Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » [GMCnet] Light on when door opens
| [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289292] |
Fri, 23 October 2015 22:41  |
Dolph Santorine
Messages: 1236
Registered: April 2011
Location: Wheeling, WV
Karma: -41
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The CFO has requested - like I have an option - that a light come on when the door opens.
Since I have that part of the coach open right now, I can get to the wiring. I'll use a relay since the dash light is on the vehicle system and the light is on the coach system.
Thoughts and considerations folks?
Dolph Santorine
DE N8JPC
Wheeling, West Virginia
1977 ex-Palm Beach TZE167V100820
1-ton, Sullybuilt Bags, Reaction Arms, 3.70 LSD, Manny Transmission, EV-6010,
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| Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289298 is a reply to message #289292] |
Sat, 24 October 2015 02:18  |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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That sounds like a good plan to me. You could also just drill another hole and mount an additional door switch wired in parallel with the light switch just inside the door. I guess it all depends on which light she wants to come on when the door opens.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289304 is a reply to message #289292] |
Sat, 24 October 2015 09:40 |
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John Heslinga
Messages: 632
Registered: February 2011
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Karma: 4
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Dolph
May I suggest that you also include a disable / manual switch somewhere. (On / Off / Auto) there is nothing worse than using battery up when you keep the door open or when working on the coach. Also it can be a bit of a pain when someone is "sneaking" out of the coach at night. Sometimes you just want to turn the light on without opening the door. (Wire a SPDT switch with Common to fixture ground - one leg to door switch - second leg to ground)
Using a second door switch (like Ken suggested)in the door frame means less power use (minimal of course) and keeps the systems separate and with less complexity. Those switches are very common and the parts house should have them. Dont forget that the switch operates by grounding the system so you need to be sure to isolate the ground in the light fixtures. (The fixtures ground goes through the door switch)
Regards
John and Cathie Heslinga
1974 Canyonlands 260
455, Manny tranny and 1 ton, 3:70 LS,
Red Seal Journeyman, DTE, BEd. MEd.
Edmonton, Alberta
[Updated on: Sat, 24 October 2015 09:42] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289307 is a reply to message #289292] |
Sat, 24 October 2015 10:46 |
kerry pinkerton
Messages: 2565
Registered: July 2012
Location: Harvest, Al
Karma: 15
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With as little current as LEDs draw these days, I'd put in another pin switch like the existing door ajar switch, and run an LED from it. If you have the skills (I don't) you could use a time delay relay the kept the light on for some period of time after the door was opened.
Kerry Pinkerton - North Alabama
Had 5 over the years. Currently have a '06 Fleetwood Discovery 39L
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| Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289311 is a reply to message #289292] |
Sat, 24 October 2015 11:20 |
<rallymaster
Messages: 361
Registered: May 2014
Karma: 2
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How about a 12v motion sensor light mounted on the upper storage cabinet
just inside the door? It would be facing the vac storage compartment, so
it shouldn't come on every time someone walked down the galley aisle. It
could also be mounted near the floor on either side of the door, if the
main reason for the light was to see where to put your feet as you enter.
We have a small dry cell operated one in the bathroom for those middle of
the night visits without being blinded by the coach bathroom light. It
has a day/night option on the switch so it doesn't come on when the
regular bath light is on. In that application, the 3 AA cells last about
a year for us. Would be less if you use your coach more often than we
do. Worth it for us.
RonC
On Fri, 23 Oct 2015 23:41:51 -0400 Adolph Santorine
writes:
> The CFO has requested - like I have an option - that a light come on
> when the door opens.
>
> Since I have that part of the coach open right now, I can get to the
> wiring. I'll use a relay since the dash light is on the vehicle
> system and the light is on the coach system.
>
> Thoughts and considerations folks?
>
> Dolph Santorine
>
> DE N8JPC
>
> Wheeling, West Virginia
>
> 1977 ex-Palm Beach TZE167V100820
> 1-ton, Sullybuilt Bags, Reaction Arms, 3.70 LSD, Manny Transmission,
> EV-6010,
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
Ron & Linda Clark
North Plains, ORYGUN
78 Eleganza II
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| Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289315 is a reply to message #289292] |
Sat, 24 October 2015 13:15 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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Dolph,
Our Glacier 23 had that until I took out the useless lights in the speaker panels. It had a selector for on, off and door, and could also be turned on with the instrument illumination control. As they were useless as lights, and particularly useless as courtesy or map lights, they are gone and have been replaced by a center overhead light. If that came on with the door switch, it wouldn't be useless. (I didn't mention that the original lights were blocked from lighting the floor by the driver and passenger seats. Lighting the cockpit might be real close to useless on a 26 with the door so far aft.
Matt
Dolph Santorine wrote on Fri, 23 October 2015 23:41The CFO has requested - like I have an option - that a light come on when the door opens.
Since I have that part of the coach open right now, I can get to the wiring. I'll use a relay since the dash light is on the vehicle system and the light is on the coach system.
Thoughts and considerations folks?
Dolph Santorine
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289322 is a reply to message #289292] |
Sat, 24 October 2015 17:24 |
George Beckman
Messages: 1085
Registered: October 2008
Location: Colfax, CA
Karma: 11
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Senior Member |
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Dolph Santorine wrote on Fri, 23 October 2015 20:41The CFO has requested - like I have an option - that a light come on when the door opens.
Since I have that part of the coach open right now, I can get to the wiring. I'll use a relay since the dash light is on the vehicle system and the light is on the coach system.
Thoughts and considerations folks?
Dolph Santorine
DE N8JPC
Wheeling, West Virginia
1977 ex-Palm Beach TZE167V100820
1-ton, Sullybuilt Bags, Reaction Arms, 3.70 LSD, Manny Transmission, EV-6010,
Dolph,
Our coach has an added button switch that is activated when the door opens. It turns on a foot light on the back of the dinette, almost at the door hinge. I guess I never thought about it and assumed it came that way like the foot lights in the hall. I do have it working and find it quite handy.
I pulled the bulb one time when dry camping, as it is not yet an LED. When we left, I didn't think about it. The wire rattled a bit and short circuited. It took quite a while to figure out what was blowing the fuse one evening, camping. I replaced it and all was well for a while and then for seemingly no reason the fuse would blow. I fiddled and fussed around with every light I could think of... and think I had it fixed only to have the fuse pop later. The last time it went I traced, not the wires but our steps. "Oh!. We opened the door!".
So LED or a aux switch might be a good idea. Pulling the bulb turned out to be a bad option.
'74 Eleganza, SE, Howell + EBL
Best Wishes,
George
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| Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289369 is a reply to message #289292] |
Sun, 25 October 2015 12:02 |
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SeanKidd
Messages: 747
Registered: June 2012
Location: Northern Neck Virginia
Karma: 4
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Senior Member |
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What I did....since the door jam switch just creates a ground for the light to come on, I ran a wire to the cockpit overhead lights, as well as added splash lights ( LED license plate lights ) under the coach near the door, I would like to add a time delay to this, but haven't given it much thought.
When I open the door, the ground around the door lights up, interior foot level light comes on, and the two cockpit lights come on. All using the common ground at the door jam switch.
Sean and Stephanie
73 Ex-CanyonLands 26' #317 "Oliver"
Hubler 1-Ton, Quad-Bags, Rear Disc, Reaction Arms, P.Huber TBs, 3.70:1 LSD Honda 6500 inverter gen.
Colonial Travelers
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