Forum - Recent Threads

RE: Solenoid

dougw — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 01:08:44 GMT

Here is a circuit:

The "Adjustable Delay Monostable Trigger Relay" cost between $1 and $2, available in a 12V version.

The solenoid should be oriented such that gravity makes it return when off.

It is good practice to put a snubber diode across the solenoid terminals.

If you absolutely need a second solenoid to make it return, you would need a second time delay relay.

Solenoid

Haydn66 — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 22:52:36 GMT

Hi i need some help with this solenoid project

I need to press switch to send 12v solenoid to make it go up and when it gets to its full travel it needs to hold for about 10 to 15 seconds then change it's polarity so the solenoid pulls back in to its start position to do it over again

It's for a electric go kart indicator arms like the old ford pop iam making my grandson for Christmas so if anyone can crack this and give me a parts list that will be great

Thanks

Haydn66

RE: Solenoid

robogary — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:11:12 GMT

Please check the solenoid nameplate for inrush and holding current.

If you want to use conventional parts, then need a relay for pickup and drop out, and TDAE realy for your time delay.

You'll need limit switches on the top and bottom to know when the solenoid reaches those positions and remove reverse polarity contacts.

If you can change the solenoid, get one that returns to home position when power is off. It will save you alot of grief.

RE: I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

shabaz — Wed, 17 May 2023 03:09:52 GMT

The currency has plummeted there (even more than usual) in the past few months, by 25% or more compared to a couple of months ago. And it's so painful even shipping from overseas without paying off all sorts of fees. Now would be a good time for the OP to ask any friend or family member traveling from another country to buy from another country as a favor.

I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

Shahzad1234 — Mon, 15 May 2023 15:14:24 GMT

Hi Dear All,

I have to purchase a used power supply. I have two options,

1. Topward 6303D

2. Caltron PR 3303SE

I have downloaded the operating manual of S. No. 1 but couldn't find that of S. No. 2. I need durable, high quality and easily repairable out of these two options. Price is not an issue.

I will be highly obliged if you guide me to choose the right one.

Thank You.

RE: I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

Jan Cumps — Tue, 16 May 2023 18:39:44 GMT

Indeed, looks like it's only available via import or dropshippers.

RE: I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

Shahzad1234 — Tue, 16 May 2023 18:33:01 GMT

I live in Pakistan.

RE: I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

Jan Cumps — Tue, 16 May 2023 16:32:57 GMT

What country is it?

RE: I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

Shahzad1234 — Mon, 15 May 2023 18:38:06 GMT

Thank you. Sir, But it is not available in our country.

RE: I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

Shahzad1234 — Mon, 15 May 2023 18:36:50 GMT

Thank you @baldengineer for your guidance. In fact i have limited choices available. Fortunately, I have found schematics of Topward 6303D power supply. Here is the link https://imgur.com/a/GPrRB6D

But couldn't find same for Caltron PR3303SE. But i think the Caltorn has an enable output or Output ON/OFF control. Cannot confirm...

RE: I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

michaelkellett — Mon, 15 May 2023 16:43:59 GMT

Take a look at the Rigol DP832A.

Similar price (in UK) to Topward 6303D and similar power output (2 x 30V @ 3A, 1 x 5V @ 3A).

DIY repairing of high end power supplies (Keysight, Rohde & Schwarz etc) is never simple because they don't publish schematics, but their stuff tends to keep working.

With cheaper generic equipment such details often leak out, so it might be easier to maintain a no-name type supply yourself.

The Rigol is in between, decent quality and a close to low end price - I have one myself and it's been reliable. It does come with proper documentation and Ethernet, USB and RS232 ports as standard.

www.rigol-uk.co.uk/.../

RE: I have to purchase DC Power Supply 1. Topward 6303D, 2. Caltron PR 3303SE which one is best

baldengineer — Mon, 15 May 2023 15:51:45 GMT

Both are generic OEM designs. I would not expect to find detailed information on either.

This means one company designed it and sells it under multiple brand names. Sometimes there are minor variations as parts get substituted. I've seen both, but based on the picture, the Caltron design is more common to me.

They're both linear supplies, so they should be straightforward to troubleshoot and repair even without a schematic.

As with all supplies, my hard requirement is to have an output on/off control. I hate supplies that only have an AC Mains control.

RE: What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

beacon_dave — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 15:14:41 GMT

To be fair he did attempt to fit a cloaking device towards the end of the video... 🙂

What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

rscasny — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 17:13:12 GMT

We just published a new spotlight article called How Do You Make The Most of Renewable energy?

The article covers a variety of things about it, as well as some key points about power switching.

Do you have any lessons you have learned as you try to apply renewable energy in your home and business life?

RE: What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

dougw — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 14:19:13 GMT

I don't know what my neighbors think about my activities. They are all in bed when I am working at 3 am. My better half does have a veto on anything that doesn't pass her aesthetics standards. That drum on the roof for example wouldn't fly without some serious architectural enhancements.

RE: What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

beacon_dave — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 10:04:26 GMT

Looks like Quint has progressed from his domestic rainwater gutter turbine generator to a solar powered pump hydro scheme.

Storing Solar Power on my ROOF!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMR9z9Xr8GM

Pumped Storage - What I Learned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtD_pJBZIWw

Lessons learnt - you get to find out what your neighbours really think of your activities...

My Neighbor's Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8p-bO61X-Q

RE: What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

ralphjy — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 20:23:03 GMT

Hi Mike, I'll definitely do some research before choosing a battery solution. I'll need to check with my local utility to see what they allow for grid reconnection after power loss. I have a "Secure Power Supply" feature on my inverter to allow it to run when the grid is down, but I need to shut the inverter down before I reconnect after grid power is restored. I know someone with a Tesla Powerwall (and a Tesla to go with it 😄), so I'll check with him to see how that setup works.

The NEC will update next year, so I'll need to see if there will be new requirements. The Rapid Shutdown Switch was a new requirement for 2017 and I had to order one at the last minute after all the other system components had delivered.

I've thought about adding generator capability to power the house, but in that case I would probably just switch it in manually and not require it to charge the battery. Probably the setup you described...

Ralph

RE: What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

kmikemoo — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 04:52:26 GMT

ralphjy I know that you will, but please do your research before you purchase a battery storage solution. I have two different sets here at work and they are vastly different although there is only a slight difference in price.

One system really only charges from the grid while it's marketing material alludes to it charging from solar. Sure your solar can be tied to the grid at the same time you are charging the batteries, but with no grid, your solar cannot charge your batteries. When running from batteries, it must be the only source of power. If you have to use a transfer switch... that is not the system I would recommend for you.

The other system can use the batteries to mimic the grid and allow AC coupled solar to still function. It can also call for generator - although it uses the generator in lieu of utility and solar. Generators can't handle reverse power.

All the battery storage systems I've researched require a sub-panel. One thing I do not like about these systems is that they are not fail-safe. When your inverter shuts down, you are isolated from ALL sources. Darkness prevails. Just some lessons from a guy that had to run back to work in the middle of the night a few times because the BMS shut the system down and it powered the furnace. When it's single digit temperatures outside, it doesn't really matter if it's C or F. You need heat.

RE: What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

ralphjy — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:11:29 GMT

The increased push toward electric vehicles and increasing stress on the power grid due to a variety of issues have made me want to add battery storage to my solar installation. The recent passage of the “Inflation Reduction Act” in the US makes battery storage installations eligible for the 30% Federal Tax Credit. I see batteries in the near future ☺.

RE: What Key Lessons Should We Be Learning about Renewable Energy?

dougw — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 22:39:07 GMT

Changing attitudes are half the battle. My better half no longer feels that solar panels are unacceptably ugly. 🙂

RE: LED 4-Pin help needed

hafcanadian — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 23:08:50 GMT

Toyo/Roundtripping offered 15-20 lamps at first, but ultimately put together 50 at no charge. They shipped from China through Hong Kong and arrived yesterday. They were good enough to airfreight them DHL. The only delays were through several stages of customs holds. They did have some confusion over my address, somehow getting my house number confused with the zip code; fortunately my contact there was aware enough to catch it was destined to Indiana or Massachusetts or somewhere, not Oregon. Postal address configurations in China are apparently much different than in the U.S.

Along with the good faith offer was a note that if a set has lamps go out I should go buy a replacement set rather than try to replace the lamps, and that these sets are meant to last only 7-8 years at best, maybe only 2 if left outside very long - that they are sensitive to ravages of weather and handling. My sets are on the house usually about 6 weeks, Thanksgiving to a week or two after New Years, whenever my Grandson can get over to put them up and take them down off the roof ridges that my disabilities prevent me from accessing. I do the gutters and fascia reachable by ladder. The lights I already have should be adequate for many years yet, but I still want to maximize that by addressing faults in sets where I can.

It hadn't dawned on me that a specific patent was involved, such that the LED bulbs are not attainable except through one manufacturer, especially one like Toyo that's big enough to effectively dominate the holiday lighting industry, a monopoly of sorts. But it's been over 7 years, so the patent would be expired; maybe it's different in China. It would still be good to know the lamp's specifics, but tracking the patent may involve more aggressive research than its worth.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Sean, Ralph, Doug, John, and most especially Frank for your input and attempts to help me solve my problem. I regret that I could've saved Frank's time had I earlier endeavored to contact the manufacturer through the retailer's buyer system, as I ultimately did when Frank came to an impasse. Seven years ago that was the only way to get a response out of Toyo. And they didn't respond this time either until the buyers got involved... money talks with large companies. That all said, I cannot disregard all that I learned about these LEDs in the process. That's due to the commentary each of you threw into the mix... it was all very enlightening. And very, very much appreciated!

Joel

Photo doesn't do the "in motion show" aspect justice, as the lights move and change colors in synch

There are 20 sets of 12 lamps each. You can see if one lamp gets finicky, a group of 4 usually goes all

white, which screws up the "show". If it's up on the Ridgeline I have to wait for my Grandson to get

away from his National Guard duties to come switch out the set with a new one. Then the faulty set

sits on my workbench until the Holidays allow time to juggle lamps or try to sort out what's wrong.

Sometimes I've gotten lucky and replacing one lamp does it (if I can find the right one), switching bulbs

around works on occasion, or I have to replace all 12 lamps when only 4 of them light at all, and usually

3 of a group of 4 with another one by itself much further down the string. Weird. And frustrating. Toyo

would just as soon I go buy another set, of course. Hopefully that won't be necessary anytime soon.

RE: LED 4-Pin help needed

hafcanadian — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 18:26:14 GMT

The buyers at the seller’s main offices finally got a response from the vendor of the light sets. They passed the job through 4 of them before one got it done, but got back to me in less than a day.

It would seem the company, I believe Toyo or their associated entity Roundtripping, have a patent on the lamp such that only they can supply it - it isn’t available in the US market. That’s why Frank couldn’t identify it with his tests.

They told the buyer they would “make up” 15 or 20” lamps for me. When the vendor contacts me I will try to buy more than that, as I was hoping to get a package of 50 or 100, which is commonly available in other similar models, and because sometimes a set must have all 12 lamps replaced to work. With 40+ sets, I need some good backup into future seasons.

RE: LED 4-Pin help needed

fmilburn — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 19:24:18 GMT

I am going to speculate a bit here.

The LEDs have the following characteristics:

They don't behave like a traditional "dumb" RGB LED
They have the same length leads as an APA-106 and the same flat edge on the side
From my testing the GND pin and VDD seem to be the same as an APA-106
Adafruit sell something similar that is said to work with their NeoPixel library
The Adafruit NeoPixel library for the WS2812 doesn't quite work with these LEDs

I remember reading about a change to the WS2812 and found this May 2017 post which references WorldSemi: Heads up – WS2812B NeoPixels are about to change! – Particle Blog. In the 2017 article they state that:

According to WorldSemi, the new WS2812B NeoPixels have a longer required reset interval, up to 280us from 50us.

They go on to say that their product would not light the WS2812Bs as a result. What may be happening is that Joel's LEDs use the old reset interval of 50 us and the NeoPixel library uses the newer interval. When I hold my finger just so (it doesn't always work) I may be changing the capacitance or something that changes the reset duration and allows it to turn on but they still don't function properly. I have the Arduino in a loop sending a new signal each pass and it turns off when I pull my finger away.

Some years ago I wrote a driver for the WS2812 and a MSP430 microcontroller. I suppose I could dig out that code and modify it as necessary to change the reset period and test a lamp or we could use a logic analyzer or oscilloscope to determine what the reset period coming out of the TY-16F is and whether it matches the APA-106 protocol. But I am not sure how much good that would do if the older lamps are obsolete and can't be found.

Assuming these are old APA-106 with a shorter reset duration I am running out of ideas other than ordering some new APA-106 and seeing if they work with the controller. Small quantities are available on Tindie and probably elsewhere.

RE: LED 4-Pin help needed

fmilburn — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 18:33:56 GMT

Assuming the lamps are APA-106, then the TY-16F is a controller that sends signals to the individual lamps. It would not have a resistor because the microcontroller in the individual lamps will use pulse width modulation (PWM) to turn the lamps on and off quickly so that the averaged current appears to dim the LEDs to our eyes (we don't see the flicker) and also keeps them from burning out. It is useful to know that the LEDs in your possession have two long and two short pins like the APA-106.

RE: LED 4-Pin help needed

hafcanadian — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 08:05:17 GMT

Sounds like you fellows are zeroing in on the right lamp. The parameters I read for the APA-106 was darned close to what the light set’s instruction sheet calls for as replacements. 0.24 watt, 4 volts. The APA-106 specs I saw are 0.24 w, 4.5-6 v. Don’t know how critical that 4 volts specification is.

I sure appreciate your effort and capabilities. So the dark shadow inside the diffused “lens” is a tiny built-in controller c.b.? I didn’t know there was such an animal. The TY-16F must have the resistor?

I believe I’d earlier mentioned that I’d thought the mfr. had trimmed the pins to fit their holder, so when bent over their tips didn’t overlap the holder and jamb when inserted in the socket. But I note the lamps have 2 long and 2 short pins, unlike regular ones. The pins in mine probably weren’t trimmed after all.

Joel