wiring everything to one power switch...help!

[KevSteele]

I was lucky -- I unscrewed one screw and a little metal mounting panel came off with both switches still installed.

Does it look like clear glue on the switches? It's not solder, then, but some silicone 'goop' used to hold the switch in place. You should be able to remove the goop and the switch fairly easily.

Some switches have pop-off or clip-on housings, others are screwed into place with a front nut. You'll have to look closely to figure your particular case's method.

Kevin

[hulkster]

okay, here are some pics that will help show you what im doing... http://www.geocities.com/hulkamania013/mame2.html   i hope those work.  anyway, i was thinking...if you look at the pic of the inside of my coin door, that little red peg poking through (thats the coin door eject thingy im pushing withmy finger)...if i just unhooked the power button fromthe front of my computer, then attached the red peg to my power button...that would be an easy way for it to work wouldnt it?

[KevSteele]

It should work -- you'd need to find a way to secure the powerswitch so that the coin eject post pushes it, but other than that it should be fine (just don't try to eject a coin while you're playing a game  

Kevin

[hulkster]

okay, thanks man.  so i can just tear off the goopy stuff, i guess its that silicone stuff you talked about?

[KevSteele]

Yup, the goop's the silicone, and it's just there to hold the switch in the hole.

[hulkster]

okay, thanks for the advice.  ill just remove that stuff and try to make it so that the coin buttons will push the power buttons....so now all i have to do in order for this power button to power the entire thing, is to get one of those power strip thingys (the special ones) that have a main power plug.  so that my computer powers up first via the power switch depressed by coin door, and then everything else follows. is this correct?  if so, what would you recommend for the power strip?

[DarkKobold]

1up: I'm majoring in Electrical Eng, so I should probably know this, but I don't. (So much for all my education $$$)

Doesn't looping back to the power strip cause a dangerous 120V power loop, with no fuses, etc, back to the PC's powersupply? Wouldn't this create a dangerous situation? Or does the relay take care of this issue? We never did any relays in class, so I have no idea what they actually do. Also, doesn't that require that the PC have independent power from the power strip? (therefore, requiring an addition power strip?)

[grafixmonkey]

I saw someone mention splicing...    

Don't splice wires that are carrying 110 volt house current without using either solder, or the twisty-cap things.  (twisty cap things are great, they're all over my house.)  If the unsecured wires gradually pull apart, which they probably will, it could start a fire.  I once saw an extension cord plug that had a loose/thin/bad connection in it explode when it was plugged in, leaving the plug in the wall socket and sending the cord a couple feet away from the wall (and leaving black marks on my fingers.)

Also, if they don't do that, when the wire connection starts getting thinner the wire can get red hot, melt the insulation, and burn stuff, if you've got a decent amount of current going through.  (like a PC and some incandescent cab lights pull.)