Hi All,
First off let me say I’m not an electronics guy, but I have a project I’m working on and I was hoping someone on this forum might be able to provide some information to assist me in what I’m trying to accomplish. Also, you’ll really have to dumb it down for me.
I’ve built an industrial/steampunk shelving unit in my home office for a new PC I’ve built, (Gas pipe, steam gauges, copper piping, valves etc) and I have an Amazon Echo that I want to add to the steampunk motif. What I would like to do is build an enclosure for the Echo and add copper piping, etc to it and (here is where I need the help) a vintage Westinghouse DC panel AMP meter (.1 to 1.5 amps) that I would like to fluctuate up and down depending on the amp draw of the Echo. The research I’ve done indicates that the Echo amp draw varies depending on what the Echo is doing. Further my research seems to indicate that I need to put the amp meter inline between the wall wart and the Echo like so:
Postive wire from wallwart>>>Positive terminal on amp meter >>>Positive terminal amp meter>>>Positive lead on Echo
Negative wire from wallwart>>>Negative terminal on amp meter>>>Negative terminal amp meter>>>Negative lead on Echo
I’ve seen other information that indicates not to do it this way, (but not real clear on what way to do it) and which also says I need a shunt (???) and possibly a resistor.
The Echo power supply rating is as follows Input: 100-240V~0.5A 50-60Hz Output: 15.0V ---1.4A
The accuracy of the meter is immaterial to the project as its just for looks. I’m hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction so I can avoid smoking the meter or more importantly my Echo. Please remember I am a complete newb so if you provide me with a circuit diagram, I probably won’t understand it, very simple is best and/or YouTube video work great as well. I know so little about this type of connectivity and in respects to correct electronic terminology that I’m not even sure what terms to search for.
Any help is much appreciated.
Thanks
Gordon
First off let me say I’m not an electronics guy, but I have a project I’m working on and I was hoping someone on this forum might be able to provide some information to assist me in what I’m trying to accomplish. Also, you’ll really have to dumb it down for me.
I’ve built an industrial/steampunk shelving unit in my home office for a new PC I’ve built, (Gas pipe, steam gauges, copper piping, valves etc) and I have an Amazon Echo that I want to add to the steampunk motif. What I would like to do is build an enclosure for the Echo and add copper piping, etc to it and (here is where I need the help) a vintage Westinghouse DC panel AMP meter (.1 to 1.5 amps) that I would like to fluctuate up and down depending on the amp draw of the Echo. The research I’ve done indicates that the Echo amp draw varies depending on what the Echo is doing. Further my research seems to indicate that I need to put the amp meter inline between the wall wart and the Echo like so:
Postive wire from wallwart>>>Positive terminal on amp meter >>>Positive terminal amp meter>>>Positive lead on Echo
Negative wire from wallwart>>>Negative terminal on amp meter>>>Negative terminal amp meter>>>Negative lead on Echo
I’ve seen other information that indicates not to do it this way, (but not real clear on what way to do it) and which also says I need a shunt (???) and possibly a resistor.
The Echo power supply rating is as follows Input: 100-240V~0.5A 50-60Hz Output: 15.0V ---1.4A
The accuracy of the meter is immaterial to the project as its just for looks. I’m hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction so I can avoid smoking the meter or more importantly my Echo. Please remember I am a complete newb so if you provide me with a circuit diagram, I probably won’t understand it, very simple is best and/or YouTube video work great as well. I know so little about this type of connectivity and in respects to correct electronic terminology that I’m not even sure what terms to search for.
Any help is much appreciated.
Thanks
Gordon