Members Garm Posted February 25, 2006 Members Share Posted February 25, 2006 I want to build my own footswitch to use with a Thunder 50 combo amplifier. Z-4 footswitch is far too expensive. Here's a diagram of very simple solution with two switches. Any suggestions how to add LEDs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members merple Posted February 25, 2006 Members Share Posted February 25, 2006 Use DPDT switches and power the leds from battery/pedal power supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stratlover Posted February 25, 2006 Members Share Posted February 25, 2006 Hey, What you can do is put an led in series with either of the wire going to the switches. Place the anode to switch wire and cathode to the ground. So for example - from green to anode then cathode to switch then switch to ground, the switch will then switch the channel and turn on the led also. Take it easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Garm Posted February 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted February 25, 2006 Thanks, I'll try. This solution is also the most reasonable, this is how I understand it: When I don't use LEDs and the switch is turned off - resistance is infinte. When the switch is on, the resistance is very very little (close to 0 Ohm). If the LED is connected in series with the switch and the switch is on - resistance equals to resistance of glowing LED (50 - 100 Ohm for example). Switch off = infinite resistance = open circuit. Parallel connection of LED creates 0 Ohm resistance when the switch is on and resistance of glowing LED when it's off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Garm Posted February 25, 2006 Author Members Share Posted February 25, 2006 Here's new wiring diagram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stratlover Posted February 25, 2006 Members Share Posted February 25, 2006 Thats it garm, Sorry, I could have explained it more clearly. It just uses the voltage used for the relays to light the leds when switch grounds one or other poles of the switch. I have done this myself and think it is probably the way it is done in the engl amp footswitches. Hope its helped you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Garm Posted February 28, 2006 Author Members Share Posted February 28, 2006 It works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IvIark Posted April 5, 2006 Members Share Posted April 5, 2006 Sorry to add to an older thread, but Garm, could you tell me if you used resistors for the LEDs and if so what was their resistance? I want to make up one of these footswitches too and don't want to burn out the LEDs if I can avoid it. I was also hoping to use dual colour LEDs so that the clean channel would be green and the distortion channel would be red, and then also on the other switch so that yellow would be crunch and red would be lead. CheersMark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Garm Posted April 5, 2006 Author Members Share Posted April 5, 2006 LEDs are pretty cheap, who cares I didn't used any resistors, as you can see on wiring diagram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IvIark Posted April 5, 2006 Members Share Posted April 5, 2006 It's not the LED expense that worries me, it's having to take it apart and resolder if I burn it out after a few weeks that I'm really trying to avoid. More than that though, I know that Engl do use them which means their switching circuit is based on the voltage through the resistors. This will mean you are putting more voltage onto the internal relay coils than the Engl switch would, which definitely does effect the relay life expectancy. LEDs are cheap and easy to replaced but the relays inside the amp may not be. I'm probably just being overly cautious, but that was my thinking about it. Thanks for the info though, at least I know you haven't had any adverse results from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Garm Posted April 6, 2006 Author Members Share Posted April 6, 2006 Originally posted by IvIark This will mean you are putting more voltage onto the internal relay coils than the Engl switch would, which definitely does effect the relay life expectancy. I hope the relay is designed for bigger voltage, there must be some tollerance for higher voltage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IvIark Posted April 7, 2006 Members Share Posted April 7, 2006 Relays always have a tolerance so it should be able to handle it but they still don't last as long. When I've used LEDs in the past, the blue ones for instance have required around 3.5V and I've had to use resistors to take it down to that voltage from 5V otherwise they burn out quickly. If the resistors that Engl use get the switching circuit down to 3.0V, then it may only be a couple of volts difference but it still means that if you don't use them you're putting around 60% more voltage on the relay coils than Engl intended. It could be that they've used higher voltage relays with a good low tolerance, maybe 4.5 or 5V relays that will still pull in if supplied 3V in which case it'd be safe. I could do with getting my multi-meter out and measuring the voltage sent from the amp down the footswitch cable, and then opening the back up and seeing what the relay coils are. Actually I'd be interested in hearing form any Z3 owners, because it has no LEDs and so if it has resistors in it, then it has to be an important inclusion. If the Z3 doesn't then as you say the relays must have a wide enough tolerance, and if Engl don't bother then we don't need to either. Anyone got a Z3 they want to take apart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SKULLSLEESON Posted July 23, 2006 Members Share Posted July 23, 2006 ENGL web say: use double footswitch like Z4 connect channel switch.you can't activate the channels Crunch and Heavy Lead directly,i.e. this requires an intermediate switching operation. how can we make this pedal activate the channels Crunch and Heavy Lead directly? i mean .......extend it....use more button(like 4) and combination with button. The jack back the amp.should have directly switch functions . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Garm Posted July 23, 2006 Author Members Share Posted July 23, 2006 I have Engl Thunder combo. First channel is clean, the second has two modes - crunch/lead. First button on footswitch is used to switch first/second channel. The second button of footswitch determines wether lead or crunch mode of second channel will be used, when I activate it witch first button. So if the lead mode is turned on and I'm playing first (clean) channel, I can switch directly to second channel in lead mode = Heavy Lead. But if I want to use crunch mode I must press both buttons on footswitch, that is not a big problem. The situation is similiar, if crunch mode is activated and I want to switch from clean sound to heavy lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SKULLSLEESON Posted July 24, 2006 Members Share Posted July 24, 2006 NOW!I got it! thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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