I need HELP from an Electronics Wizard
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 4
From: Windham, NH
I need HELP from an Electronics Wizard
I have a 12 Volt DC Linear Actuator that I want to extend when I apply power and automaticaly retract when I shut the power off.
How can I accomplish this? CHEAPLY!!!!!!!!!
Jim
How can I accomplish this? CHEAPLY!!!!!!!!!
Jim
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 4
From: Windham, NH
As crazy as this sounds, this is for a retractable back up light on my 82. I have always loved the 4 red tail light look of the earlier and later Corvettes and I replaced my 2 inboard back up light lenses with red tail light lenses and wired in new sockets. I temporarly installed a couple of SMALL driving lights under the car but am NOT happy with the look of it. I found this actuator and it will work well for raising & lowering a light but I need to find a wat for it to lower when I put the car in reverse and raise when I take it out of reverse. I will use the existing back up light wiring as a "trigger source" for the circuitry.
Jim
Jim
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,193
Likes: 156
From: Navarre FL
Thats an interesting solution but sounds overly comlex. Could you not just use a dual lense in which a small portion toward the bottom is dedicated for reverse lamps?
For the actuator, thre should be a signal wire from your shifter that energizes when you shift into reverse. This is how your back up lights normal come on and off. When you go into reverse it completes the circuit and the lights come on. I would think you could tap into that, but you would have to find a way to make it a temporary condition. So when you put it into reverse it makes a contact for a few seconds to allow the actuator to raise and then disconnects, leaving the actuator in that position. Then when you shift out of reverse again it would need to make the same temporary connection again to allow the actuator to lower. I have no Idea how you would accomplish this though. Maybe post pics if you have them so we can see what you are trying to acomplish better (sounds kinda cool).
For the actuator, thre should be a signal wire from your shifter that energizes when you shift into reverse. This is how your back up lights normal come on and off. When you go into reverse it completes the circuit and the lights come on. I would think you could tap into that, but you would have to find a way to make it a temporary condition. So when you put it into reverse it makes a contact for a few seconds to allow the actuator to raise and then disconnects, leaving the actuator in that position. Then when you shift out of reverse again it would need to make the same temporary connection again to allow the actuator to lower. I have no Idea how you would accomplish this though. Maybe post pics if you have them so we can see what you are trying to acomplish better (sounds kinda cool).
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 4
From: Windham, NH
As a boss of mine used to say "if it was easy, EVERYBODY would want to do it".
I have to believe there is some type of circuitry out there to do what I want. I just don't know where to start looking and am hoping that someone on this forum might know.
I will have to check my wiring diagram for my 82. I just remembered that my power antenna works EXACTLY the way I want this actuator to work!!!!
Jim
I have to believe there is some type of circuitry out there to do what I want. I just don't know where to start looking and am hoping that someone on this forum might know.
I will have to check my wiring diagram for my 82. I just remembered that my power antenna works EXACTLY the way I want this actuator to work!!!!
Jim
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 4
From: Windham, NH
I'll have to keep an eye on this site during the evening tonight. I will be out of town from Saturday morning thru Monday afternoon so if I don't respond PLEASE keep the ideas coming!!!
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
If i'm not mistaking, the L.A. requires power to retract. Depending on the switch you're using, you could wire what would normally be the ground on the switch to the retract on the Actuator. This only works with toggle style switches...
on a sidenote, i'm curious what devious contraption you're planning
on a sidenote, i'm curious what devious contraption you're planning
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,149
Likes: 6
From: NCCO Oklahoma
Jim,
Let's back up a second. You say you have a linear actuator that you want to use to raise and lower the lights, correct? These lights will be used for your 'reverse' lights while backing up, and retracted when driving normally, right?
We need more information regarding the actuator. Some have built in limit switches, as others do not. It's not a big deal, I can can design a circuit either way... I just need to know what I'm working with.
So just to make sure I understand: You want to 'trigger' the actuator to lower the lights into position when your car is placed into reverse. Any other shifter position and you want the actuator to tuck the lights back up, right?
If this is what you want, it should be an easy circuit. Let me know.
Mark
Let's back up a second. You say you have a linear actuator that you want to use to raise and lower the lights, correct? These lights will be used for your 'reverse' lights while backing up, and retracted when driving normally, right?
We need more information regarding the actuator. Some have built in limit switches, as others do not. It's not a big deal, I can can design a circuit either way... I just need to know what I'm working with.
So just to make sure I understand: You want to 'trigger' the actuator to lower the lights into position when your car is placed into reverse. Any other shifter position and you want the actuator to tuck the lights back up, right?
If this is what you want, it should be an easy circuit. Let me know.
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,193
Likes: 156
From: Navarre FL
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,866
Likes: 45
From: Tampa Bay, Go BUCS!!!Go Rays!!!Go Lightning!!!
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
Need more info about the actuator but let me make a couple assumptions..... The actuator is dual motion, right? out and back? Then it must be either driven out and "spring" back or driven both ways. If it is driven both ways then I would expect that there are connections for positive, ground, and a trigger. If that's the case then wire the positive direct to constant 12vdc and the ground to, well, ground. Connect the input trigger to your back up lights. When they come on they trigger the actuator to extend and when they go off the removal of the trigger retracts the actuator.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 4
From: Windham, NH
Jim,
Let's back up a second. You say you have a linear actuator that you want to use to raise and lower the lights, correct? These lights will be used for your 'reverse' lights while backing up, and retracted when driving normally, right?
We need more information regarding the actuator. Some have built in limit switches, as others do not. It's not a big deal, I can can design a circuit either way... I just need to know what I'm working with.
So just to make sure I understand: You want to 'trigger' the actuator to lower the lights into position when your car is placed into reverse. Any other shifter position and you want the actuator to tuck the lights back up, right?
If this is what you want, it should be an easy circuit. Let me know.
Mark
Let's back up a second. You say you have a linear actuator that you want to use to raise and lower the lights, correct? These lights will be used for your 'reverse' lights while backing up, and retracted when driving normally, right?
We need more information regarding the actuator. Some have built in limit switches, as others do not. It's not a big deal, I can can design a circuit either way... I just need to know what I'm working with.
So just to make sure I understand: You want to 'trigger' the actuator to lower the lights into position when your car is placed into reverse. Any other shifter position and you want the actuator to tuck the lights back up, right?
If this is what you want, it should be an easy circuit. Let me know.
Mark
Yes, I already have the actuator. It requires 12VDC to power it in either direction. I have to somehow reverse the polarity to get it to do what I want.
The actuator has built in limit switches.
Your description of what I want to do is exactly what I want to have happen.
Thank you,
Jim
Last edited by Jim Martley2; Aug 31, 2007 at 05:38 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 4
From: Windham, NH
Need more info about the actuator but let me make a couple assumptions..... The actuator is dual motion, right? out and back? Then it must be either driven out and "spring" back or driven both ways. If it is driven both ways then I would expect that there are connections for positive, ground, and a trigger. If that's the case then wire the positive direct to constant 12vdc and the ground to, well, ground. Connect the input trigger to your back up lights. When they come on they trigger the actuator to extend and when they go off the removal of the trigger retracts the actuator.
jbondfl,
The actuator is dual motion ONLY if I reverse the polatity. It requires power to go in either direction.
There is only a 12V+ connection and a 12V- connection on the actuator. There is no 3rd trigger wire. I WISH it were that easy.
Jim
Last edited by Jim Martley2; Aug 31, 2007 at 05:42 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,707
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,193
Likes: 156
From: Navarre FL
If your actuator has built in limit switches this means when you apply voltage in either direction, it will shut off automatically. Correct? If this is correct, I have your simple solution. All you need is a double pole, double throw 12v relay with enough current capacity to power the actuator, whatever that is. Probably less than 2A. I guess around $5-$10. Let me know if you want, I'll draw and scan a schematic for you.
like this?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 4
From: Windham, NH
If your actuator has built in limit switches this means when you apply voltage in either direction, it will shut off automatically. Correct? If this is correct, I have your simple solution. All you need is a double pole, double throw 12v relay with enough current capacity to power the actuator, whatever that is. Probably less than 2A. I guess around $5-$10. Let me know if you want, I'll draw and scan a schematic for you.
1- 12V+battery power
1- 12V+ switched power (original back up light wire)
2- wires on Actuator for + & -
and any ground wires.
I just found a source for the DP/DT relay. The picture shows 8 terminals
!! I figured the terminals that power the coil would hook up to my existing back up light 12+ and ground wires, right? How would the rest of them hook up?Thanks,
Jim
Last edited by Jim Martley2; Aug 31, 2007 at 08:44 PM.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 366
Likes: 1
From: Esparto ca
Your relay will have normally closed contacts that will make when it has no power. Those are the contacts you want to use for the non backing mode. When you power the relay the contacts that are made are the ones you want to use for backing up. You can ohm out the contacts to see if it doesn't show which are normally closed. With 8 contacts you will have 2 coil wires, a power and ground input and a set for normally closed and a set for closed when energized. The relay should have a schematic on it.
Last edited by adown; Aug 31, 2007 at 10:10 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
A relay will give you the current you need in the "on" and "off" modes. However if you need to switch current direction that's going to be fun. Sounds like you'll need two ground wires (one for each direction) You'll need polarized Diodes to keep the current from backflowing. I'll do some sketching tomorrow and see what wiring setup might work.
