AC sucks

[chrisbrown]

I have a bunch of coloured (red, green, blue) compact flourescents and I've mounted them both above my desk and throughout my room. I'm trying to rig up a circuit that allows me to control what colours are on and where.

Things work fine when the colour switches are all on or all off.

The problem is that when one or two are off and either the desk or room switch is off, the lights that should be off flicker instead. The ones the should be on, stay on.
In simpler terms: instead of "on" & "off", I have "on" & "flicker" when NOT(Red AND Green AND Blue) AND (Desk XOR Room)

I'm hoping I can stick some rectifier diodes in there somewhere.

Anyone have any electrical experience?

[copthesaint]

Just let me know a couple things and Ill draw up the working schematic.
Edit: I do have experience in electrical, and I'm currently taking a mining course in college. *my high schools paying for it so why not? *

1: Will the lights turn on if the desk switch or room switch is off?

2: Do you want a separate switch for all 3 sets of lights?

3: Do you know how to properly wire using the color code? Black on brass white on silver? grounds to green. I dont want you killing your self doing this...
MAKE SURE YOU USE A GROUND FAULTED RECEPTICAL!!!

edit: read post again, wth are you trying to come up with? lol I'll tell you right now, that schematic you have will not work.
edit2: Also there is no such thing as a rectifier diodes. a rectifier is made up of diodes and It changes AC sine Wave to consistent DC.

[chrisbrown]

The idea is that you should be able to select the colours you want via three switches (one for each colour), then select whether to have those colours over the desk (1 switch) and/or in the room (1 switch).

Don't worry, I know how to staty alive. I have experience and I'm following convention.

[copthesaint]

Here is your schematic: http://compsci.ca/v3/viewtopic.php?p=212083#212083 Be carefull.
I'd give you a good quality one, but I'd need to draw it and then scan it and upload it, and I thought Woah, way to much work ;p
If you having any questions ask. I dont wanna see RIP methoddox on the home page lol...

[chrisbrown]

I'm actually going to take the easy way out and just use a single switch for each light. That schematic isn't quite what I'm looking for, though I see what you're doing with it.

Thanks for taking the time, though.

[copthesaint]

well just use a single switch each way then. I dont know what you exactly want to do on top of that, but if you have any questions just ask.

methodoxx wrote:

I'm actually going to take the easy way out and just use a single switch for each light. That schematic isn't quite what I'm looking for, though I see what you're doing with it.

Thanks for taking the time, though.

Lol you were making things way more complicated then they were with you first schematic ;p Irony. So basically you want two switches in series controlling 3 parallel switches controlling 2 parallel lights in series with the switches then? (*replace the two, two-way switches with 1 way switches)

[chrisbrown]

copthesaint @ Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:02 pm wrote:

So basically you want two switches in series controlling 3 parallel switches controlling 2 parallel lights in series with the switches then? (*replace the two, two-way switches with 1 way switches)

Actually, I wanted two switches in parallel, where each switch branches to three lights (for a total of six), then common colours rejoin and are further controlled by another switch per colour.

Wait till tomorrow, I'll take some pics and clarify. Doesn't matter anyway, I'm satisfied with my current creation.