6 pins on the back of a switch, that's four too much, right?

[gecko2k]

Hey guys,

I have done some wiring and soldering before (successfully), but I am struggling with this one. I have an on/off switch, which can only go into two positions 'on' and 'off', but it has 6 (six!!!) pins at the back! I am used to only have two pins (pos/neg). All I want to do is to control the light bulbs in my gauges...

I don't need to know how to wire the whole thing up, just how to figure this switch out!

Does anyone know what they are for or how I figure out which ones I need to use?

cheers

[Umai Naa!!]

Does the switch have it's own back lighting? That could account for at least one pin.

[h100vw]

Picture of the back of the switch. Gavin

[Drift]

What you most likely have is a DPDT or Double Pole Double Throw switch. It's essentially two, two position switches in one unit.

If you take the switch and turn it towards yourself such that you have two rows of 3 pins vertical, and for arguements sake call the pins 1, 2 and 3 from top to bottom on the left, and pins 4, 5 & 6, from top to bottom on the right. What you have is one two position switch on the left, and another on the right. The left and right side although mechanically connected are electrically isolated from eachother such that you can switch two supplies or both + & -. The centre pin in each row (2 & 5) are the common pins. The remainder of the pins are switched.

With the toggle of the switch in the down position, the the common pins are electrically connected to their respective top pins. With the toggle in the up position, the commons are connected to the bottom pins.

In essensence, if all you're doing is switching a + potential to turn a light on, use one of the centre pins and one of the coreseponding top or bottom pins. IE: Pins 1&2, 2&3, 4&5 or 5&6. That'll switch your supply just as you're wanting.

[gecko2k]

What you most likely have is a DPDT or Double Pole Double Throw switch. It's essentially two, two position switches in one unit.

If you take the switch and turn it towards yourself such that you have two rows of 3 pins vertical, and for arguements sake call the pins 1, 2 and 3 from top to bottom on the left, and pins 4, 5 & 6, from top to bottom on the right. What you have is one two position switch on the left, and another on the right. The left and right side although mechanically connected are electrically isolated from eachother such that you can switch two supplies or both + & -. The centre pin in each row (2 & 5) are the common pins. The remainder of the pins are switched.

With the toggle of the switch in the down position, the the common pins are electrically connected to their respective top pins. With the toggle in the up position, the commons are connected to the bottom pins.

In essensence, if all you're doing is switching a + potential to turn a light on, use one of the centre pins and one of the coreseponding top or bottom pins. IE: Pins 1&2, 2&3, 4&5 or 5&6. That'll switch your supply just as you're wanting.

Cheers mate. Makes sense to me, I have to look one or two things up that you mentioned, but by the end of the night I'll have an idea of what I have to do. Awesome!

edit: that wasn't too hard. Thanks again

Picture of the back of the switch. Gavin

Just did one before checking the thread again, but hey it's already uploaded so I won't spoil the fun by not posting it

Click me hard

[h100vw]

I just didn't want to type what drift did into my phone. He is correct all the way... Gavin