Wiring a cab to use 1 switch

[TheShaner]

I am wiring power into my cab right now and am trying to figure out how to fire everything up and down with one switch.   I am running two 550w computer power supplies. One for the computer and one for the LED's. Everything should be simple enough, it's the computer that has me tripped up. I have currently been using a push button wired to the motherboard to turn the computer on and off, the question is, how in the heck do I rig the computer and it's power supply to come one once I flip the main switch and the circuit is completed?  Without the need for a switch to be hooked up to the motherboard?  I am assuming that second power supply will just work when there is a draw.

[Le Chuck]

If you install a Belkin (or other brand) smart strip all you need to do is plug the computer ps into the smart outlet and everything else into the slave outlets.  Then you just put a SPST momentary switch on the back of the cab linked to the MOBO (which you already have) and use that to power everything.  The Smart Strips are available at Home Depot and other big box stores like Staples.  It is too easy nowadays and totally worth the 20 or 30 bucks you end up dropping on the smart strip. 

PBJ put up a show and tell somewheres on how to make your own, which is another fun option, but the price vs time saved makes the purchase a no brainer for me. 

[TheShaner]

Thanks LeChuck. So the smart strip has the "smart" outlet that fires up all of the slaves when it detects the draw?

[Ravenger]

That's what I've done. The PC in my cab, the PSU which runs the lights and sound amp, and the PC monitor are all plugged into a smart strip.

The PC is set to boot automatically on power on, and when it does so the smart strip turns on the secondary PSU and monitor.

You can shut down the PC via the front-end, or via an on-off switch located behind the cab's front door.

[CoryBee]

If you install a Belkin (or other brand) smart strip all you need to do is plug the computer ps into the smart outlet and everything else into the slave outlets.  Then you just put a SPST momentary switch on the back of the cab linked to the MOBO (which you already have) and use that to power everything.  The Smart Strips are available at Home Depot and other big box stores like Staples.  It is too easy nowadays and totally worth the 20 or 30 bucks you end up dropping on the smart strip. 

PBJ put up a show and tell somewheres on how to make your own, which is another fun option, but the price vs time saved makes the purchase a no brainer for me. 

Do you have a link on hand to build your own? Searched around and can't find any information. Thanks Boss.

[tony.silveira]

+1 on the smart strip.

i have one push button that turns on the PC which is plugged into the "hot" port.

the "slave" ports then fire on lighting, speakers, monitor, etc.

the "always on" ports, i have my mini fridge plugged into and also the flip down lcd screen

all that from one strip and one button

[Le Chuck]

Thanks LeChuck. So the smart strip has the "smart" outlet that fires up all of the slaves when it detects the draw?

Yes, it's groovy.

Do you have a link on hand to build your own? Searched around and can't find any information. Thanks Boss.

Not off handedly, sorry.  I am 90% sure it was PBJ tho.  Sorry. 

[yaksplat]

I'm in the build your own camp.  I have a few posts on it on my site.

http://yaksplat.wordpress.com search on power switch.

[BobA]

Link for a switch relay for your cab.   DIY Switched Relay

The yellow and black wires (12V) on a disk drive molex are used to turn on the relay and power the power strip when the computer is turned on with a single PB wired to the motherboard power on.

[Afterburner]

...... and also the flip down lcd screen

Hmm....I have a spare LCD monitor from an old car DVD player.  12vdc powered and RCA vid input.  Hmmm...this gives me ideas.

Do you have pics of your installation?

[bkenobi]

I built a DIY like the link.  There was another thread somewhere that showed a bunch of pictures which were nice.  The 2 that I have up and running work fine, but a couple years back the relay broke and needed replacing.

The parts for the project are ~$15.  Since the relay costs ~$8 from Radioshack and I now have a couple extras, I'd say just get a smart strip and be done with it.  They work just as well and are much less likely to fail IMO.  And, if the relay fails, you are looking at the same cost anyway.

[CoryBee]

...... and also the flip down lcd screen

Hmm....I have a spare LCD monitor from an old car DVD player.  12vdc powered and RCA vid input.  Hmmm...this gives me ideas.

Do you have pics of your installation?

I see what your getting at, I have a similar LCD monitor I will try that with.

[tony.silveira]

...... and also the flip down lcd screen

Hmm....I have a spare LCD monitor from an old car DVD player.  12vdc powered and RCA vid input.  Hmmm...this gives me ideas.

Do you have pics of your installation?

just check my tagline, link to my project

[kiwasabi]

I'm confused about using a smart power strip. How exactly can it cause my computer and monitor, for instance, to power on if they each require a power button to be pressed?

[Ravenger]

Most PC monitors will turn on automatically when power is restored, if they were switched on when you turned off the power previously. So when the smart strip powers up the slave sockets your monitor should automatically turn on with the PC.

[HanoiBoi]

Most PC monitors will turn on automatically when power is restored....

I'm either unlucky or don't know if the monitor needs a configuration change, because I'm 0 for 2.  I've got two machines with smart strips with monitors that stay asleep when I believe they should wake.  (Any suggestions are welcomed..)

[kiwasabi]

A friend of mine said that monitors either have the capability to auto power back on or they don't. It seems like a standard BIOS setting for computers, but for monitors they have to be built for it. Fortunately mine is newer and auto powers up. Go through each setting on the monitor see if it has the ability to auto power on after power outage (which is the setting in your BIOS you want to turn on to get your computer auto powering on).

It seems to me like any power strip will suit this purpose fine if you just turn on and off the power strip. Or do all normal power strips still allow some power to come through when turned off? 

[yaksplat]

Any monitor with a latching power switch will stay on.  Other than that i don't know of a certain way to know if a monitor will come back on after a power off.

[tony.silveira]

Most PC monitors will turn on automatically when power is restored....

I'm either unlucky or don't know if the monitor needs a configuration change, because I'm 0 for 2.  I've got two machines with smart strips with monitors that stay asleep when I believe they should wake.  (Any suggestions are welcomed..)

if i'm not mistaken, my smart strip has a small dial on it to set the sensitivity for the plugs that are controlled.  playing with that, you should be able to get the right setting so the monitors power back up

[PL1]

Any monitor with a latching power switch will stay on.  Other than that i don't know of a certain way to know if a monitor will come back on after a power off.

If the monitor will not power on automatically, this approach should work.
Disclaimer: Never tried it with the tv/monitor plugged into a smart strip slave outlet.

You'll need a DPST momentary pushbutton. (green)

Wire (red) the two individual sides in parallel with the power switches on the TV and computer.




Scott

[SammyLJ]

so will this work for a tube tv? I bought the smart strip but do not have the tube tv yet.

[PL1]

so will this work for a tube tv? I bought the smart strip but do not have the tube tv yet.

If you can get either the TV or computer to power up automatically using a smart strip slave outlet, that is definitely the better way to go.  If not, you can wire the switches as shown in my diagram.

My diagram will work for anything that uses a momentary (non-latching) pushbutton to switch on.

The only possible downside to my design is that when one is on and the other is off--if you push the button, it will toggle both of them leaving one off and the other on.  The only way you should get this is if one of them powers up automatically when power is applied.


Scott