Question for MEXICOWANDERER

[Bobbo]

Mex, my Airstream trailer came with no illuminated switches where you can tell if the switch is turned on at a glance from a distance. I have added illuminated switches to 3 locations, but there is another switch that I want an illuminated indicator for. However, there is a problem.

The remaining switch is not just a pop-in switch. It is connected to a printed circuit board and has a dimmer slider. It has 3 wires coming to it, a fused hot wire, a load wire to outside lights, and a ground wire.

I am not wanting to use the load wire to outside lights to power the indicator LED because if I dim the outside lights with the dimmer slider, it will also dim the LED indicator light. I want the indicator light full brightness regardless of the dimming slider.

Have you any ideas?

Thanks

Bobbo

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Been swamped with the big charger.

You need to measure and compare where the slider is

How bright the outside light is

In volts. With a meter.

Some of the 5mm and 10mm LEDs I work with have a surprisingly low voltage threshold. i.e.

They light up at a very low voltage. And they have a resistor in line right from the factory.

I cannot imagine an incandescent lamp being used -- useful at five volts. But then I am not there to see it in use.

You will need to access the power wire at the outside bulb when the bulb is in place and glowing. I am assuming this is not a tight PWM control module and load ballast will affect voltage -- so the bulb must be glowing to get an idea of what is happening with the voltage

Armed with voltage stats I can access my supply of LEDs and then power things up on my bench supply. Then perhaps give clues where to buy on eBay. An angry 5 or 10 mm LED puts out too much light for pilot duty anyway.

The LED would then be connected to the outlet of your circuit board meaning from the + and - wires which are easier to work with.

[mchero]

where's Mex?

[Bobbo]

Harvey51 wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:
If there is room, you could put in a lighted on off switch just ahead of the dimmer, and just use the dimmer to dim, and the switch for on/off.

The perfect solution - easy and will work perfectly.

On thinking a little more, a battery monitor with current meter function would enable checking ALL loads instantly. Mind the fridge, though.

Umm, having 2 switches to turn on for the light is not an optimal solution.

I have no idea what you are referencing when talking about installing a battery monitor with current meter. I am not wanting to monitor my power usage. I am wanting to know if I forgot to turn off my outside lights.

This photo shows the scare light and step light switches illuminated. I am wanting to do the same type of thing for the awning light switch. That way I can tell at a glance from across the trailer whether any of the outside lights are still on.

[Harvey51]

Chris Bryant wrote:
If there is room, you could put in a lighted on off switch just ahead of the dimmer, and just use the dimmer to dim, and the switch for on/off.

The perfect solution - easy and will work perfectly.

On thinking a little more, a battery monitor with current meter function would enable checking ALL loads instantly. Mind the fridge, though.

[Bobbo]

prichardson wrote:
Instead of adding a pilot light put a dab of red fingernail polish or paint on the edge of the switch that is exposed when in the on position.

Thanks for the suggestion, but, (there is always a "but") I can already see if the switch is on if I walk over and look at it. What I am wanting is for it to be glowing brightly so when I am getting in bed I see the light across the length of the trailer and say "Oh darn, I left the outside lights on!"

[prichardson]

Instead of adding a pilot light put a dab of red fingernail polish or paint on the edge of the switch that is exposed when in the on position.

[Bobbo]

Chris Bryant wrote:
If there is room, you could put in a lighted on off switch just ahead of the dimmer, and just use the dimmer to dim, and the switch for on/off.

Good idea, but the dimmer slider is beside the on/off switch. Adding a lighted switch would give me two switches to turn on.

STBRetired wrote:
On the printed circuit board there will be a circuit path from the normally open contact of the switch to the input to the dimmer circuitry. You would need to tap into that pathway for the "hot" side of your LED and then use the ground wire for the other connection. The input side of the dimmer circuitry will have full voltage, as opposed to the load side which will vary according to the dimmer setting. You will most likely need to gently scrape off the green varnish and carefully solder a lead wire to that pathway.

That is what I was afraid the answer was going to be. I am not skilled enough to risk ruining the PCB to do that. I will just live with the risk of offending my neighbors by leaving the light on before I try that.

Almot wrote:
Maybe my trailer is really that different, but for inside lights can't you tell whether it's On or Off by looking at the actual light?

For outside lights - yes, I can understand the need.

It is an outside light. Airstream has put an LED light strip under the awning where it meets the side of the trailer. I just would like an indicator inside that I will see when going to bed to remind me that I left that light on.

I have already replaced the light switches for both the outside scare light and the outside step light with illuminated switches. They were just simple snap in switches though.

This is the switch in question:

[Almot]

Maybe my trailer is really that different, but for inside lights can't you tell whether it's On or Off by looking at the actual light?

For outside lights - yes, I can understand the need.

[STBRetired]

On the printed circuit board there will be a circuit path from the normally open contact of the switch to the input to the dimmer circuitry. You would need to tap into that pathway for the "hot" side of your LED and then use the ground wire for the other connection. The input side of the dimmer circuitry will have full voltage, as opposed to the load side which will vary according to the dimmer setting. You will most likely need to gently scrape off the green varnish and carefully solder a lead wire to that pathway.

[SaltiDawg]

DutchmenSport wrote:
No help for the OP here, but a true story your post reminded me of.
...

Just curious, instead of a light, why not put a $0.35 plastic switch guard on the receptacle plate to cover the switch? Works fine in most applications.



No help for the OP though.

[Chris_Bryant]

If there is room, you could put in a lighted on off switch just ahead of the dimmer, and just use the dimmer to dim, and the switch for on/off.

[drsteve]

Here is one with a backlit on/off button. Probably can be found for less somewhere besides CW...

https://www.campingworld.com/led-digital-dimmer

[DutchmenSport]

No help for the OP here, but a true story your post reminded me of.

Few years ago I made some changes to the kitchen in the house we were living in. The garbage disposal switch was right next to a light switch and I seemed to always hit the garbage disposal instead of the light. (not a good thing). So I wired up the garbage disposal switch so a red light on the switch was on all the time, regardless if the disposal was running or not. It was a reminder for me ... DON'T TOUCH! WRONG SWITCH.

Fast forward a couple more years and we were selling the house. At (their) inspection, that switch failed. (They) did not like it that the light was on all the time. (They) said it was suppose to be on only when the switch was on. I got so mad at that, I just removed the lighted switch completely. It passed then. So I don't care if the next person lost spoons and fingers and scouring pads down that disposal by flipping the wrong switch. The house eventually sold and it's not my problem any more. It still makes me mad thinking about that though. A lot of thought went into that wiring. But to this day, I don't remember how I did it.

Still, your story brought back a ghost memory of my past!

[jplante4]

Not Mex, but my idea is to put an independent indicator light on a photo cell switch. Put the photo cell inside the lighting fixture.

I know, overkill.