Arrgg, another dumb question

[rbcguitar]

Can anyone help.

I got a 3pdt switch, which connectors are which? I got the tawain blue one

RBC

[BrianJ]

Looking at the bottom, with the terminals horizontal, the columns are the individual switches.  The middle (vertically) is the common.

[rbcguitar]

They are all in same direction, I guess I dont understand

[343 Salty Beans]

And here's a picture, too!

I'm one of those people that needs a visual.

[rbcguitar]

sorry, just 1 more dumb question, does it matter which way u hold it, because the way i see it u have 2 choices. which way is up?

[343 Salty Beans]

Nah, it doesn't matter...not on a footswitch, anyways. on a toggle, rocker or slide switch (or something where you can TELL which positions are which just by looking), if you wanted a certain switch position (up=on, down=off) then you'd worry about it.

The way a switch works is that the middle poles (the middle row) is the common. On a Double Throw switch, this is always the case...no matter which position your switch is in, it will always have a connection. That's why your input and output jacks are connected there...so signal is always carrying through. The OUTER rows of poles are what make the switch work...when the switch is one way, you're going to be touching one set of the poles, the other way, you'll be touching the OTHER outer set. On a footswitch, it's pretty much inconsequential...unless you've got OCD and want to wire every switch the exact same way 

Don't worry about the questions....it's how you get started. This isn't a forum where every newb gets flamed...only the SUPER-dumb ones that post a thread if they so much as fart.

[Peter Snowberg]

questions are good. 

If you have questions about what connects to what, grab a piece of paper and a pencil along with a meter. Draw the connections you want to trace out (the back of the switch in this case), and check each set of connections with the meter until you know what terminals connect to what terminals. click the switch and check it out again. 

[bwanasonic]

I use an alternate wiring, from GeneralGuitarGadgets:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/bsiab_2_lo.gif

Only because it's the first one I found when I started building - not sure if either scheme offers better performance in practice.

Kerry M

[twabelljr]

Here is another illustration with input and output jacks, and a LED. Battery and circuit board also.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/beginner/circswled.jpg

[scaesic]

taking the first veritcal row

__
__                                _______    top     
__    =          ________/                 middle
                                   _______     bottom

it just connects the middle terminal to either the top of the bottom terminal, on a 3pdt there are just 3 vertical rows which are all thrown simultanously

[nelson]

I wire it up like a DPDT for the signal switching and an SPDT for the LED.

the left being the DPDT and right being SPDT.

There are loads of ways to wire up a 3PDT.

It helps to know how the switch works inside, then you can wire it up any way that works.

This is in the beginner forum right at the top as a sticky.



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