Need help installing relay on 500-C

AHA ! Well, that's not a stock 500-C judging from the filter caps, but the orange wire goes to the middle terminal and there's no black wire. You're right - the orange wire looks long enough that it used to be attached to the rear outlets. I think I have a stock 500-C photo somewhere. Thanks, jv.
 
For S&G, lift one end of the black jumper and see if your outlets are hot but your xfmr doesn't power on or visa-versa
 
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Maybe the power switch contact that energized the outlets broke (orange wire) and someone still desired the outlets to operate so they installed the mysterious black jumper from the middle tab to the outlets?

Or, maybe the power switch contact that energized the xfmr (white wire) broke and the jumper was for the orange wire to energize the outlets and xfmr.

Clear as mud? Now I'm confused.
 
jv, We could speculate all day, right? Good fun. Right now I just want to get the relay installed with the existing wires. I think I'm ready.
 
jv - Nope. I put a multimeter on everything and I'm getting good voltage all around. Somebody must have misunderstood the circuitry, I don't know.
 
No. Tom wanted me to do that but haven't got around to it yet. I know that would tell us more about the situation.
 
I found a stock 500-C, the one I used to create a PHOTOFACT, and there is no black wire from to the rear outlet from the 3-way t-strip middle terminal. See attached image. Since the orange wire connects to that same rear outlet terminal as the black wire, I see no reason to keep the black wire even though the black wire connects to the white wire which theoretically serves the same function as the orange wire - to switch on something.

I'm trying to imagine why one would add that black wire. I can only surmise that something went wrong with the orange wire at the switch and rather than risk hot soldering a fragile switch, the person added the black wire. But eventually the orange wire was reattached to the switch. Also, the fuse terminals look like they've been messed with. Maybe the fuse wiring was involved. Anyway, it doesn't matter.

I believe I know enough to go ahead with the relay install. I've attached my final wiring diagram. It's the same as what Tom suggested accept I want to keep the brown wire attached to the switch so I swapped what connects to relay terminal A2, - instead of + so to speak, and the orange wire goes to a different terminal on a rear outlet. Feedback welcome.
 

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Did you remove the black wire and test for 120 at the xfmr and rear outlets?

Your switch has two sets of contacts, one for the outlets and one for the xfmr. The black jumper keeps the outlets and the xfmr both working if one switch contact has failed. The iffy thing in that scenario becomes the fuse having the potential to see a greater current than is designed, ie; only protecting the receiver and not the additional loads plugged into the outlets because of the black jumper.

My question is - if the black wire was installed because of a failed switch contact, then how will you determine which wire goes to the relay coil?

Honestly, I like the idea of the jumped switch contacts with no wire connected to the outlets. I'm going to move the orange wire to the center tap where the white wire is and let the switches contacts split/share the current draw when switched on because I dont use my rear outlets. Maybe that's why your black jumper was installed and that's fine as long as you don't use the outlets because of the extra fuse load.

Earlier in this thread Tom said he jumped all 4 contacts of a relay to beef up the current capacity of a relay for a Kenwood receiver. Your black jumper doubles your switche's current handling capacity to the receiver if your switch has 2 good contacts.

Good luck and nice job on the labeled 500c schematic in Tim's cousin thread.
 
jv - I use one rear outlet for a fan that blows air over the tubes. Keeps them running cooler, throws a little more heat into my 9x9 studio. Ah so you believe there is a good reason for the jumper - improves current handling. I never would have realized that as such is my knowledge of electronics. Thanks for all your feedback.
 
"Ah so you believe there is a good reason for the jumper - improves current handling."

Or, one of your switches' two contacts have failed and the jumper is to keep both the white and orange wire hot.
 
"Think we covered that hypothesis already"

Not if you checked the voltages with the black wire still intact, which you have stated.

Let us know how it turns out.

I'm kicking around the idea of installing a similar relay with multiple contacts to run both the receiver and the outlets and adding another fuse for the outlets.

Good stuff!
 
"Think we covered that hypothesis already"

Not if you checked the voltages with the black wire still intact, which you have stated.
I meant I already checked that both non-jumpered terminals of the switch are not dead (put a meter on both with receiver powered on and switch in both ON and OFF positions). What good would the black wire do if it sends voltage to a dead terminal? If it's dead, the switch has no effect on it.
 
With the jumper (black wire) installed, you basically have installed a jumper across the two switch terminals. The white and orange wires are tied together (down-stream) and are back-feeding the switch via the black wire. All I'm saying is one of the internal switches contacts might be fried but the black wire is disguising it. Maybe their both fine and someone installed jumper to share the current draw of the receivers start-up.

The only reason I'm bringing it up is because if one of the switches contacts is bad, you'll want to use the other one to power your relay.

You'll figure it out. Good luck!
 
I cut all 3 wires on the switch and tested continuity between the left side and right side terminals. No bad right-side terminals as I got continuity with both right-side terminals when the switch is turned on. So the mystery BLK wire maybe is to share the load. Next... solder in the relay.
 
It's done ! The gray wire going left out of the picture connects to AC "-" at the rear outlet where the AC comes in. All that's left is to glue it to the chassis and fire it up. Is it advised to do the low voltage start just to verify that nothing is going to blow?
 

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That's a cute little motor starter. It's amazing how small these things are considering the load they can carry. 1/3 hp @ 120 volts.

Sweet!
 
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