spst switch

[3822sean]

does anybody know how to hook up a spst switch it is a simple on/off with aled light i think i know just not sure any help would be great thanks

[emtgared]

what are you trying to wire with it?

normally there are 3 poles on the back


ground- goes to a ground or - of battery
positive- goes to + side of battery
acc- goes to the light or accessory you want to operate.

but thats for normal operation. if you tell us what you are trying to wire, we can give you a better solution.

[3822sean]

im wiring lights so the one that goes to the light goes to the hot(red) and the black wire from the light goes to terminal strip, right?

[eatatjoz]

you're just splitting the hot wire.
run your negitive (BLACK) as usual, and run your positive (RED) to the center of the switch, and your positive (+) out of the switch to the light.

[eamarquardt]

Run a wire from your fuse/circuit breaker to one pole of your switch. Then run a wire from the other pole of the switch to the positive side of your LED light (led's are polarized). Then run a wire from the negative side of your LED light to ground.

On a single pole single throw switch, contrary to popular opinion, there are only two poles.

Cheers,

Gus

[Dale M.]

what are you trying to wire with it?

normally there are 3 poles on the back


ground- goes to a ground or - of battery
positive- goes to + side of battery
acc- goes to the light or accessory you want to operate.

but thats for normal operation. if you tell us what you are trying to wire, we can give you a better solution.

Only if its a lighted switch, non illuminated switch only has two terminals...

Dale

[Yota Bill]

On a single pole single throw switch, contrary to popular opinion, there are only two poles.

Cheers,

Gus

actually, there is only 1 pole, hence the name "single pole, single throw"...there are 2 terminals on a standard switch, but I believe the OP is refering to a switch with an indicator light built into it, which would then have 3 terminals

Im not sure why you would want a switch with an indicator light to let you know the lights are on, unless you are either mounting the switch somewhere where the lights it controls cannot be seen, or you are wiring the indicator to be on when the lights are off, so you can find it in the dark.

[eamarquardt]

On a single pole single throw switch, contrary to popular opinion, there are only two poles.

Cheers,

Gus

actually, there is only 1 pole, hence the name "single pole, single throw"...there are 2 terminals on a standard switch, but I believe the OP is refering to a switch with an indicator light built into it, which would then have 3 terminals

Im not sure why you would want a switch with an indicator light to let you know the lights are on, unless you are either mounting the switch somewhere where the lights it controls cannot be seen, or you are wiring the indicator to be on when the lights are off, so you can find it in the dark.

I stand corrected. I meant terminals! I was "tricked", "befuddled", or "confused" by the reference to "three poles" on a spst switch.

Cheers,

Gus

[48Rob]

Im not sure why you would want a switch with an indicator light to let you know the lights are on, unless you are either mounting the switch somewhere where the lights it controls cannot be seen, or you are wiring the indicator to be on when the lights are off, so you can find it in the dark.

Hi Bill,

I've no idea why the OP wants to do it, but I have indicator lights to let me know the emergency stobes are lit on my service truck.
Without the indicators, I sometimes used to drive around with them on.
Took a while to realize why everyone got out of my way and looked at me kinda funny...
Now, my dash lights up like the outside of the truck does!

Rob

[eamarquardt]

I think the original post was just about turning an LED light on and off with a switch. Not a switch controlling the light and an LED indicator.

Cheers,

Gus

[Dale M.]

A little clarity on symbols and terminology....

http://aboutcircuitdiagram.blogspot.com ... tches.html

Dale

[emtgared]

what are you trying to wire with it?

normally there are 3 poles on the back


ground- goes to a ground or - of battery
positive- goes to + side of battery
acc- goes to the light or accessory you want to operate.

but thats for normal operation. if you tell us what you are trying to wire, we can give you a better solution.

Only if its a lighted switch, non illuminated switch only has two terminals...

Dale

the way he wrote it as a simple on/ off switch with a led light, i assumed it was a illuminated switch, not a switch controlling the led light. my bad.

[emtgared]

On a single pole single throw switch, contrary to popular opinion, there are only two poles.

Cheers,

Gus

actually, there is only 1 pole, hence the name "single pole, single throw"...there are 2 terminals on a standard switch, but I believe the OP is refering to a switch with an indicator light built into it, which would then have 3 terminals

Im not sure why you would want a switch with an indicator light to let you know the lights are on, unless you are either mounting the switch somewhere where the lights it controls cannot be seen, or you are wiring the indicator to be on when the lights are off, so you can find it in the dark.

i meant terminals not poles. but thats what happens when your working a 72 hour shift.

[3822sean]

me again it is a switch with a led in the rocker switch its self for lighting an led light,,i thought it would look cool but after thinking about it i am changing them to just on/off with no indicator light thanks for the help sorry for the confusion,, emtgard was right as to how to wire them up

[Dale M.]

FYI for anyone who might care...

A three terminal switch (functionally SPST) with illumination (possibly LED) in handle is used for indication switch is in on position , usually for controlling devices where its difficult for operator to see device it controls like lights or maybe some device that has no visual or aural feedback to operator ...

Usually the three terminals are "12 volts in" (+), "12 volts out" (switched - ACC) and a "ground" for indicator light...



Styles may vary....

Dale