Any interest in switching 5 lighting circuits remotely?

[heyok]

Just wanting to see if I should develop this or not. I would appreciate your help!

If you have an extra channel on your remote - either a three position channel or a linear channel, you can switch up to five different lighting circuits on your rig.

Maybe you have:

• Spot light
• Head lights
• Rock lights
• Light Bar
• Interior lights

This is how it would work:
The channel control normally sits in the center (it could be a three position toggle, a knob or stick).

Push it to the right, and the next light to be controlled will flash twice (if it is already on, it will blink off twice).

Keep clicking to the right until the light that you want to control is selected.
Now click to the left, and that will toggle the selected light circuit.



So... what do you think? Would this be something that you might want to use on a build?
Would that be enough circuits?

Thanks for your time!
Al

[DickyT]

Very cool idea! I really need to get a scaler together. I have a bunch of 3mm and 5mm LED is various colors that have been waiting for a home.

[E30Newbie]

Is this something that can be added to any controller?

[ROLANDROCKSHOP]

Originally Posted by heyok

Just wanting to see if I should develop this or not. I would appreciate your help!

If you have an extra channel on your remote - either a three position channel or a linear channel, you can switch up to five different lighting circuits on your rig.


Maybe you have:

• Spot light
• Head lights
• Rock lights
• Light Bar
• Interior lights

This is how it would work:
The channel control normally sits in the center (it could be a three position toggle, a knob or stick).

Push it to the right, and the next light to be controlled will flash twice (if it is already on, it will blink off twice).

Keep clicking to the right until the light that you want to control is selected.
Now click to the left, and that will toggle the selected light circuit.



So... what do you think? Would this be something that you might want to use on a build?
Would that be enough circuits?

Thanks for your time!
Al

just so i know im understanding this right..

say i wanted to turn on my rock lights..with 3rd ch/3 pos
your example..

• Spot light
• Head lights
• Rock lights *3 clicks to the right-1 click back left to acctivate*
• Light Bar
• Interior lights

correct?
thank you
sounds useful

[heyok]

Originally Posted by E30Newbie

Is this something that can be added to any controller?

Yes, assuming you have a channel you can dedicate to it. Either a three position channel or linear one.

Originally Posted by rubiredunlmtd

just so i know im understanding this right..

say i wanted to turn on my rock lights..with 3rd ch/3 pos
your example..

• Spot light
• Head lights
• Rock lights *3 clicks to the right-1 click back left to acctivate*
• Light Bar
• Interior lights

correct?
thank you
sounds useful

Yes, exactly! And if you accidently clicked too far, just click 5 more times to come back around again.

I was thinking that I would put servo connectors on it kind of like my other product Remote Switch For LED Lighting These connectors would have then feed your lights. Of course there would be 5 of them hanging out. Or maybe better yet, I could have them on a circuit board as it might be less bulky.

[ROLANDROCKSHOP]

??
what if you had a winch in the list with the lights?
could it be operated normally?

that would be a big selling factor if it would.

[heyok]

Originally Posted by rubiredunlmtd

??
what if you had a winch in the list with the lights?
could it be operated normally?

that would be a big selling factor if it would.

I can think of an easy way, but I think you are thinking of a hard way!

How about of a toggle switch on your rig that you flip when you need to use the winch. Normally, CH3 feeds the light controller, but when you need the winch, you flip the toggle, then use CH3 to run your winch?


Now, the hard way....

If you can think of a way for it to work, I will consider giving it a go.
I'll get you started, then help me because I am having trouble coming up with another way for the operator to do it. Maybe you can think of a better way.


Ie)

• Rock Lights
• Head Lights
• Roof Lights
• Work Light
• Winch

So you Right click 4 times and the winch is selected.

Click Left and winch winds out.
Click Left and winch stops.
Click Left and winch winds in.
Click Left and winch stops.
etc...

And maybe if you accidentally clicked Right, the winch would stop.

Do you think that would be workable?

[ROLANDROCKSHOP]

you mean click 5 times?
or is it already on 1st circuit/setting when powered on?

your way sounds like it'll work for me!!

hell yeah!
id get 1 to try out.

[heyok]

When it powers up (at least that is how I have it programmed in my prototype) it flashes the first one.

Ok, I will continue with this.

Next question: How much drive current should each output be capable of? With the parts I have on hand, I can easily make it 200mA per output or something like 2 or 3 amps per output. To give you an idea, you can drive about 10 normal LEDs with 200mA.

[heyok]

And another question.

Assuming that I can make a winch run as described, what about two winches? One in the front, one in the back?

Since I'm getting crazy, I hear some of you guys run a pull down winch on your chassis. Three winch controls accessible and some lights all from one channel? Is that too much?

[constantmotion]

I am not sure on the whole amperage needing. I guess you can make that decision. The whole idea sounds awesome. I would love to try something like this a try as well. Sounds pretty easy to operate. I think 3 winch controls are a little much. I am thinking along the lines on one with 1 winch control and maybe another with 2.

[hotwheels000]

Originally Posted by heyok

When it powers up (at least that is how I have it programmed in my prototype) it flashes the first one.

Ok, I will continue with this.

Next question: How much drive current should each output be capable of? With the parts I have on hand, I can easily make it 200mA per output or something like 2 or 3 amps per output. To give you an idea, you can drive about 10 normal LEDs with 200mA.

If you are designing a winch circuit, the amp capacity will need to be a lot higher than the lighting circuit.Think about a high torque servo at full lock and stalled....thats what our winches have the capability of pulling as far as amp draw.

[heyok]

Originally Posted by hotwheels000

If you are designing a winch circuit, the amp capacity will need to be a lot higher than the lighting circuit.Think about a high torque servo at full lock and stalled....thats what our winches have the capability of pulling as far as amp draw.

I already have a winch controller that is good for a little over 6 amps. You can read about it in the link in my sig. It would have to be reworked of course so that it could work in this new circuit.

[heyok]

I've actually made some great progress on this!
Right now I have five selectable outputs that could drive LEDs or what have you, and I have it so it will also work a winch. The operation of things is pretty much as I described earlier.
The only change is this: When you have clicked Right through each of the 5 outputs, and then click the 6th time, it flashes all 5 outputs 4 times to indicate that you have selected winch operation. Now each time you click left, it does the next winch cycle (I'm calling a cycle "wind in" or "wind out" or "stop").

Also, if you are in winch operation and the winch is winding in or out, and you happen to click right, the winch will stop turning. I thought this would be the safest way to go.

Now I need more info from you guys. I still have two outputs that I can assign functions to. These could be more light outputs, so you could have seven instead of just five, or, maybe you would like a light that would come on that would indicate that the winch is active, in which case maybe the special flashing of all lights wouldn't be needed to show when the winch mode was on.

Thanks again for taking part in the design

[ROLANDROCKSHOP]

more lights would probably work for most..
headlights,fog lights,rock lights,tail lights,dash or interior lights..
+ the winch

sounds good!!

[Rogue]

Would there be a way to have one of the light outputs flash when the winch was active. It would look cool (thinking hazard flashers) and also be a warning to the operator that the winch was active.

[heyok]

Sure could. That's a great idea!

[BigSki]

Since we are throwing out ideas without any boundaries, how about a programmable LCD readout that would tell you which circuit that you have selected?

( or on a more practical level. maybe a small LED light for each circuit that we could write next to to show which circuit is active?)

[heyok]

Originally Posted by BigSki

Since we are throwing out ideas without any boundaries, how about a programmable LCD readout that would tell you which circuit that you have selected?

( or on a more practical level. maybe a small LED light for each circuit that we could write next to to show which circuit is active?)

Uh... where would this display sit?

[BigSki]

Originally Posted by heyok

Uh... where would this display sit?

mmm, maybe a small separate screen that could be glued on to the Tx?