loop....

Now all the switch boxes could be 4/6 switches depending on the room I just did my sketch with the 6 switch set-up so you guyz could give me and idea of how to wire these properly...
I planed to run all the foggers and stuff from another power that comes from the garage this will be the 1st time we do this but should work out great....

I don't see it being a problem to run two lights of each circuit and the couple pneumatic props, the air cylinders draw very little.

I can make up a sketch for you on how to wires these up

I'm still unclear what your requirements are for the "quiet switches" for the sound
Will you just be powering up and down the speakers as you want them to be heard?

yup that's all I want to do as for the sound.... And thankz for the offer but I want to do this one on my oown but would love all the input I can get and a diagram would be awsome...it's nice to see others from Ontario out here....

I quickly threw together a sketch of what you basically want. I hope I've got your idea down...

Attached you'll find two pictures, one of the schematic drawing and one of the suggested type of box you use. Most local hardware stores will sell this or a variation of it. Each 4 switch and 4 plug system will require 2 of these boxes. My idea would be you use threaded nipples (yes i said nipples! lol!) to connect them together this will also act as a conduit for the wires to pass from the switches to the plugs

This design allows you to use one switch to control 2 physical outlets, You could modify the plugs by breaking the tabs to only get one outlet per switch, so you'd only have 4 switches but 2 plugs with 4 outlets. Lost?

The other method of doing this is buying some electrical cords and making the appropriate connections in the box and having the female ends as long as you like and your devices can be plugged right into them, this will actually make your unit much more compact!

I'd also suggest using TOGGLE switches, the old style opposed to the new decora style, why? Because in a darker situation toggles are MUCH easier to look at it and see if they are on or off!

I do not advise you build a wood enclosure for this. Wood is flammable! Electricity and wood do not mix well !