My autistic son needs help please, wiring a switch
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:36 am
by celestronuser
H wants to turn a motor on and off, but can't even get the display to work, ANY help would be much appreciated thank you
NO instructions for this :( :( :(
Re: My autistic son needs help please, wiring a switch
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:09 pm
by Mr White
Sorry to say, but what you have is electronic, not electrical, this is an electrical forum, all anyone can do is guess, but no guarantee.
Several questions:
1) Where did you get it from.
2) What was it sold as.
3) Are all of the batteries working
4) Is it connected the right way round.
4a) How do you know it is connected the right way.
5) Have you contacted the supplier?
6) Did all of the items shown come as one, or did you supply anything
7) Does it have a recessed power switch.
As I first said, what you have is electronic, electronics can be configured in almost infinite ways and without instructions all anyone can do is guess.
Of course you always have the option to say what it is your son actually wants / trying to achieve, not what you posted
celestronuser wrote: son needs help please, wiring a switch
since the picture you posted does not even have a switch.
We all like to help, but can only reply according to the information you post.
Re: My autistic son needs help please, wiring a switch
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:14 pm
by celestronuser
Thanks I am learning just how complicated this is
Someone did point out it is 100v+ as an idiot I was looking for 12v
Have bought this today for him to try
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08 ... UTF8&psc=1
Re: My autistic son needs help please, wiring a switch
Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:26 pm
by Mr White
Showing a link of what you have now purchased does not answer the question of what are you trying to achieve.
To operate a small motor such as you have only requires a simple switch. I also note the motor has an offset weight attached, I suggest you do not get too close when it is operating.
Re: My autistic son needs help please, wiring a switch
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2022 8:29 am
by celestronuser
That is just a motor I found to try the switch
Re: My autistic son needs help please, wiring a switch
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 12:17 am
by ericmark
I note the power supply, input 85 - 265 volt AC 50 - 60 Hz output 5 volt 3 watt, so question one is why is there a battery pack?
Second unit seems to be a simple timer, 12 volt, so what voltage is the motor, first using 5 volt second using 12 volt.
Autistic does not mean they can't do electronics, when I got tested and was found to be dyslexic, on telling lecturer he said most engineers are, being able to think out of the box, helps.
As to if he can program a full blown PLC not sure, but likely he can tell you what is needed.
I would think he can likely program in ladder, better than me.
I was taught using Electronic work bench, it allows one to simulate the device before building it, once he has worked out what to do, you can get bread boards which allow you to wire it all together easy, Google "electronic breadboard" it comes from the days when it was a board like one would slice bread on, and you knocked in nails, and soldered wired nail to nail head.
May want to try "crystal set radio kits" I did not use a kit, it was some wire off an old transformer, wrapped around a loo role centre, a germanium diode (silicon is no good) and a high impedance ear piece. Also called a crystal ear piece.
I would say look for an amateur radio club, they will likely help when things go wrong, don't be put off by the amateur radio bit, it is basic an electronics club, if your son can't go, you go, you can take his projects in and they will help to correct errors.
I know it takes time, we have an autistic lad at the heritage railway I work at, he works hard, under guidance of his mother, he must be around 25 year old, some times he shouts, which can be off putting, but he is slowly getting use to us, and us of him, and he is slowly fitting in to do useful work.
Thing is with a radio club, or heritage railway, speed is not important, and a strong autistic guy with an old foggy like me, and form a good team, I have the knowledge, he has the strength and dexterity I lack.
And main point, no one worries about how long it takes.
Re: My autistic son needs help please, wiring a switch
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 11:06 am
by celestronuser
:) :) :)
Re: My autistic son needs help please, wiring a switch
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 1:31 pm
by ericmark
Much depends on where you live, I was lucky when I was a boy we had war surplus still around, then tandy and maplin both now gone, and both did "toys" to teach electronics.
I was an apprentice well actually finished, when TTL chips came out, at school we had the red top and white top bipolar transistors, and valve we still used, but slowly being replaced with the tany.
I remember as a boy trying to repair an old triode valve radio which still had the 90 volt and 2 volt batteries. We could not get the old valves, but we found a smashed case transistor radio on the tip, so we carefully grafted the transistor radio into the old valve one, hiding the transistor radio so it looked like the valve radio was still doing the job.
We told the old lady we had used different valves, so now needed a 9 volt battery instead to the 90 volt one.
Around two months latter she stopped me in the street, to thank me, saying how much better the sound was from the valve radio to the new transistor ones, and saying since we had repaired it she had not needed to get the 2 volt battery charged once, not surprising as all it did was make the valves glow.
Those were the days.
Now everything done with a chip, I remember the superhet see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superheterodyne_receiver now long gone.
But the Seven Valley heritage railway would not allow the autistic guy to volunteer, I am glad to say, as he works so hard on the Llanfair - Welshpool heritage railway, their loss our gain.
I don't know if meccano is still made? But I had great fun with my children making timers using water running out of a cup.