Hey all,
I have undertaken a project that i have done a great deal of reading for and learning about to supplement my newbie knowledge, but my efforts have come short in a few areas. I have finally given up googling for now as i have not been able to find the answers I need to move forward. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction and I will be on my way back to Google, to return with answers for others upon completion of my project.
So, this project requires 2 lamps, driven by a single ballast from a common US (120V) home, with a power button/switch that will automatically power off after, say 30 seconds. It seemed simple enough to me, get the correct ballast, endcaps, and lamps, then wire everything and get a timed power switch to take care of the rest. However, I have been unable to find such a timed power button/switch, and have been reading more and more about circuits, and at this point I am unsure whether this will need a circuit board and timer (555 timer maybe?) to accomplish this. I have found a wealth of info on DC circuits, but not much on AC circuits and honestly don't know how much DC relates to AC in regards to circuit boards and circuitry.
Are timed power switches commonly sold? Do I need a circuit board? Where should I look to find info on AC circuitry? Hopefully I am on the right track even, but at this point, i am just not sure. Finally, I am not one that looks to be fed the answers, I am willing to read and learn as much as I can on my own if I can be pointed to the right info, but Ive come to a point where im just lost and dont even know what to search for. Thanks ahead of time for all guidance.
I have undertaken a project that i have done a great deal of reading for and learning about to supplement my newbie knowledge, but my efforts have come short in a few areas. I have finally given up googling for now as i have not been able to find the answers I need to move forward. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction and I will be on my way back to Google, to return with answers for others upon completion of my project.
So, this project requires 2 lamps, driven by a single ballast from a common US (120V) home, with a power button/switch that will automatically power off after, say 30 seconds. It seemed simple enough to me, get the correct ballast, endcaps, and lamps, then wire everything and get a timed power switch to take care of the rest. However, I have been unable to find such a timed power button/switch, and have been reading more and more about circuits, and at this point I am unsure whether this will need a circuit board and timer (555 timer maybe?) to accomplish this. I have found a wealth of info on DC circuits, but not much on AC circuits and honestly don't know how much DC relates to AC in regards to circuit boards and circuitry.
Are timed power switches commonly sold? Do I need a circuit board? Where should I look to find info on AC circuitry? Hopefully I am on the right track even, but at this point, i am just not sure. Finally, I am not one that looks to be fed the answers, I am willing to read and learn as much as I can on my own if I can be pointed to the right info, but Ive come to a point where im just lost and dont even know what to search for. Thanks ahead of time for all guidance.