[kasperl]

I currently have 2 computers, a TV, a speaker set, an MP3 player, and some more **** in my room, all running through a combination of fire hazards called outlet splitters. Soon, another computer, plus another set of speakers will be added.  

I want to make my own switchbox thingy, allowing me to switch all the power around by flipping a switch, per application (printer, monitors, etc), without me crawling under my desk. All nice and hole up behind a nice wooden panel. (In the colour of my desk, too, I can wreck the drawers I removed from it for that.)

Now, aside from basic high school stuff involving LED's, a single thyristor and some iron wire, this will be my first attempt at electronics.  I need to submit a good worked out drawing to my dad, because otherwise he won't let me hook it up to the mains. I'd also like to know what I'm looking at for cost for switching mains with nice small switches, with LED's and stuff. In short, this is the help I need:

• The name of a good circuit drawing program. (Lines, recuring symbols, snapped-to-grid, colour coding if possible.)
• An idea about the cost of a system to switch power to all the stuff, plus some macro switches. (Switches for "Printer" "Monitor1" "Monitor2" "Laptop" and one for "All PC's". Nothing will be hooked up to two groups at the same time. (A single tree, nothing interwoven.))
• A way to switch all the signal LED's off at the same time, so I won't have a friggin' christmas tree when I go to bed.
• An idea about nessecary cooling and ventilation.
• Is it a good idea to put it all in a big metal box? If so, how much does sheet metal cost?

As for the prices, just give me an estimate, like the number of digits I'd be looking at.

Thanks in advance.

[Turnsky]

hrmm, well.. first off
http://bach.ece.jhu.edu/~tim/programs/xcircuit/

and it's sorta the job for a qualified electrician..

also, it sounds like you need onna these:

http://www.ausparc.com/shop/index.php?cPath=35
you can get some with as many as 10, all surge protected..

price-wise.. shouldn't cost too much, as long as you know what you're doing..
mains power ain't something to be taken lightly, i myself have absorbed my fair share of mains in my life time.. not fun.

metal's okay, but do it wrong, and the whole thing's live..

[kasperl]

Well, I'd need one with europlugs, but those things are big, annoying, and cause a lot of tangled up wires. Basicly, my current setup, but with surge protection.

As for the program, I was hoping for something that'd run on windows as an exe, not requiring me to install yet another compiler, and learn how to work with that too......


edit:

About the metal, I was thinking about hooking it up to the earth(ground) wire of the mains, so that if I would do anything wrong, the only thing that happens is that the power shorts into the ground, meaning a circuit breaker trips and I get charged by an angry family watching "that important episode of .... ".

As for me taking the mains lightly, I was hoping to use as much off the shelf stuff as possible, using those screw split thingy's they use in most  lamp outlets, and not too much soldering.

And the whole thing will off course be tested before use using those multimeter thingy's.

[Turnsky]

Originally posted by kasperl
Well, I'd need one with europlugs, but those things are big, annoying, and cause a lot of tangled up wires. Basicly, my current setup, but with surge protection.

As for the program, I was hoping for something that'd run on windows as an exe, not requiring me to install yet another compiler, and learn how to work with that too......

http://www.web-ee.com/Downloads/Tools/tools.htm

okay, you're gonna have a ****load of cables floating about the place, regardless.. those were just a suggestion, you should be able to find a euro version at your local hardware store.. i have three of 'em

edit: i getcha, try finding those little joiner thingies they use in the walls for joining two strands of mains wire together.

[kasperl]

Ah, ok.
Thanks for the link, downloading in a minute...

The idea would be to try and keep as much of the cabling as possible behind a front, so I won't have three loops of cabling all over the place.

Another question, what is the easiest way to double an audio INPUT for use with 2 machines at the same time? (So my music and the beeps from the other computer go through one set of speakers.) Simply making one PC with a whole bunch of sound cards, or some clever soldering option?

[Turnsky]

Originally posted by kasperl
Ah, ok.
Thanks for the link, downloading in a minute...

The idea would be to try and keep as much of the cabling as possible behind a front, so I won't have three loops of cabling all over the place.

Another question, what is the easiest way to double an audio INPUT for use with 2 machines at the same time? (So my music and the beeps from the other computer go through one set of speakers.) Simply making one PC with a whole bunch of sound cards, or some clever soldering option?

okay, got an idea right here.
it's simple, and should work..
and i found a link that helps explain it..
http://www.charm.net/~jriley/powsw1.html

this is what you're looking for, right?.. switches on the front, plugs at the back.. etc, etc.

[kasperl]

That seems pretty much the idea, thanks.

[kasperl]

Err, this thing only has one switch, meaning that if the desktop hangs, I'll shutdown my server, give my laptop a jolt to the batt., give all the monitors an electronic kick in the groin, remove the programming of my VCR/TV combo, killing the current download, and some other stuff I'd rather not see happening.

[Turnsky]

Originally posted by kasperl
Err, this thing only has one switch, meaning that if the desktop hangs, I'll shutdown my server, give my laptop a jolt to the batt., give all the monitors an electronic kick in the groin, remove the programming of my VCR/TV combo, killing the current download, and some other stuff I'd rather not see happening.

i said some idea, didn't i?

ahwell, it's a conduit box, what you need would be simular, you plug it in multiple times per bank..
like Bank 1 - Computer
      Bank 2 - Laptop..
and so on.. it's not that hard to adapt to your own type of plan.. works kinda like a powestip with switches, 'cept each bank has its own switch, and you can switch off one without turning the whole lot off.. see?

or something like that..

[kasperl]

I'll figure something out, I'm reading up on some stuff right now.

[Stealth]

yeah i wanted to do something similar once, so i made this.

[kasperl]

Do you have any kind of schematics for that?

[Stealth]

or, to save yourself a lot of time and money, you could go buy something like this (this particular auction is going buy it now for $1.00)




it sits on your desk, under your monitor or whatever, and it's easy access, very neat and clean, built in surge protector, etc.

[kasperl]

I'll look into those, but if possible, I'd like something built by myself, as a learning experience, and so that the entire thing fits in with the rest of the place.

As for the auction, got link?

[Stealth]

Originally posted by kasperl
Do you have any kind of schematics for that?

yeah man it was really simple, i made it when i was 13 years old, and it doens't have any complicated circuitry inside.

if you want i can open it up, and take a few high-res pictures of what's inside of it.  the hardest part to make it would be to find the parts.

[kasperl]

Do the switches do the high voltage directly, or is there a relay used?

The switch lights are bought, right?

[Stealth]

Originally posted by kasperl
As for the auction, got link?

yeah that's good you're doing it for a learning experience, that's definately the way to go.  if you need any help finding parts for the project, let me know, i've got tons lying around.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=45342&item=6706452871&rd=1
that's the link.  "Tomball, Tx" is a 15 minute drive down the highway from my house.

[Stealth]

hmk
sry, i went out for lunch...

anyway, no i didn't use any relays, it's just right through the switch.  the switches are meant to take heavy loads though, so they're good.  however realize i don't run my computer off them now, i run my lights off them.  back when i made this switchbox, computers didn't have 600W power supplies on them.  this switchbox was made to power a 13.5" monitor, and a 200W power supply feeding a pentium 1 200 mhz with 32 mb ram  i'd suggest using heavy duty relays if you want to do what i did today, because nowdays graphics cards take more power than the rest of the computer, and flatscreen monitors and all the rest of them, it's best to go with relays to be safe.



the same picture in high resolutions (1.5 - 2.0 MB)
http://www.3dap.com/hlp/hosted/stealth/hostedpictures/P8120002.JPG
http://www.3dap.com/hlp/hosted/stealth/hostedpictures/P8120003.JPG

let me know what other information you need.

[kasperl]

The only thing I really need now is a few basic answers:

1) What's the symbol of a relays?
2) What voltage does an average visible LED run on?
3) How much does a relays cost that takes input from LED voltage and switches mains?
4) How much do basic LED's cost?
5) And how much does a switch cost for LED voltage?

Now, my dad has tons of stuff lying around too, and for most things, shipping from the US to Holland costs more then the thing itsself.

[Martinus]

[color=66ff00]Kas I would really advise against tinkering with mains in this way, what Stealth has built is a fairly straightforward device what you want is quite a bit more complex. One wrong wire and you could literally kill your equipment or worse; yourself.

I have many years of experience with electronics and it's not something I would approach without thoroughly planning it through and then prototyping it.

If you're totally set on it then I could probably draw something up to guide you.
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