Electrical add-ons, making a simple on-off

[druist]

No I am not an electronics wizard as you will notice:

I have a 12v battery 7amp that I have put inside my toolbox, this controls my indicators and lights to EGT/CHT gauges and other appliances, vacuum cleaner, kettle lol, no joking but it does have a socket for satnav etc. What I am trying to do is make a simple on-off toggle switch, which I successfully managed before but as things have changed I am having to do it over again. Sitting just above the toolbox and just before the seat begins, the toggle switche(s) i am trying are on-off-on type with the three holes for + - +, trying it that way doesnt work. I have also been told to try and run the switch to just the common. but as yet that doesnt work.

So what i have is all of my "appliances" running to a connector, the connector then links to the swich wire which then goes to + or swapped to -. Either way its not working, i cannot think of a way to isolate it so the current isnt running back if you get my meaning. I just want the battery OFF when i have finished using the scoot and ON when i want to use those electrics. And apart from the "forgot its name" but charges the battery as it goes along which some 5 pole regs have - the system is isolated to the scooters electrics which is non battery.

If anyone can offer advice help. I could post some pics but it looks a bit messy.

[coaster]

Just to clarify Drew, are you saying you want to be able to switch off your battery fed equipment and you have a battery charged via a recifier off the AC feed from the stator. I take it the battey fed stuff does not use the scooter earth?

How many terminals does your switch have?

colin

[druist]

Col no it doesnt, but that said it is earthed to the chasis - so would that matter?

The switch has 3 terminals on-off-on, but if i put a + and - linked it starts shorting. Whe everything works fine until i put the switch into into the mix. the charger is this - i meant rectifyer.


http://scootrs.com/images/all/battery_charger.jpg

[rog60]

Has the switch got a bare metal contact to the frame

[J1MS]

You could wire a relay to the battery via a switch (the switch using the batteries power), this could be used to isolate the battery when the switch is in the off position... the relay is a very low draw switch that uses milliamps to maintain an electrical contact through the battery once the switch is open circuit the relay looses its switching current and the battery is left open circuit... nearly all cars use these, there pretty much fool proof...

[druist]

Has the switch got a bare metal contact to the frame

yes could that be the problem?

either way i dont get how the same setup worked for nearly 2yrs. I even just had one connection to the + then or it could have been the - . I can see what is happening, they are getting power up/down through the connection, unless anyone can think of anything else, the relay sound the most promising.

[oioivespaboy]

Try cutting off one of the metal lugs on the back of the switch. Put the switch in the on position, get a multimeter and find out which 2 lugs are 'beeping' when you put + and - on them, then cut the 3rd lug off. This will turn the switch into an on/off switch.

Earthing your battery to the frame of the bike will screw everything up though. The regular electrics (lights, horn etc) are using the frame as an earth and if you use the frame as an earth for the DC system then you will not be able to use the battery system while the regular AC is being used.

As far as I know the reason it can be done on electric start vespas, is that the starter will not be used at the same time as any of the things that are running on AC, but I have a feeling that there will be a way around this.

[druist]

You could wire a relay to the battery via a switch (the switch using the batteries power), this could be used to isolate the battery when the switch is in the off position... the relay is a very low draw switch that uses milliamps to maintain an electrical contact through the battery once the switch is open circuit the relay looses its switching current and the battery is left open circuit... nearly all cars use these, there pretty much fool proof...

this type of thing sounds good after checking up on it. Though wont i lose power with your description of how it works?

[firekdp]

Drew, I don't understand when you say that the switch is shorting. Your not connecting a positive to one side and a negative to the other are you?
You need to break into a wire ( either the battery positive or it's earth wire) and insert the switch into this. So the wire from the battery will go to the centre terminal of the switch and then one of the outer terminals will join to the connector that supplies your accessories.

[druist]

I dont know how it shorted, there must have been a loose wire somewhere. That said the housing of the switch was uncovered - eg was just metal toggle switch surround. i since covered it with shrink fit.