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Do I need a relay or something else entirely? (infosec.pub)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/askelectronics@discuss.tchncs.de
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So I’ve been using an old repurposed tractor lamp as my bedside lamp. I wired it up to mains (EU 230V) with a well isolated alternative bulb and bulb holder (the original bulbs are impossible to find). This has all been grounded and done the best we could. Now comes the problem, we reused the original switch (as it looks good) which it turns out, does not really appreciate having to switch 230V instead of the 12V (or 24V?) it was designed for. I believe I can patch up the switch to work as designed, however I do want a better solution to switching the lamp on and off.

Do relays exist that provide their own low voltage power that I can hook up the switch to? There’s not a lot of space available in the lamp, so I was hoping for a compact, drop in solution.

Other ideas are welcome as wel. I’ve thought of converting everything to 12V, but that would mean finding a new bulb holder, and having a transformer to put somewhere.

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[–] [S] 1 point 5 months ago

Thank you for this. I was not aware of a difference in AC vs DC switches. Do you know the underlying difference for this? Does AC arcs easier or something else?

This lamp was converted with the help of my dad and granddad, they should have known better.

This is the lamp, the switch, and the worn out contact due to arcing.

The idea to embed a compact phone charger is a good one. Any recommendations on how wire the plug? Cut it off and solder + heat shrink the cables? The enclosure probably won’t open non-destructively… Embedding the charger in the lamp will also keep the cable as is, meaning I still keep the whole lamp grounded :)

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