Hi,

As maybe some of you have read I have a remote controlled Observatory and in order to know if a device is working or not I did setup some switches in order to measure if there is current or not which means the device is working or not.

Here an image of my setup. Quite rought but it works nice. The coils were handwound and inside the coil is a reed relay. If current flows = reed relay closed I send a 5V signal to an AD reading port of my cards and signalize this on my GUI with green light. No current = red light

Now my question is : ¿ Is there a way to use whatever electronic components and substitute my archaic coils and relays ?

The maximum amperage flowing here is at around 4amp.

Thanks for any tips

regards Rainer

PS I hope this post is here in the correct forum ¿? is not moderators please move it

 

You can use a Hall Effect device in place of the reed relay to detect current in a wire.

 

My Dad always told me: "Let sleeping dogs lie."

You have a working solution, it's clever, nicely done, and something you can honestly brag about.

Is this an AC or DC system? How many volts? If DC, does the polarity eve reverse or do anything "funny" or "tricky"?

 

I like your coils, and it sounds like they work. Do you have any reason to change them other than they're "archaic?"

 

My Dad always told me: "Let sleeping dogs lie."

You have a working solution, it's clever, nicely done, and something you can honestly brag about.

Is this an AC or DC system? How many volts? If DC, does the polarity eve reverse or do anything "funny" or "tricky"?

Hi,

It is a DC system and I have 5V and 12V consumers. The polarity is always the same. NO nothing does some funny or tricky things.

Well the coils winding amounts were found by Trial & Error. I also used different wire thickness for 5V and 12V consumers as well as low or high amperage.

I found a company which produces those Current Loop switches and asked if they had something for my purposes and they said the same as you said. They produce those switches but for very high amperage consumers like maybe 50ampere upwards.

Just as a note aside the wiring for the whole observatory. As you see I work with DC and AC power supply.

Control Box for a Telescope Pier (of which I have 2 of them in the observatory)

Main Control Board for remote PC sart up and Relay boards

regards Rainer

 

I like your coils, and it sounds like they work. Do you have any reason to change them other than they're "archaic?"

Hi,

Not really. I just thought there are more modern solutions for that and yes it works and none of them has ever turned into a black coal device.

Well I think I fried one during the R&D fase but nothing major happened

 

You can use a Hall Effect device in place of the reed relay to detect current in a wire.

Hi,

Thanks. Just started to inform myself about how these work and eventually how could I use them in my Observatory.

Thanks and regards Rainer