Remote switching for the HF 2HP DC...

[David Hostetler]

After seeing a few of the threads on the subject of switching dust collectors, I should probably be concerned with what I am doing...

My DC is up, and away from everything, and the switch is hard to get to in my arrangement, I have simply left the switch in the on position, and plug / unplug the DC to start / stop it. Chances are this is not a good practice. The question is... What remote switches are there out there that are rated for the 20 amp draw of the HF DC? Most I have seen only do 15 amps... I don't need fancy, I need function...

I should mention, with the planned electrical upgrades, the DC power will be located directly behind the dust collector, meaning a remote is a must have for me...

[Neil Brooks]

My Long Ranger has worked perfectly, with my HF DC ... since first time ... and every time.

Got one on my JDS air filtration unit. Same deal.

Very happy with my LRs.

[David Hostetler]

Long Ranger, that's the one from Penn State right?

I am a bit shocked the JDS air filter didn't have a remote of its own... I thought all of the air filters they sell are remote control units with timers...

[Alan Lightstone]

I had pretty good success with the one that Woodcraft sells for the HF DC. I bought a few remotes and kept them hanging in strategic spots around equipment.

[Neil Brooks]

Long Ranger, that's the one from Penn State right?

Ayup.

Fifty bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-LR110-3-110-Volt-Collector/dp/B00004S9AI


I am a bit shocked the JDS air filter didn't have a remote of its own... I thought all of the air filters they sell are remote control units with timers...

Mine was a used deal, from CraigList. Maybe a dozen years old, but in perfect shape. No timer. No remote.

I bring the remote upstairs, after I leave the shop. An hour later ... I simply hit the off switch. Thing has great range.

[Mike Gager]

i have my HF DC plugged into an outlet that is wired to 3 switches, 2 3-way and 1 4-way. i can turn the DC on and off by flipping any of the switches. i have them mounted in the ceiling at various locations around my shop where the tools are. i just reach up and hit the closest switch when i need the DC

[Neil Brooks]

Mike: that's a great idea !

Never thought of that one....

[Stew Hagerty]

+1 on the Long Ranger. I know it says that it is limited to 1 1/2hp but the hp reference is irrelevant. Switches don't have a clue what hp is, they only know Volts and Amps. If you read the specs, the 2hp HF DC is well within the Amp range that the Long Ranger can handle.

Cool idea on the ceiling switches Mike.

[Chip Lindley]

the PO included a Long Ranger remote with my 3hp Oneida system. The LR works great with the 230v 14A (3hp) Leeson motor. BUT, the PO removed the LR's overload button and wired jumped across. No doubt nusiance trips were experienced far too often. I figure the contacts will weld together and the DC will not shut off before anything bursts into flame!

[Josh Bowman]

+1 on the long ranger, had one for more years than I can remember. I you happen to want to turn it on from a couple of hundred feet away....it'll do it!

[David Hostetler]

Long Ranger it is then. The rating was a bit confusing. 1.5 HP up to 20 amps... The HF DC is rated at 2HP 20 amps...

[Michael MacDonald]

you have a 120 volt, 20 amp circuit? and the remote switch is only rated to 15 amps? I have that too... a woodcraft product. my guess is that the remote switch has a breaker that cuts out at 15 amps... so as long as the DC does not draw more than 15, you will be fine. the other possibility is that the switch does not have a breaker, and that if more than 15 amp were pulled through it, the internal wiring would heat up and be a fire risk... I think this is less likely. If I remember correctly, my woodcraft switch even has a breaker reset.

I am not an electrician. Outside chance I am completely wrong. but I think this is how it works.

[David Hostetler]

you have a 120 volt, 20 amp circuit? and the remote switch is only rated to 15 amps? I have that too... a woodcraft product. my guess is that the remote switch has a breaker that cuts out at 15 amps... so as long as the DC does not draw more than 15, you will be fine. the other possibility is that the switch does not have a breaker, and that if more than 15 amp were pulled through it, the internal wiring would heat up and be a fire risk... I think this is less likely. If I remember correctly, my woodcraft switch even has a breaker reset.

I am not an electrician. Outside chance I am completely wrong. but I think this is how it works.

I have a 120 volt, 20 amp circuit, yes. The Long Ranger remote is rated for 20 amps not 15... That's not what confuses me, it's the 1.5HP rating limit that the vendor has slapped on it... From everything I have seen that would mean the amperage limit should be 15 not 20....

Take a look at the specs...
http://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-LR110-3-110-Volt-Collector/dp/B00004S9AI/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp_T2

[Myk Rian]

the PO included a Long Ranger remote with my 3hp Oneida system. The LR works great with the 230v 14A (3hp) Leeson motor. BUT, the PO removed the LR's overload button and wired jumped across. No doubt nusiance trips were experienced far too often. I figure the contacts will weld together and the DC will not shut off before anything bursts into flame!
Do you turn your DC on and off a lot, or leave it running?
A friend of mine has a 3hp Oneida, and if he runs it for use of one tool, turns it off, then on again for another tool a few times, the motor overload trips and he has to let it cool.
He called Oneida about it and they told him to leave it running.

[Stew Hagerty]

I have a 120 volt, 20 amp circuit, yes. The Long Ranger remote is rated for 20 amps not 15... That's not what confuses me, it's the 1.5HP rating limit that the vendor has slapped on it... From everything I have seen that would mean the amperage limit should be 15 not 20....[/URL]

Yes, that's exactly what I was saying. I have exactly what you have (120v, 20a) and it works just fine. The 20amp rating on the HF Dust Collector is the peak draw. That is the maximum burst it could draw for a split second on start-up. If it doesn't trip your breaker, its not going to hurt the remote. I discussed this with Bill at Penn State before I bought it because I was confused just as you were. I called him back afterwards so he knows it works too.

[Rod Sheridan]

Contactors have several ratings, current, voltage and horsepower.

You cannot exceed any of them.

Although the contactor may be rated at 20 amperes, the largest motor you can use this with is 1.5HP.

I have a contactor sitting on my desk in front of me.

It has the following ratings at 240 volts, single phase

50 Amperes resitive, 5HP.

So that's it, 5HP is the maximum for that contactor, just as 1.5HP is the maximum for the one in the remote control........Rod.

[Chris Parks]

i have my HF DC plugged into an outlet that is wired to 3 switches, 2 3-way and 1 4-way. i can turn the DC on and off by flipping any of the switches. i have them mounted in the ceiling at various locations around my shop where the tools are. i just reach up and hit the closest switch when i need the DC

I am putting overhead switches with cords from the ceiling at each machine and drove a low voltage circuit to a relay, a similar idea but not using mains current.

[Paul Pavone]

I've had really good luck with X10 remote switching.
I bought a transceiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/X10-TM751-Wireless-RF-Transceiver-Home-Automation-X-10-/150561872338?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230e2fd9d2

a remote
http://cgi.ebay.com/X10-PRO-PHR04-3-Year-Warranty-Wirlss-RF-KeyChain-Remote-/150544392968?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230d252308

and a 20A outlet for my 2HP HF DC
http://cgi.ebay.com/XPR-W-Receptacle-Duplex-X10-PRO-/150440793436?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2306f8555c

About $35 but the advantage is that you can keep expanding the system for lights, air filter, alarm system, shop heater ... etc. All you need is another $14 outlet to add something on.

Just make sure the receiver is on the same phase as the outlet.

[Curt Harms]

i have my HF DC plugged into an outlet that is wired to 3 switches, 2 3-way and 1 4-way. i can turn the DC on and off by flipping any of the switches. i have them mounted in the ceiling at various locations around my shop where the tools are. i just reach up and hit the closest switch when i need the DC

Yup. And if you wanted to, you could use a relay with a 24 volt coil and use cheap, easy-to-work-with wire and a (door bell?) transformer. Put in as many start-stop stations as you want. 5 H.P. motor? No problem, just use an appropriately rated relay. You don't have to use a low voltage control but it might well be easier and cheaper.

[Thomas Canfield]

I had a problem with my Powermatic 3520B starting my dust collector and had to change to a magnetic contactor for my dust collector. See this post:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?73722-Dust-Collector-Remote-Control-around-Powermatic-3520B&highlight=

[Tom Ewell]

i have my HF DC plugged into an outlet that is wired to 3 switches, 2 3-way and 1 4-way. i can turn the DC on and off by flipping any of the switches. i have them mounted in the ceiling at various locations around my shop where the tools are. i just reach up and hit the closest switch when i need the DC
Good idea with multiple switches, mine is just a single switch in front of the table saw to an outlet down below where the DC resides.

Don't need to walk too far to turn it on for the rest of the gear though

[David Hostetler]

I've had really good luck with X10 remote switching.
I bought a transceiver
http://cgi.ebay.com/X10-TM751-Wireless-RF-Transceiver-Home-Automation-X-10-/150561872338?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230e2fd9d2

a remote
http://cgi.ebay.com/X10-PRO-PHR04-3-Year-Warranty-Wirlss-RF-KeyChain-Remote-/150544392968?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230d252308

and a 20A outlet for my 2HP HF DC
http://cgi.ebay.com/XPR-W-Receptacle-Duplex-X10-PRO-/150440793436?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2306f8555c

About $35 but the advantage is that you can keep expanding the system for lights, air filter, alarm system, shop heater ... etc. All you need is another $14 outlet to add something on.

Just make sure the receiver is on the same phase as the outlet.

Isn't X10 the folks that started up the whole pop up ad thing?

[Paul Pavone]

Isn't X10 the folks that started up the whole pop up ad thing?

Pop up ad? Not sure what that is.

[Tom McCann]

David I was thinking of doing samething. Then thought it would probably cheaper to just add a switch to outlet that my HF dustcollector is in. Just a thought.

good luck

[David Hostetler]

Pop up ad? Not sure what that is.

No problem, I kind of figured everyone that has been on the internet has run into pop up ads. Here is the wikipedia article on them... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop-up_ad.

They've been around almost as long as Java has... Most modern web browsers have pop up blockers now.

[David Hostetler]

David I was thinking of doing samething. Then thought it would probably cheaper to just add a switch to outlet that my HF dustcollector is in. Just a thought.

good luck

If I had a dedicated circuit that only ever got used by the DC, then that would be a good option. I am not there yet...

[Paul Pavone]

Oh, those internet pop-up ads. I just wasn't sure what you were referring to. :confused:
Has anyone else used an X10 type solution for the DC?

[Stew Hagerty]

If I had a dedicated circuit that only ever got used by the DC, then that would be a good option. I am not there yet...

I just had an electrician come over and install a couple of additional 8' double fluorescent lights in my garage plus a 30amp circuit with 2 outlets for my table saw and router table. While he was there I had him put in a dedicated 20amp circuit for the DC, that way I don't have to worry about tripping the breaker when I switch on both a tool and the DC. I also had him add a couple other outlets on an existing circuit for a ceiling mounted air cleaner and a future TV up in one corner. He came over on his day off so I didn't have to pay full rate so that was really cool.

[raul segura]

I sure would appreciate some sort of diagram laymen like of a system like this, using bell transformer / 5hp motor.

[Chris Mahmood]

+1 on the Long Ranger. I know it says that it is limited to 1 1/2hp but the hp reference is irrelevant. Switches don't have a clue what hp is, they only know Volts and Amps.

They have a clue when the contacts melt...the horsepower rating is for the maximum inrush current the switch is rated for, not the running current which is what's listed on the motor plate. If you want a lot of switches it's easier, cheaper, and safer to just use a relay with a 24V coil.