Car control from a 12 volt LED. Auto electrician's essential tool! LED control with squeaker! ← Hodor. Operation of a two-pole voltage indicator

Household wiring under normal operating conditions functions for a long time, reliably and safely.

But as soon as an emergency occurs, for which protective devices are not designed, problems with the operation of household appliances immediately appear.

The owner has to look for faults in the electrical circuit, eliminate them.

The article gives advice to the home master on how to safely search for damage in household electrical wiring in various popular ways, explaining the main points with pictures, diagrams and a video.

Particular attention is paid to how dangerous the control lamp is and why it is prohibited by the rules. Check the electrical circuit with a working voltmeter or indicator.

How the control lamp works

An ordinary incandescent light bulb does not know what fate awaits it.

It works in any scheme in exactly the same way as a control or lighting:

• glows when the rated voltage is applied through the wires to its thread;
• explodes or burns out when it is significantly exceeded;
• does not create a glow from small currents, the strength of which is not enough to heat the tungsten coil.

The name “Control lamp” was invented by people when they began to evaluate the presence of current in a problem circuit with it.

Until almost the end of the 20th century, the test lamp was widely used by electricians to detect faults in wiring, even after its use was prohibited by regulations and severely punished by inspectors. But many people still use this dangerous scheme.

From the memories of an electrician

Two decades ago, I had to work as part of a team of relay workers servicing the equipment of a 330 kV substation and a large number of traveling facilities with a lower voltage - 110/10 kV. Protection, automation and control equipment is placed in cabinets, drawers or on panels with low lighting.

And the relay contacts, all the details of the electronic circuit are very small and require good vision. Illuminated them in various additional ways, including flashlights. Convenient headlamps simply did not exist then. Therefore, we decided to make a carrier for lighting with our own hands.

They made it quickly and decided to show it to the labor inspector. He looked around and noticed that:

• the device of the lamp is taken from the ceiling with, has a body that is well resistant to mechanical damage and durable glass;
• the power cable with high-strength electrical insulation is securely inserted into the housing with a rubber tube that protects it from kinking when kinked;
• in general, the installation was carried out reliably.

And his conclusion stunned us: this is not a carrier, but a control lamp, qualitatively disguised as a lamp. Therefore, he forbids using it ...

Arguing with the authorities in the energy sector is pointless. However, with its help, it was possible to order and receive battery carriers for illumination. It was not very convenient to work with them, but our issue was partially resolved.

The principle of operation of the voltage indicator and control lamp

Both of these devices check the presence of current with a light bulb, but it is implemented in different ways. Let's consider them.

Common features

I immediately draw your attention to one important point, which will allow you to avoid many mistakes made by novice electricians.

When working with an indicator or measuring instruments, it is necessary to imagine the current flow through them all the way from the source to the filament in a closed circuit and remember that the voltage represents the potential difference between certain points, and not the potential of one of them.

This principle should be followed when analyzing circuits.

How to check voltage with a test lamp

Consider the example of the operation of an ordinary room outlet. The potential of the phase and zero is supplied to it from the secondary winding of the power transformer at the substation.

The current flows in a closed circuit through the supply cable, socket contacts, control wires, its filament. By the way, for an ordinary table lamp, the circuit works in exactly the same way.

Operation of a two-pole voltage indicator

Its design can be represented by two wires with contacts and a housing in which a current-limiting resistor with a neon or LED lamp is located.

The current flows in exactly the same way as in the previous circuit.

Operation of a single-pole voltage indicator

His light bulb glows according to a different principle: the current flow path has been changed.

Due to the current-limiting resistor, a small current is created, which safely passes through the electrician's body and returns to the source of the transformer substation along the ground loop. It is sufficient for the indicator to glow.

Differences

The current through the test lamp is fractions of an ampere. For example, for a power of 40 watts, it will be calculated by the formula: 40/220 \u003d 0.18 A.

A few milliamps are enough for the indicator LED to glow, and even less for a neon bulb - microamps. All voltage measuring instruments draw very little current for measurement.

The load of the control is much greater than that of the indicator or voltmeter. This is its main advantage to which old electricians are accustomed.

Real life example

Human factor

Electricians using control panels at enterprises worked not only in 220, but also 36 volt networks, which are used to illuminate hazardous areas.

The design of the cartridge and the shape of the bulbs are interchangeable: when working in the control room, they simply twisted the bulbs to the appropriate voltage. If, when changing the workplace in the 220-volt network, they forgot about it, then the bulb exploded. And for some reason, small fragments fly right into the eyes.

Mechanical damage

The glass of the flask is fragile and breaks easily, especially in a portable design. If the lamp is screwed and fixed at a stationary lamp, then the control is usually held in the hands. She can slip out.

Yes, and a person does not always comply, is able to slip and drop it from his hands or fall with her and cut himself on the glass.

Of particular danger is a fall with a lamp that is energized. The filament will break, and the electrodes of its attachment may be shorted through a random conductive object or the human body. Immediately there is a short circuit with all the aggravating circumstances.

Probability of touching live parts

To create an electrical contact, when connecting the control, they usually leave the bare end of the metal on the wire or solder a simple tip with an alligator clip.

This point is under mains voltage and is dangerous.

Homemade protection indicator lamp

Considering the risks of working with a control box, experienced electricians tried in every possible way to protect its design:

• put on a tin or other cover on the cartridge:
• wrapped the flask with tape or rags;
• adapted a hook for suspension;
• mounted a fuse in front of the cartridge that protects against short circuits;
• used to connect wires with a high degree of insulation protection;
• used to connect probes with safety restrictive rings from measuring instruments designed to work under voltage.

However, even the full range of all these measures does not allow you to safely work with a test lamp. It is more reliable to work with an indicator and a voltmeter.

How to find phase and zero

Recall the voltage distribution scheme in a three-phase network, made.

During the army service in the exercises, I had to practically solve a similar problem in the field conditions of the training ground. It was necessary to find the phase and zero in a six-core power cable connected under voltage in order to power the lighting circuit from them.

There was no indicator or measuring instruments. A messenger was sent for the bulbs, and we got by with an ordinary electric razor and a piece of insulated wire.

The check was carried out in two stages:

1. determination of phase ends;
2. zero search.

Measurement of phase voltages

The work went according to the following scheme:

• a piece of metal was hammered into the ground next to the cable;
• attached to it one contact of a plug from an electric razor;
• a piece of wire was screwed to the second pin and secured with threads;
• the free end of this conductor touched in turn all the cores of the cable;
• they marked three cores on which the razor motor started working - this is how they determined the phase ends and chose the one where it would be easier to install the subsequent circuit.

Zero search

The plug of the electric razor was removed from the self-made grounding and, with the released pin, a contact was created in turn for the current on the remaining three cable cores with the piece of wire connected to the selected phase.

When the engine started, this indicated a working zero, and the other two ends were simply in reserve.

Experienced electricians will see many violations of safety rules in our actions. But this example is given for another purpose - to show the technical feasibility of solving such a problem and its implementation with awareness of the risks and dangers. And the control lamp or indicator in a critical situation can be replaced by any power tool, for example,.

For a better understanding of the principles of troubleshooting in electrical wiring, I recommend watching the owner's video "Electrician's Tips" about the practice of finding a short circuit with a control lamp. I think that they will come in handy when using an ordinary voltmeter.

And although today there are already special indicator screwdrivers for checking the phase, as well as universal measuring instruments, however, control lights are still valued and every electrician and car enthusiast has them. This is a simple and convenient device with which you can find out if there is voltage in the outlet, as well as determine which of the fuses in the car is out of order, and which pin on the connector comes with 12 volts. Next, we will tell you how to make a 12 and 220 Volt control box with your own hands, providing visual photo examples, diagrams and video instructions, according to which everyone can assemble this tool.

For home network

If you decide to make a test lamp for the presence of voltage in the house for a household electrical outlet, then all you need is:

1. Bulb for 220 V.
2. Electric cartridge.
3. Two copper single-core wires 50 cm long each.
4. Probes for ease of use of the control.
5. Protective cover for light bulb.

So, all you need to do is connect the wires to the cartridge and screw the lamp into it. As you already understood, a home-made 220-volt control light has a fairly simple design, which allows even an inexperienced electrician to assemble it with their own hands.

To make it convenient to use the control, it is recommended to additionally connect the ends of each wire with probes, which will be much easier to use if necessary. You can make such probes in various ways. For example, from a body from a ballpoint pen and a piece of thick single-core copper wire or a nail. Be sure to insulate the probes well, since even a small bare area in the wrong place can lead to electric shock.

It is also recommended to additionally protect the incandescent lamp with a casing, be it a wire protection or a transparent plastic cap of a suitable size. It is necessary to protect the lamp because they are often under measurement and careless handling. Modern LED light bulbs are practically devoid of this drawback, because they are protected by a strong plastic dome, and a casing is not required for them.

You can view photo examples of several homemade options from a light bulb and two wires below:

For auto

If you want to make a 12 Volt control for a car yourself, we recommend using the following scheme:

In this example, VD1 and VD2 are the LEDs that will signal the direction of the current in the circuit. For greater clarity, you can take them in different colors and make designations on the body. HL1 is a conventional 1.2W, 12V bulb that simply indicates the presence of voltage between the terminals of the test lamp, as in the 220V circuit. Checking with its help is carried out by pressing the button, which is also indicated in the diagram. As a probe, the author of the diode control lamp used an ordinary wood screw, it can be replaced with any convenient nail or piece of wire. It is recommended to take a stranded wire, because. it is flexible and will not be damaged so quickly when working. Unlike a 220v control, an automotive homemade product must be equipped with a wire about 2 meters long so that measurements can be taken even in the car or under it. A small crocodile should be installed on the free end of the wire; with it, you can connect to the mass in almost any part of the machine, which is very convenient. Well, the last thing to note is that to make the device neat, use a cigarette lighter plug, which will be an excellent case for a control light.

Despite the huge number of measuring instruments and indicators used in both domestic and industrial tasks, control lamps do not cease to fall out of use. Such a device can be assembled independently without problems and capital costs. The most common models are designed for use in domestic and automotive circuits. Therefore, in this article we will analyze how to assemble a control box for 12 and 220 Volts with our own hands.

For home network

A distinctive feature of the household network and the devices connected to it is the supply voltage of 220V. Therefore, all spare parts for inspection should be selected based on this value.

Of the spare parts you will need:

• two wires- if you need a control for one-time use, aluminum wires can also be used. If you plan to use it repeatedly, it is better to take a copper stranded wire, as it is not afraid of kinks and is more convenient to use.
• socket for light bulb- choose only closed models made of insulating material, there should not be any exposed current-carrying elements to which access would be open.
• control light- is selected in accordance with the size of the cartridge base, and in the presence of a protective casing and according to the dimensions of the cap.
• probes- are not an obligatory element of the control lamp, but greatly simplify the work, and if there are stops, they also increase safety. As a probe, you can install not only factory products, but also any improvised means - bolts with screwed nuts, knitting needles, etc.
• cap or protective cover- also not a mandatory element, but reduces the likelihood of damage to particularly fragile parts. By design, it can be solid or lattice.

The last two points are relevant for reusable control, if you want to ring the wiring circuit once, you can assemble the tester without probes and casing.

Making a control panel for 220V

To assemble the control, you will need the following tools: a screwdriver, soldering iron, wire cutters or pliers. Depending on the situation, you may only need some of these devices. For example, if soldering is not expected, you can do without a soldering iron. It should be noted that the wires to the cartridge can be soldered, and not screwed, so it will be more reliable.

1. Disassemble the cartridge into its constituent elements to gain access to the connection points;
2. Connect the wires to the terminals of the cartridge, to do this, insert them into the terminal clamp and tightly clamp with a screwdriver, and if such a connection is not possible, solder the wires to the terminals;
3. Assemble the cartridge, bring the control wires into a hole specially designed for this;
4. Connect or solder the probes to the wire leads, insulate the connection or soldering points, the probes themselves must have sufficient insulation so that during operation it is impossible to touch bare live parts;
5. Screw the lamp into the socket, if necessary, close it with a protective cover.

The 220V tester is ready to be used for testing wires and electrical circuits. When constantly working with such a control, do not forget to periodically check its performance in a known-good network that is energized.

For auto

Car control, unlike household, performs measuring operations in DC circuits with a supply voltage of 12 V. Therefore, you cannot use a 220 V control as a car probe. But the manufacturing principle will be identical, although it is very convenient to use LED controls instead of light bulbs to diagnose a car.

In view of the technical features of the car's electrical wiring, a 12 V control performed according to the principle described above does not provide complete information about the state of affairs in the circuit. Because of what, the control of an auto electrician can be equipped with such functional additions:

Such a scheme, in addition to monitoring the state of the circuits, allows you to determine the plus or minus on the outputs and the signal intensity. Due to the bipolar inclusion of LEDs, one of them will light up when touching the positive contact, and the second will signal when in contact with the negative terminal.

To implement such an autotest control, you will need:

• Connecting wires- are selected according to your needs, but professional auto electricians recommend making a length of at least 2 m, since you have to install the probe in hard-to-reach places;
• probes can be plugs or crocodiles, for one-time use, you can simply strip the edges of the wires from insulation and do without probes;
• Bulb holder and 12V bulb itself if the lighting device has a different connection principle, a cartridge of the appropriate type is installed or the wires are soldered to the terminals of the lamp (LED);
• Button- designed for switching in the control circuit, selected according to the value of the switched current;
• Two LEDs- in this example, multi-colored models are used (red for signaling the positive terminal and blue for the negative);
• Frame- designed to accommodate all parts and install light signaling devices in a visible place, as a housing, you can use a marker, felt-tip pen or a plastic tube of glue.

The choice of auxiliary elements is limited only by your imagination and improvised means that you will find in your garage, apartment or workshop. If you are making a car tester for a specific purpose, you can exclude certain elements from the circuit, which greatly simplifies the device. So, the model with one bulb or a low-voltage LED is considered the simplest control.

The simplest 12V control to indicate the circuit

To make such a device, you will need a disposable syringe, a 12 V light bulb (you can replace it with an LED), wire, stationery gum, a stationery knife, pliers.

The manufacturing process consists of the following steps:

The control is ready, you can use it to find a circuit in a car wiring or check the health of individual elements.

Polarity Checker

This is a more complicated option, for such control you will need two LEDs, you can use smart LEDs (take different colors for convenience), a case (in this case, an inoperative indicator screwdriver is used), a soldering iron, a 1000 Ohm resistor. The control manufacturing process consists of the following steps:

The tester is ready, now when you touch the positive contact, one LED will light up, and when you touch the negative contact, the second. But remember, the working rating of such a control is not suitable for 220V household networks - it is determined by the working rating of the light elements.

Video instruction

Today, a modern car cannot be imagined without electricians. Thanks to it, the car can start and provide you with comfortable movement, as well as all the sensor, lighting, air conditioning and music are powered by electricity. Therefore, the electrician plays a huge role for the car, without it the car is not able to budge. The sources of energy for any car are an electric generator and a battery.

Do-it-yourself auto electrician: a probe and its purpose

Electronics in the car is a simplified driving process and comfort for the owner. The electronic unit is an independent device that is able to control the operation of many systems, as well as vehicle parts. The main advantage of auto electrics is the comfort inside the cabin.

Modern electronic equipment is very complex, consisting of many wires that have different colors. These wires are connected to each other and to various devices of the car, they diverge throughout the cabin, as well as under the hood, in the control panel.

Not only the battery or alternator, but also many other electronic mechanisms are responsible for starting the car. It is worth paying attention to them and their work.

Additional electronic mechanisms:

• Starter;
• Candles;
• Spark distributor;
• Control unit - it can be either electrical or mechanical;
• High voltage coil;
• Anti-blocking system.

To identify any violations in the wiring, you need to build a small device with your own hands - a probe. Or it is also called a control - this is an electrical device that is designed to check the voltage of electricity and to detect other malfunctions.

How to make a control: necessary materials

You can do a control check of the car yourself or contact the nearest service center. You can do it yourself only with the help of a homemade control. There are two types of them: for home and car, they differ significantly from each other. If a 220 volt control is suitable for a house, then only 12V for a car.

The control for home and car performs the same functions, namely, it detects the voltage in the electrical network and some malfunctions of one or another element.

Such home-made two types are assembled in almost the same way, with one difference - a light source. A regular 220V lamp is suitable for home testing, while a car probe uses a low-power lamp. A diagram is also drawn up according to which it will be easier to assemble the intended device.

Materials for creating a control:

• Light bulbs. In one case, a conventional lamp, the other - LED.
• Copper wires for the house and acoustic wires for the car;
• insulating tape;
• Styli.

For home control, you also need an electric cartridge, but the wires must be 50 cm long. To take measurements in the car, you need wires of at least 2m. For the body of the device, you can purchase an ordinary cigarette lighter, which can be found in any auto shop, but the probe can be replaced with an ordinary self-tapping screw. Using this device is very easy.

Necessary tools: do-it-yourself auto electrician control

Automotive wiring is a very delicate matter. It needs to be constantly looked after and checked for serviceability of the main electrical appliances. To check the electrics in the car, there must be special devices with which you can detect a malfunction in the network.

Malfunctions occur due to poor-quality contacts, which may be incorrectly connected or subject to wear and tear. Then they are simply replaced with new ones or insulated with tape.

Due to the large amount of dirt, an electrician can also become unusable. An indicator screwdriver or a car light bulb will help to identify the malfunction. Also, at the time of the breakdown, the necessary tools and materials must be in the car.

Tools that should always be in the car:

• wires;
• Terminals;
• Indicator or control;
• Tester;
• Plastic ties;
• Insulating tape;
• Nippers, scissors;
• Screwdrivers, various wrenches, pliers;
• Fuse set;
• Voltage transformer.

Also, with different wire breaks, you will need a soldering iron. Bad contacts are better soldered than twisted. It is recommended to solder only those wires that are not subjected to large vibrations and they should be located straight. You can fix the soldered area with electrical tape.

Do-it-yourself auto electrical repairs

Auto electrics is a very simple matter, you just need to understand a little about electricity and be able to identify faults. They must be removed in time so that the car can move freely.

A frequent breakdown of the car's electrical network is a fuse failure. If the fuse is out of order, it must be replaced with a new one. The duplicate must be exactly the same denomination as the new one.

You can fix some other simple breakdowns on your own. If you cannot cope with more complex problems, then it will be easier to turn to the nearest auto repair shop for help, where specialists will diagnose and identify all breakdowns. After that, a quality repair will be done.

You can do it yourself:

• Charge the battery;
• Extend the operation of the electric generator;
• Replace some parts;
• Install foglights.

If a burning smell appeared in the car interior, it means that there was a short circuit or fire in the electrical wiring. In this state, you can not move, you must definitely stop and open the hood. After that, disconnect the terminals from the battery and call a tow truck that will take you to a car service.

How to make a do-it-yourself control (video)

Auto electrics are a very important element in the whole car, without it the car simply will not drive. Most importantly, you need to be interested and look closely at many details of the machine in order to identify and eliminate faults in time.