Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

How to Register on LPF | LPF Donations

Need help designing a small 110v switch

Dr_Evil

Dr_Evil

0
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Messages
2,128
Points
63
I recently bought a HeNe off of ebay. I am going to make my own power cord for short term use. I would like to have a switch made though. I was thinking some type of box about 3" long, 2" wide and about 1" high. A simple toggle would work for the actual switch. I would like the box to detatch for the input and output wires. The input could use a PC/monitor connection since I have plenty of PC power cords... I would need a 3 pin output. It doesn't have to be very big since the wires going into the power supply are 22 AWG. I'm not too worried if the following can't happen. It would be nice to have a LED turn on indicating power is on.

I hope I'm not demanding too much here. :D
 





Hi Dr Evil.

I'd strip a power cord and then solder in on the 120v input connector through a hot glueed switch onto into the the power supply.
OR
Rip the guts out of a old PC metal box PS and use it as a enclosure.

Your HeNe has hard to find connectors so yoou just snip em off strip wire and solder if necesary.
Just post a photo and I should be able to guide you.
If you can't solder use plastic twist elec. splice cones. Radio Shack fused jumper etc..

For ONE MILLION DOLLARS ;D
 
You can buy some nice power inlets from Mouser.com  Here's a list:

http://www.mouser.com/search/Refine.aspx?Ne=1524946&N=1323038+1524946&Ns=P_SField

(if that didn't work, search for "Power Entry Modules")

I bought this one:

Power Inlet:
Power Entry Modules with Filter Red Illumination
http://www.mouser.com/Search/Produc...irtualkey69300000virtualkey693-DD11.0113.1111

It has a light in the button to indicate it's on.  You'll also need to get a fuse, and a fuse drawer for it:

Fuse Drawer:
Fuses KEA CARRIER
http://www.mouser.com/Search/Produc...3virtualkey69300000virtualkey693-4301.1014.03

Fuse:
5mm x 20mm Fuses 250V .5A Time Lag (Slo-Blo)
http://www.mouser.com/Search/Produc...00H-virtualkey57610000virtualkey576-0218.500H

If you don't want to pay for that (about $20 or so worth of parts), what I would do is take apart an old computer power supply and use the parts from that.  I'm sure you have at least one sitting around, and they have all the necessary components you need to get it working.  Watch out though, because you're working with AC, and there's little room for error.  You might also need to get a transformer for the necessary voltages.
 
They have a nice selection of stuff there. I wish they had pictures on the product page though. It is a little bit of a PITA to open a bunch of PDF files trying to find what you want. That one you posted with the light is nice. I'm trying to make this as small as I can and that looks like it is about 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" by itself. I'll have to look through all this crap I have sitting around. I have torn some old power supplies apart before.

I am thinking about using these for the output connection.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=164&products_id=1086

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=164&products_id=1168

I'm not sure if I have a 110v switch around here though. I found this with a built in light though.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=376&products_id=20637
 
Oh yeah, are you sure that the green and white cord on that power supply is actually the power cord, and not a remote control cable or something?
 
Bionic-Badger said:
Oh yeah, are you sure that the green and white cord on that power supply is actually the power cord, and not a remote control cable or something?
Click to expand...

If you take out the fuse holder, you can replace it with a remote switch accessory.
 
O hurly,
If you mean DOC's green and white with the odd white connector, I think it's the HV laser tube power cord.
 
Time for some pictures of what I have. First up is the laser and its power supply.



Next is the current input power connection along with the yellow wire. I was told by the seller to use one yellow and one white for 110v power and use the green for ground. He said the current connection is for 220v. Now you can tell why I would like to come up with some type of box.



The final picture shows every wire going into/out of the power supply. The red and black going to the laser itself. You can see the two white, one green, one yellow and one puttple wire for the input. I'm not sure what the purple is for but it is a lot shorter than the other wires.



MY plan is to use one of these with the yellow/white/green wires. http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=164&products_id=1086

This product would be mounted inside the switch box with a little opening cut in to box for it to stick out of. http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=164&products_id=1168

I have a switch already. Here is what I'm thinking for the buld if the power connection I end up with doesn't have a built in fuse holder.

Power 1 in --- fuse --- switch --- power 1 out (yellow wire)
Power 2 in ------------------------ power 2 out (white wire)
Ground in ------------------------- ground out (green wire)

I sent an e-mail to Uniphase to verify with wiring setup. They replied with this...
Thank you for your inquiry!  Could you please provide us with your contact details (company name, location & telephone number) in order to enable us to process your request.
Click to expand...

How hard is it to tell me the answer to a simple question. The laser is for personal use so why would I need to send you a company name. >:( The hell with giving them my phone number. Who knows what would happen if I did that. Plus it is a cell phone. I don't mind giving them my location. I'll tell them I'm in the southeast US... /end rant
 
Oooooooo - Google the hell outta that laser, man - I have not personally seen (that doesn't mean they don;t exist...) a 220V HeNe before !

I think it is pushwah...Most HeNe's I have seen...SCRATCH that - ALL of them are DC voltage out of the power brick dealio...You input 24V DC and out comes a bajillion (not that actual number, but you get my drift) volts DC. The first one I ever had was powered by an HP printer power brick - the output cable sliced down to adapt to the HeNe power brick. Worked damned nice, too ! I think I sent that one to Daedal, cannot recall if I sold it, gave it away, bah....anyways - I have not read this whole thread, but be careful - dont use 220v on it at any point - I don't think that would be prudent !
 
The power supply says 310mA at 115v or 155mA @ 230v for input. The output to the laser is 2300vdc @ 6 mA.
 
I found a box for the project. It looks like it will be almost perfect. It is a little bigger than I would like but that might be a good thing. I'll decide if I am going to use it once I get it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=370052070719&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=024

Items on hand:
switch
wiring
power cord

Items waiting for:
box
output connectors and pics

Items needed:
input connector
fuse w/holder

Does anybody know what is needed for a power on LED? I have looked in power strips before and it looks simple. That was a while ago though and I don't have one to tear apart.
 
Just use a 120vac lighted switch or pilot light from Ratshack or you'll be soldering LED-DIODE-47000 ohm together observe polarity on LED & 400+volt silicon diode rectifier.
Put the light wires across white & yellow to PS. fuse to white and switch to yellow then power the other ends with 120V.

I'D double check with forum members that have supply like yours too.
 
I would cannibalize a PC power supply, since it already has the rectifier circuit to create DC, the transformer, and probably all the other parts you need to build this thing. It also comes in a nice box.

On the other hand, if you want to build one yourself, you'll need a small rectifier circuit for that, using a rectifier like the NTE5304--which almost seems like a waste, considering you won't be using the DC from it except for a pretty light.  Then again, it's good to have a nice permanent power supply, and the parts for the kit (mentioned below) are pretty cheap to come by, except maybe a transformer which you could possibly need.

You can follow a design such as this one:

http://tangentsoft.net/elec/tread/

Here's the schematic:

http://tangentsoft.net/elec/tread/misc/sch-v1.1.pdf

It's actually not too hard to build, and the parts are relatively cheap, or you can buy his kit, which is pretty nice for a DC power source.  I use one for an audio amplifier. The design above uses a transformer to reduce the voltage down to something it can use, so I'd scout out a rectifier with different parameters to accept the power you need to use. You might need a transformer anyway to get the right voltage.
 
Dr. Evil said:
The power supply says 310mA at 115v or 155mA @ 230v for input. The output to the laser is 2300vdc @ 6 mA.
Click to expand...

and a switching power supply at that!!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top