PH180 LED

They are part of the switch. I replaced the switch on one of them but you could also find the rectangular LEDs and just replace that. The series resistor is a bit small and they lack a diode to protect the LED from back voltage. Here is what I ended up with circuit wise and with the new switch.

and that's the switch I found on ebay which is the same exact one in the PH.

Check,

Thanks a lot...simple but effective circuit...will also look on eBay. Looks like the switch just does a push in)pry out. Thanks a lot! 

Why go to all the trouble of changing them out!  I’ve had 2 with the LED out for over 15 years!  You probably have a Master Switch that feeds them Power anyway!

Fredstrains

Makes me nuts when stuff is broken. If the switches are difficult to find these days, there are those rectangular LEDs available and it's not that hard to take the switch apart and replace the LED. I did that first once.

I'll go for switches first...will have to take close measurments  and see what's over at flea bay. If not, I'll crack them open.....but your pic of switch let me know it should just pop out, topside..Thanks 

Agree with Chuck about going nuts when things are broken. So help - i need to replace the switch/LED on my PH180. From above: 1) Am i correct in understanding the LED can be removed without opening up the case? 2) Can you provide the part number of the exact replacement switch/LED assembly? 3) Is the diode and resister something you added on and not part of the original unit? Thank you.

1. No. You have to take the PH apart. The switch pops out, but it’s wired up inside.

2. Light Country R19A 6A 250V~

3. Yes. There was a resistor, but I changed the value. And I added a diode to protect the LED better.

I'll tell you why....like many, my external power supplies, switch controllers, accessory controllers, action controllers, and other items requiring AC power, are kept in a vented cabinet. Occasionally, when a suspect controller or power supply needs attention, I count on indicators to let me know...AT A GLANCE...what's happening with each...it saves me time and aggravation. That's the purpose of them being there in the first place. 

The switch will pop out, but you have to compress the latches and that is done from the inside - unless you don't care about destroying the switch, that is.

If I were wiring that switch, I'd wire it to the secondary so you could tell if the transformer was putting out power.  The way it's wired now doesn't make nearly as much sense.

Agreed....think I've located replacement switches ...will see when they arrive...I was thinking of fixing or replacing the switch AND adding a LED to the output .. since I'm in the case anyway....pretty simple and will cover both "In and Out".....will see...TY

I'm still looking for the exact size switch for that hole, I haven't found one yet.  Where did you get yours?

I THINK I found them at BGMICRO.com.....again, jury will be out till I actually test the fit... 

I'll wait for a "user report".

.... you're on circulation....

This is the exact switch series. 

http://www.lightcountry.com/do...ad/rocker/RA-R19.pdf

Better...

http://www.lightcountry.com/rocker_switch.htm

The dimensions listed are in line with the actual switch I measured with a caliper.

I got mine a few years ago from a kind of surplus guy on ebay. It ended up being the exact one. I do remember taking the original one apart, not sure where it is, but it was repairable by disassembling and replacing the rectangular led as I remember...but not for the faint hearted. They are still making these things...somewhere the switches exist. I guess if I could not get the lighted one, I would also put an LED on the output. When they trip, it is a little unhelpful seeing the lighted LED and no output. I look at the ZW-C optional digital volt/amp meter to see which brick tripped.

Chuck, there are a whole bunch of different size switches on that page.

John....I measured the one in the PH and ordered accordingly.....as I mentioned, "jury is out" till I actually give it a try... electrical specs are same as Chuck's pic showed.... they're cheap, so no great loss if not usable in the PH.

On the Light Country page, the first link is the actual switch...I posted the second link just to point out that there are other R19 switches which are the same size but different ratings that may be easier to find on line.

That's where you confused me Chuck, I knew the round one wouldn't fit the hole.   When you labeled that link as "even better", I thought that's where I should be looking.

I've been looking on the BGmicro site and can't find the exact size switch. Earnie, I'm not going to order, but which switch part number did you find to be the correct size?

Again...jury will be out till I actually give this one a try...look-wise, it's similar, if not the same. From what I can tell, the Light Country switch is discontinued, wherever I've checked.

Thanks. I think the description is in error on the length. If it's a Light Country R19, then the length is closer to 3/4 inch. The width is right on. The colors of the wires and the solder link to the LED are exactly right. By Jove, I think you've got it! I would bet my $1.95 on it. 

If you cut that soldered link from the black wire to the LED terminal, then 2 vdc does light the LED just as they said on the BG site and you could do that with a simple resistor and diode from the output. The RED wire is the anode of the LED. As it is, with the solder link in place, the circuit above with diode and 10K resistor from the primary side works.

I was just thinking...and checked the length of the body of the switch IS 5/8, but the cut size of the panel to snap in the switch and accommodate the springy clips is 7/8. So even more convinced that these are the exact replacement. 

That's the first thing I looked for...and it's (I think) close enough to try...figured I could flat file hole or easily make a filler plate to compensate...secondly was the electrical and # connections.....they're shipped, so will know in a few days

It’s the right one. It’ll snap right in.

John...BG's weekend sale now has the switches for .99/5pk+ship....just picked up additional.. FYI..EARNIE

A thought.  The PH180 has been a mild headache since, if there is no power on track, one can't quickly tell if breaker is open or there is a failure in the wiring or TIU or a layout breaker (they were there before PH180).  I connected an external LED which, when out, tells me it's probably the breaker.

Or.....try moving the anode lead to the switch LED to the 18v output of transformer.

RJR posted:

 I connected an external LED which, when out, tells me it's probably the breaker.

I've found resetting the breaker will tell me if its the breaker too.........haven't gotten a headache yet.

Earnie posted:

Or.....try moving the anode lead to the switch LED to the 18v output of transformer.

Move both leads. The minus LED lug is the one soldered to the black wire lug, and the plus LED lug is the one with the red wire. Cut the jumper to the minus LED. Then run the red wire to one side of the output. Then from the minus LED lug, run a resistor, then the anode of a diode and to the other side of the output. Since the output is 18 vac, that comes to about 12 vdc since the LED and diode only conduct half the cycle. 12 vdc minus 2 v for the LED, and .7 v for the diode leaves about 9 vdc to drop with a resistor at say 20 ma. So the resistor should be about 470 ohms. And a 1/4 watt will do it just fine.

Truthfully, I'd probably go with more like a 1K resistor.  No reason you need the LED that bright for this application, and it'll last much longer.

Oh...I just checked and that's about how I run the LED on the input...roughly 10 ma or a bit less.

I modified Chuck's diagram to reflect my understanding of the illuminated switch in question.

If this is what it is, I vote against using the switch's internal LED to indicate power at the transformer OUTPUT.  Why?  I can't see the guts of the switch, but I suspect the internal connections from the terminals are bare wires (uninsulated).  This means your 120V house AC wiring and the 18V AC train wiring would be in close quarters.  These are meant to be isolated circuits for all the right reasons (e.g., safety).

Instead, I vote for whoever said to add a 2nd LED which albeit means drilling a 3mm hole in the case...and then adding another few pennies of components (resistor, diode, 3mm round LED) powered by the 18V AC output.

Nothing wrong with that approach Stan, and if you use something like a green LED, you can see clearly when it's tripped and when there's power.  I do like the idea of a separate LED.

Could be somewhat close. Here are a couple of pictures of the inside of the switch...non too good, but something to look at.

The LED looks somewhat isolated in the side of the body of the switch. But, I hear you.

Not to muddy the waters, but that 6A switch might be a little light anyway for switching the secondary, which could be loaded up to 10A or so? 

Rod

Rod, the switch is switching the primary, not the secondary.  It's switching less than 2 amps.

Yes John I get that, but from your post of 22/03/19 I thought you were suggesting switching the secondary. But I think you mean only the LED would be powered by the secondary? Regardless, good thread and all good ideas.

Rod