Another one of those "power up my cab with one switch" questions

[quarterback]

Hellloooooo.

Okay, I was going to buy a smartstrip and be done with it, but the cost (not really high, but not cheap either), some of the reviews on Amazon ("stopped working!"), along with me not understanding the different "generations" of smartstrip products and the fact that I can build a relayed-powerstrip myself has led me to the BYOAPowerStrip path.

There's a nice step-by-step page here: http://home.bendcable.com/werstlein/

Which shows you how to utilize your cab's 12v power, along with a relay, to turn electrical outlets on and off.  But when reading other homemade solutions on these forums, there seem to be people who are using a 125v relay as their control.

Is there some way to use a 125v relay to control outlets in the same way that the SmartStrip works (where the 125v power running to your PC is the controlling factor and somehow trips the relay when you power up your computer)?  Or are people using a 125v relay and a manual switch (controlling the 125v 'trigger') to make it work?

IOW, I can't figure out exactly how to emulate the SmartStrip and I'm not sure if those people using the 125V relays are reproducing exactly how the SmartStrip works or if they're doing something slightly different.

Any insight?

[Angry_Radish]

To save some cash and time, I used an extra auto-switching outlet I had from my table saw.
Grabbed it at sears, check it out.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Power+Tool+Accessories&pid=00924031000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Tool+Safety&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

[Angry_Radish]

Plugged the pc into the main, and a powerstrip with the speakers, marquee light, and screen into the other. When the pc is switched off, everything else shuts off, just as it would with the smartstrip, only cheaper

[quarterback]

Plugged the pc into the main, and a powerstrip with the speakers, marquee light, and screen into the other. When the pc is switched off, everything else shuts off, just as it would with the smartstrip, only cheaper

Yeah, if I could find one locally, I'd go for it.  But it'll take 14+ days to get it delivered to the store for pickup and otherwise I have to pay shipping.

SmartStrip has some skinnier/fewer outlet strips for something like $24, but for under $10 I could build something with a relay, so I'm probably going to go with the 12v relay option.  I was just trying to figure out if people had really emulated the SmartStrip's operation or not.

Thanks

[ahofle]

Not sure if this is necessary with a BYO smart strip, but the retail smart strip comes with a sensitivity switch.  When my smart strip stopped working consistently, I found that adjusting this knob fixed it (haven't had a problem since).  Just something to keep in mind -- it would suck if your BYO strip quit working for whatever reason and you couldn't adjust it.

[Hippo]

Heres the thread on my homebrew solution

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=48365.0

[Zeosstud]

I strongly suggest the Sears switch and any other "normal" power strip.  I tried and tried to get my smart strip to work using my PC as the control device and letting my monitor and marquee light come on automatically.  It would work for a few tests, then the marquee light would either not turn on or turn off correctly, finally I went to Sears and solved the problem.  As a disclaimer I had one of the older smart switches, the $20 ones, I would imagine that the newer ones most likely work better now but I wont be using them.

Zeosstud

[somunny]

I use the Mini Power Minder.  Never had a problem with it in the two years it's been in my cabinet.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Minder-MINI-POWER-MINDER/dp/B000BSN1CA/sr=8-1/qid=1158762685/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3962117-8203153?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

[max8061]

I use the Mini Power Minder.  Never had a problem with it in the two years it's been in my cabinet.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Minder-MINI-POWER-MINDER/dp/B000BSN1CA/sr=8-1/qid=1158762685/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3962117-8203153?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Be careful here. I have one also, but it only works for some machines... MANY motherboards today continue to provide power to the USB ports even when shutdown. You can fix this on some in the BIOS, but not all. I've got two boards that won't work with this out of the box. I had hack the USB cable to provide the +5V from a molex instead of the USB port.

Other than that, it's great. 

[max8061]

Heres the thread on my homebrew solution

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=48365.0

Pictures in your linked thread are not there. 

[hnugz]

i have one of those mini minder lookin things that i bought from thinkgeek (might be the same one i cant seem to find a link) and i love it.  works great with my setup.

[MovingTarget]

I've never been able to get my Smartstrip to work even with the adjustment.  I'm sure I've got the newer one since I bought it new less than a year ago.   

I just figured it was because I've been using such an old computer and for some reason it must draw the same power on or off.  Once I upgrade I'll see if it still doesn't work then I'll throw it in the friggin lake (Erie that is) and get the Sears version or it will start to work and I'll be happy.   

[somunny]

I use the Mini Power Minder.  Never had a problem with it in the two years it's been in my cabinet.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Minder-MINI-POWER-MINDER/dp/B000BSN1CA/sr=8-1/qid=1158762685/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3962117-8203153?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Be careful here. I have one also, but it only works for some machines... MANY motherboards today continue to provide power to the USB ports even when shutdown. You can fix this on some in the BIOS, but not all. I've got two boards that won't work with this out of the box. I had hack the USB cable to provide the +5V from a molex instead of the USB port.

Other than that, it's great. 

Didn't know that.  Thanks for the info.

[RayB]

I use DOS, so I don't need to "shutdown" the PC.  All I need to do is switch off the AC.

The bios is set to "boot after power loss" so all I gotta do is flip the main AC switch back on.

[max8061]

Didn't know that.  Thanks for the info.

No problem. They include a whole sheet explaining the problem, but it's folded up inside the package. Nice, huh?

[krick]

Be careful here. I have one also, but it only works for some machines... MANY motherboards today continue to provide power to the USB ports even when shutdown. You can fix this on some in the BIOS, but not all. I've got two boards that won't work with this out of the box. I had hack the USB cable to provide the +5V from a molex instead of the USB port.

All of the motherboards I've worked with in the last few years have jumpers on the board to enable/disable USB standby power.  So if you don't see a BIOS option, check on the board itself.  Usually, there is a jumper for every pair of ports.  On the computer I'm using right now, the jumpers came configured so that the I/O panel USB ports had +5v standby power, but the front ports did not.

There's often a similar jumper for keyboard standby power.  Having that enabled will cause strange problems with an I-PAC or J-PAC.  If you value your sanity, make sure it's disabled.

[max8061]

Good call, I didn't even think to check for jumpers too.