DIYbanter - View Single Post - Three-way switch with on/off indicator

Bud--

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:00:44 -0500, bud-- wrote:

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:53:50 -0500, bud-- wrote:

"Illuminated switches" are easy - as I said before you connect a neon
lamp between the traveler terminals If you work out the circuit, this is
the same as connecting a neon lamp across a single-pole switch.
Yes, I mentioned the same thing, up there a while. I'm not seeing how this
works for 4-way, though. I remember having illuminated 4-ways in my parent's
house.
A 4-way has the 2 travelers traveling through the switch and swaps them,
or not, as they go through. Both kinds of 3 way switch handle light also
work on a 4-way if you connect to either of the traveler terminals.

I don't understand your second sentence, but looking at it again, it's clear
to me that there is a neon "drop" on each traveler from the voltage at the
"off" end. A neon between travelers at each 4-way will illuminate it and
there will never be more than two neon drops in the chain (always two - or
zero, with at least one 4-way).

Apologies for over-explaining.

The travelers are the 2 wires that connect between the 3-way switches.

A 4-way switch has terminals A-B that connect to one 3-way switch and
terminals X-Y that connect to the other 3-way switch. In one position
the connections are A-X and B-Y. In the other switch position the
connections are A-Y and B-X. If you add 10 more 4-way switches, each one
just connects the travelers 'straight' through or 'swaps' them.

If either 3-way scheme is connected to terminals A-B (or terminals X-Y)
inside a 4-way switch it is the same as connecting to the traveler
terminals on the 3-way switches. If you understand how pilot/illuminated
3-ways work you understand pilot/illuminated 4-ways.

The handles on both 3-way snitches, and all 11 4-way switches, will
glow or not glow the same. All the neon lamps are connected in parallel.

--
bud--