Remote DC switches

[Doug Shepard]

I've been looking on the internet for DC remote switches and all the ones I've seen say they work with up to 3HP motors. I'm close to ordering a ClearVue system which has a 5HP motor. Does anyone make remotes that will work with a 5HP motor ?

[Steve Clardy]

Yes. But they are pricey.
Last I looked, over 200.00
Look at Dennis Peacocks website. He has info there on making one, which I did, adapted to my needs.
I run a 4hp blower.

[Larry Browning]

Use the one on Dennis's Web site. It will cost you less that $50 and works like a champ. I think it is better that any of the commercial versions out there because the contactor can be sized to whatever your needs are. Plus, everything is readily available if anything ever needs to be replaced. I used one of those Christmas light remote modules to operate the contactor and it works great.

[Ken Garlock]

The "cheap and dirty way" is to get a Long Ranger remote setup and use it to control a contactor relay which inturn switches the dust collector motor.

You might want to look into your wiring and make sure it is the correct size with the correct breaker. My IR 5 hp. compressor instructions say it needs a 40 amp circuit. I have run mine on a 10ga. 30 amp circuit for 3 years and never have tripped a breaker.

Nrmally I would say that you need an 8 ga. 40 amp circuit. However, there are so many NEC zelots running around, I am sure they will want to quote you chapter and verse, and maybe even some sizes. :rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

What Larry said....use an appropriately sized contactor and control with with whatever you want...even a cheap remote. Personally, I use 120v for the control and a single, centrally located switch in the shop. I used to use remotes, but find I don't miss them one bit. The occasional trip to the switch slows me down enough to regain focus, too.

[Steven Wilson]

If you're using a mag motor starter then you can generally wire in remote stations fairly cheap. You really don't need very many remote stations in your shop since you shouldn't be cylcing your DC that often (a couple of times per hour).

[JayStPeter]

What Larry said....use an appropriately sized contactor and control with with whatever you want...even a cheap remote. Personally, I use 120v for the control and a single, centrally located switch in the shop. I used to use remotes, but find I don't miss them one bit. The occasional trip to the switch slows me down enough to regain focus, too.

Mine has a remote to control the contactor, but I've velcroed it to a central location in my shop as I spent more time looking for it than the 4 or 5 steps needed now. It's also high enough to keep my kids from playing with it while I'm emptying the dust bin :rolleyes: .

Jay

[Larry Browning]

My only worry with the 110 Xmas light remote is that if I loose the remote I don't have anyway of turning on the DC except plugging in and unplugging the power cord directly into the wall socket. What I should do is make me a backup switch of some kind. But I haven't figured out how to do that. Has anyone wired up such a thing so that if you loose or misplace the remote you can still turn on the DC? I know that Jim B doesn't use a remote at all, but I would like to wire it up so that I have a choice of using the remote or not.
Hopefully I am not hijacking this thread, but I think this is pretty much on subject here.

[Darl Bundren]

If you check on the Clearvue Cyclone site, Ed has a wiring diagram on there that shows how to set up a relay with the remote of your choice. Click on the installation instructions link up at the top of his page and then scroll to the bottom when you get to the instructions page. If that's not enough, I'd bet you can just call him up--he's a good guy and always willing to talk shop.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

What is the Amperage load of the DC. If it is less that 20 amps @ 120V, you could do what I did. I got a remost Christmas light switch and use it. If you are over 20 amps, or are 3 phase, or 240 volt, you could use a a motor starter and use the remote switch to control it.

Bruce

[Steve Clardy]

My only worry with the 110 Xmas light remote is that if I loose the remote I don't have anyway of turning on the DC except plugging in and unplugging the power cord directly into the wall socket. What I should do is make me a backup switch of some kind. But I haven't figured out how to do that. Has anyone wired up such a thing so that if you loose or misplace the remote you can still turn on the DC? I know that Jim B doesn't use a remote at all, but I would like to wire it up so that I have a choice of using the remote or not.
Hopefully I am not hijacking this thread, but I think this is pretty much on subject here.

Mine is wired in with my regular on-off dc switch. I can either use manual, or remote. If I loose all three remote keys, I can use the manual switch.

[Rob Russell]

My only worry with the 110 Xmas light remote is that if I loose the remote I don't have anyway of turning on the DC except plugging in and unplugging the power cord directly into the wall socket. What I should do is make me a backup switch of some kind. But I haven't figured out how to do that. Has anyone wired up such a thing so that if you loose or misplace the remote you can still turn on the DC? I know that Jim B doesn't use a remote at all, but I would like to wire it up so that I have a choice of using the remote or not.
Hopefully I am not hijacking this thread, but I think this is pretty much on subject here.

Larry,

If you want the ability to start the DC from either a switch or a 120v Christmas tree remote, you can do it by running a 3-way circuit to control a contactor. One of these 3-way switches has 1 input terminal and 2 output terminals.
Your power feed would go to the input terminal.
One of the outputs would go straight to the control circuit of the contactor.
The other output would go to the 120v xmas tree remote box and from the remote box to the contactor control circuit.

Here's how it would work.
When the 3-way switch sends power to the xmas tree remote box, your remote will turn on/off the remote control box, closing/opening the circuit to the contactor's control terminals.
When you flip the 3-way switch to the other position, it will directly power the contactor's control circuit.

The only drawback to this setup is that - if you turn on the DC with the remote - you can't use the 3-way switch to turn the DC off. If the remote has the circuit open (i.e., the DC is off), you can turn the DC on with the 3-way switch and turn it off by flipping it back to "remote mode" which turns the DC off because the remote has the DC off.

Rob