I seem to remember seeing a device that you plug in to a 3-pin socket
and you then plug in two appliences - when one draws power it switches
on the other. I have seen them used to turn on a vacuum cleaner when a
power tool is used (so it only socks the dust when required).

What are these called, and where can I get one?

Sadly wrote:
I seem to remember seeing a device that you plug in to a 3-pin socket
and you then plug in two appliences - when one draws power it switches
on the other. I have seen them used to turn on a vacuum cleaner when a
power tool is used (so it only socks the dust when required).

What are these called, and where can I get one?


These are sold in Lidl from time to time for about £15. I have one to
power on peripherals when I turn my PC on.
http://www.iomai.de/uk/masterslave.html

Never seen a UK firm selling them

john2

On Tue, 09 May 2006 14:28:55 +0100, john2 wrote:

Never seen a UK firm selling them

I've seen them in the sheds. Normally several auto switched outlets and
one "control" socket. Not sure if they'll be robust enough for switching
or powering large inductive loads such as a vacum cleaner and controling
power tool... Read the specs carefully.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

The message om
from "Dave Liquorice" contains these words:

I've seen them in the sheds. Normally several auto switched outlets and
one "control" socket. Not sure if they'll be robust enough for switching
or powering large inductive loads such as a vacum cleaner and controling
power tool... Read the specs carefully.

The ones the woodworking firms sell are - they're specifically for
powering up the dust extraction when you switch the power tool on.

Like all Axminster items, this one's painfully overpriced, but is one
example of what you can get...
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/2/p...Unit-21176.htm

Or, Record do one...
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.pl?p=WVE002&a=i

They're all horrendously expensive though. You could molish your own
fairly easily - a few turns of wire round one of the conductors should
provide a fairly strong signal that current is being drawn - use that to
trigger a relay to feed the vac. A delay would be nice, too - to allow
the vac to run on for ten seconds or so after you cut the tool.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

"Guy King" wrote in message
...

The ones the woodworking firms sell are - they're specifically for
powering up the dust extraction when you switch the power tool on.

Like all Axminster items, this one's painfully overpriced, but is one
example of what you can get...
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/2/p...Unit-21176.htm

Or, Record do one...
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.pl?p=WVE002&a=i

They're all horrendously expensive though. You could molish your own
fairly easily - a few turns of wire round one of the conductors should
provide a fairly strong signal that current is being drawn - use that to
trigger a relay to feed the vac. A delay would be nice, too - to allow
the vac to run on for ten seconds or so after you cut the tool.

B&Q do a little vac with an extension socket for £35.
When the power tool is on the vac runs and stops a few seconds after the
tool is off.
I use one for my saw.

You could probably extract the electrics if you wanted to use it for
something else.