12V DC wiring + Switch + plug-in adapter = Ignorance.

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Lancer 525

Joined Aug 14, 2017
9
Hi all. Yet another total n00b in over his head.

I am wanting to rig up four LED strips, to be powered by a regular house socket. I would like these lights to be able to be operated by an illuminated toggle switch. I know just enough about electronics and electrical to know that if you throw the switch and it comes on, while nothing blows up or emits magic smoke, then it works. If you throw the switch and nothing happens, it doesn't work.

It occurred to me that I don't really have any way of knowing if the things I have on hand and plan to use are compatible or will work together, beyond the info that they all say 12V DC on them somewhere.

The four LED light strips (bought from Amazon) all have this written in microscopic letters: 12VDC 30CM 15-LED

The plug-in adapter thing I have is from an old IR floodlight from my dad's old security camera system.
It has this printed on the plug-in part: AC/DC Adapter - Input: 100-240v AC - 50-60 Hz 0.3A - Output: 12vDC 1A

The switch has this on the box: 12v 20a 3p LED Light SPST Toggle Rocker Switch - R:500VDC 100 ohm min

My question is, when I wire all this up, will it be able to have the LED strips operate continuously for three hours, without blowing anything up, catching fire, emitting flashes of fire and magic smoke, blowing fuses in the house, or any other deleterious effects? I just want to wire up some light strips.

Is there something I need to do to it to ensure that I don't destroy anything?

Please keep in mind, all of those electronics terms like watt, amp, volt, ohm, etc... all are pretty much meaningless to me. I am only operating under the presumption that 12v DC things should be used with 12v DC things, and that the 100-240v AC to 12v DC adapter is a viable and acceptable source for electricity.

Is anyone willing to explain (as they would to a total and complete idiot) the way to get all this put together?

Oh, I made a drawing to show all the things I have to use.

Thanks.
 

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MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
According to the typical Amazon LED strip like this it is very low current, a 5a adapter would have been better, but it appears you should be OK with the 1a.
The worst that can happen is if you overload the adapter the voltage will collapse.
Max.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
As I was reading this thread I get an email from FleaBay:
Go figure, check this link out.

Some time back I bought some parts on Ebay and ever since I get everything from motorcycle parts to electronic parts to gun parts and accessories. The timing on this one was bizarre to say the least. :)

Ron
 

Thread Starter

Lancer 525

Joined Aug 14, 2017
9
According to the typical Amazon LED strip like this it is very low current, a 5a adapter would have been better, but it appears you should be OK with the 1a.
The worst that can happen is if you overload the adapter the voltage will collapse.
Max.
Well, Max... What exactly does "the voltage will collapse" mean?

And more importantly, what exactly will happen if it does?
 

Thread Starter

Lancer 525

Joined Aug 14, 2017
9
If you overload most SMPS the output can collapse, in some cases this will not cause a problem, depending on design.
Max.
Have no idea what "SMPS" is, so you might as well have written it in Attic Greek. Since "design" really doesn't mean anything in this context, I'm pretty much still as far in the dark as I was when I started this odyssey.

And you still haven't explained what "collapse" means. It's electricity. It doesn't have a structure to collapse.

Could you explain it to a slow five-year old?
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
In the context used we can take collapse to mean the output voltage goes to zero. A SMPS is merely a type of simple power supply and it means Switch Mode Power Supply with switch mode being how it works. What we call a wall wort, those little power supplies which plug into a wall receptical and resemble a wort on the wall have evolved over the years from little transformers with rectifiers to a SMPS design. That is about all there is to it. Most 12 Volt 1.0 Amp power supplies will simply shut down, fold over (another term) or collapse at their outputs when overloaded. A 12 Volt 5 Amp power supply, like the one I linked to can be had relatively inexpensive as in under $10 USD and would be a good choice. Here is an example on Amazon.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

Lancer 525

Joined Aug 14, 2017
9
As I was reading this thread I get an email from FleaBay:
Go figure, check this link out.

Some time back I bought some parts on Ebay and ever since I get everything from motorcycle parts to electronic parts to gun parts and accessories. The timing on this one was bizarre to say the least. :)

Ron
Ron: that looks just like the one that's attached to my wife's laptop. Mine looks more like the prongs coming out of the side of a really fat, oversized plug.

Like this: http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/322154737753-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/322154737753-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
In fact, looking at the writing on that one, it's exactly the same one I have already.

Now if I could figure out which wire goes to which of the three prongs on the switch!

Maybe it was
In the context used we can take collapse to mean the output voltage goes to zero. A SMPS is merely a type of simple power supply and it means Switch Mode Power Supply with switch mode being how it works. What we call a wall wort, those little power supplies which plug into a wall receptical and resemble a wort on the wall have evolved over the years from little transformers with rectifiers to a SMPS design. That is about all there is to it. Most 12 Volt 1.0 Amp power supplies will simply shut down, fold over (another term) or collapse at their outputs when overloaded. A 12 Volt 5 Amp power supply, like the one I linked to can be had relatively inexpensive as in under $10 USD and would be a good choice. Here is an example on Amazon.

Ron
Now that's an explanation even a completely ignorant person such as myself can wrap my head around. Thank you.

Wonder why there's always so much jargon all the time? Why can't people just say "it shuts off" instead of throwing all these terms around like I have any idea what they're talking about. If I knew what all that meant, I would be knowledgeable enough not to have to ask the overly simplistic question I asked!

So, I may have to actually buy something that won't shut down on me... Hmmm...

Thanks again!
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
With electronics goes a language all its own. When I was a kid and fascinated by electronics my dad who was an Electrical Engineer explained it to me as a language unto itself. Those who speak it often forget that the terms used need to be explained to others outside the field. My grandfather was a damn fine surgeon and excellent doctor. A man of considerable wisdom. He had no interest in doing anything electrical in the big Brooklyn Brownstone. He felt electricity was best left to those who did it I in turn promised I would never practice surgery.

As to switches? Switches which illuminate when ON generally have a small lamp or LED in the plastic bezel which illuminates when the switch is turned on. A good switch will include a pin outdrawing of the switch guts so the user knows how to connect what where. The three prong versions are normally marked Accessories, Ground and Power but they all can vary so it becomes important to choose or have help choosing the switch for your specific application (game plan). Most of the stuff can be reduced to its simplest terms. Don't let anything worry you.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

Lancer 525

Joined Aug 14, 2017
9
With electronics goes a language all its own. When I was a kid and fascinated by electronics my dad who was an Electrical Engineer explained it to me as a language unto itself. Those who speak it often forget that the terms used need to be explained to others outside the field. My grandfather was a damn fine surgeon and excellent doctor. A man of considerable wisdom. He had no interest in doing anything electrical in the big Brooklyn Brownstone. He felt electricity was best left to those who did it I in turn promised I would never practice surgery.

As to switches? Switches which illuminate when ON generally have a small lamp or LED in the plastic bezel which illuminates when the switch is turned on. A good switch will include a pin outdrawing of the switch guts so the user knows how to connect what where. The three prong versions are normally marked Accessories, Ground and Power but they all can vary so it becomes important to choose or have help choosing the switch for your specific application (game plan). Most of the stuff can be reduced to its simplest terms. Don't let anything worry you.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

Lancer 525

Joined Aug 14, 2017
9
Ron: I wouldn't be so worried, if it weren't for the fact that there are three prongs on the switch, but only two wires. Even an old historian like me knows that if you connect one wire to one prong and the other wire to another prong, you are left with one prong with no wire to connect to it...

That's what's bugging me right now... There's more, but this one seems insurmountable at this point.

And I have to say it. I really appreciate you talking to me like I don't already know what you're talking about. Makes me feel exceptionally welcome here. Don't see this on many forum groups anymore. Thank you.
 

ebeowulf17

Joined Aug 12, 2014
3,307
here are three prongs on the switch, but only two wires. Even an old historian like me knows that if you connect one wire to one prong and the other wire to another prong, you are left with one prong with no wire to connect to it...
I might be remembering this wrong, but I believe what you'll need to do goes something like this:
  • Connect the negative side of the power supply to the ground terminal on the switch (marked if you're lucky, unmarked if you're not.)
  • Also connect the negative side of your LED strips to that same ground connector on the switch.
  • Connect the positive side of the power supply to one terminal on the switch (maybe marked power if you're lucky.)
  • Connect the positive wires for your LED strips to the remaining switch terminal.
To sum up, the negative wire should always be connected to the negative side of the strip, but it also needs to connect to the switch (it's only there for the little light built into the switch.)

The positive wire needs to be switched on and off by the switch, so it connects to two different terminals there. If you choose the right ones, it'll behave as expected. If you reverse their positions, the indicator light will be on all the time.
 

ebeowulf17

Joined Aug 12, 2014
3,307
This isn't my favorite graphic, but it's the best I could find in a quick search:IMG_2250.JPG
The pin numbers may be different, or non existent, but the concept will be the same.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Morning world. I see where ebeoeulf has posted a few drawings of what should be helpful. Thank you on that note. The above drawings represent in a simple drawing how this sort of switch should be wired and why there are three wires. I say "generally" because things like this often go better when a switch specific part number and manufacturer are known. Hopefully this is what you have. Give it a try and any more questions just ask.

And I have to say it. I really appreciate you talking to me like I don't already know what you're talking about. Makes me feel exceptionally welcome here. Don't see this on many forum groups anymore. Thank you.
Time is something I have plenty of. :)

Ron
 

PhilTilson

Joined Nov 29, 2009
131
The diagram in post #13 will result in the indicator staying on all the time, if the OP's diagram is correct. His switch is marked Ground - Acc - Power as I recall. So ALL the black wires need to go to Ground, the red wires from the LED strips need to go to ACC and the red wire from the power supply needs to go to Power.

Forget the stuff at the beginning about collapsing power supplies etc. You are running four strips of 30cm which, unless they are very high power strips, will probably draw not much more than 100mA each (that's 1/10th of an Amp). As your power supply can give you 1 Amp, there should be plenty in reserve. No magic smoke, no overheating, no collapsing power supply!
 

ebeowulf17

Joined Aug 12, 2014
3,307
The diagram in post #13 will result in the indicator staying on all the time, if the OP's diagram is correct.
Nope. The diagram in post 13 is fine. Look again.
So ALL the black wires need to go to Ground, the red wires from the LED strips need to go to ACC and the red wire from the power supply needs to go to Power.
Yes, that is exactly what I described earlier, and it's exactly what the diagram shows. Look at the pin assignments. Both Reloadron and I have already pointed out that different switches have different pin orders and configurations. You have to identify which pin is which and then connect accordingly.
 
Ron: that looks just like the one that's attached to my wife's laptop. Mine looks more like the prongs coming out of the side of a really fat, oversized plug.

Like this: http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/322154737753-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
In fact, looking at the writing on that one, it's exactly the same one I have already.

Now if I could figure out which wire goes to which of the three prongs on the switch!

Maybe it was


Now that's an explanation even a completely ignorant person such as myself can wrap my head around. Thank you.

Wonder why there's always so much jargon all the time? Why can't people just say "it shuts off" instead of throwing all these terms around like I have any idea what they're talking about. If I knew what all that meant, I would be knowledgeable enough not to have to ask the overly simplistic question I asked!

So, I may have to actually buy something that won't shut down on me... Hmmm...

Thanks again!
Well, Max... What exactly does "the voltage will collapse" mean?

And more importantly, what exactly will happen if it does?
Your reply is spot on.

Most 'Techy' guys make assumptions that everyone knows their way round a circuit and is conversant with all the 'Jargon' that goes with.

Its obvious to all and sundry that your post on here indicates you are new to 'Electrickery', and need a gentle guidance to solve and explain the answers to your conundrum!

I wonder, just how many possible fledgling/budding electronic enthusiasts have been choked off by their posts?

Regards.
 
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MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
Your reply is spot on.

.
A little unwarranted IMO, it often takes a couple of posts to find out where the OP stands as to experience, a responder does not know until then whether they are talking over their heads or talking down to them.
Those of us here that try and answer questions are putting in their own time for (hopefully) the benefit of others.
This is not a Tech-paid user site.!:rolleyes:
Max.
 

Thread Starter

Lancer 525

Joined Aug 14, 2017
9
I absolutely DON'T want to create any friction, conflict, or controversy. Not my intention, nor my desire.

That's why I stated clearly at the beginning how ignorant I am, and how little knowledge and experience I have. I don't want there to be any misunderstandings about how un-knowledgeable I am.

Having said all that, I am utterly flabbergasted at the superb replies that patiently and painstakingly educated me as to what I need to do and how I need to do it. For all of which, I am grateful.

And I can tell you from past experience on other fora of other topics, I've seen multiple people "choked off" and turned away because they were bombarded with high-level technical jargon, when all they wanted or needed was a plain answer. Most of us probably only want an answer a 6 year old could understand.
 
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