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[GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289292] Fri, 23 October 2015 22:41 Go to next message
Dolph Santorine is currently offline  Dolph Santorine   United States
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Registered: April 2011
Location: Wheeling, WV
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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 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ken Burton is currently offline  Ken Burton   United States
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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
Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289304 is a reply to message #289292] Sat, 24 October 2015 09:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
John Heslinga   Canada
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Registered: February 2011
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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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]

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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 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kerry pinkerton is currently offline  kerry pinkerton   United States
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Location: Harvest, Al
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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
Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289311 is a reply to message #289292] Sat, 24 October 2015 11:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
<rallymaster is currently offline  <rallymaster   United States
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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 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Matt Colie is currently offline  Matt Colie   United States
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Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
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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 23:41
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



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
Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289322 is a reply to message #289292] Sat, 24 October 2015 17:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
George Beckman is currently offline  George Beckman   United States
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Registered: October 2008
Location: Colfax, CA
Karma: 11
Senior Member
Dolph Santorine wrote on Fri, 23 October 2015 20:41
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,




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
Re: [GMCnet] Light on when door opens [message #289369 is a reply to message #289292] Sun, 25 October 2015 12:02 Go to previous message
SeanKidd is currently offline  SeanKidd   United States
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Registered: June 2012
Location: Northern Neck Virginia
Karma: 4
Senior Member
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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