Octal Relay Housing

[RF Lighting]

Mount them on their side so they fit inside a little enclosure.

 

[JohnW2]

...but it's then still possible to withdraw the relay to the extent that it's pins are still mating with the socket, but exposed.

Does not appear to be an issue with some very expensive electrical equipment, usually installed on open shelves in people's living rooms at an easily accessible height, where the pins exposed are carrying voltages considerably higher than 230.

Is this a quiz? Off the top of my head, I'm not sure what you're talking about, but it doesn't making me any happier seeing ~3mm of exposed live pins, even at 230V!

Pretty neat, yes. Round would be easier and neater. Do it in metal and you can use a chassis punch.

Round is always easier - but, in metal you can also have easy square/ rectangular (Chassis punches don't only come in round!)

Some kind of polycarbonate, I think. Brittle. Does have the advantage of being rigid though - ABS would be easier to work, but that flexes.

Maybe, but it's much harder and more brittle than most polycarbonates I've come across (and isn't polycarbonate a thermoplastic?). I've dealt with all manner of materials in my time, but I think this one is approaching the least user-friendly!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[JohnW2]

Regarding pvc blanks for the future
Marshall tufflex do a flat one about 1mm thick im pretty sure, bit crappy though.
But if you want the flange types the cheaper makes like you find in hardware shops, maybe deta or bg i think may do them.
Used to use them in pubs for mounting din sockets

Thanks; I'll have a look around.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Mount them on their side so they fit inside a little enclosure.

Indeed - and that's precisely what I most recently did - but it's not quite as straightforward as one might think....

One (or two) of them, in standard bases, will just fit into a 47mm surface box but (a) one has to wire them before installing them (no real problem) and (b) there is then not enough 'headroom' left to be able to withdraw the relays from their bases whilst they are 'in situ'. I therefore installed some short bits of DIN rail 'front-to-back' in the box, so that I could slide the bases out, relay and all, in order to remove the relay from the base, if/when I ever have to. That doesn't leave a lot of 'breathing space' in the box, but at less than 2W per relay coil (and most of them not actuated for long periods) I don't see heat becoming a problem.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[securespark]

This is an enclosure in one of my lad's bedrooms. It houses a transformer and a relay, both din-mounted.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Off the top of my head, I'm not sure what you're talking about,

One of many:

in metal you can also have easy square/ rectangular (Chassis punches don't only come in round!)

True, but aren't they a lot more expensive?

Maybe, but it's much harder and more brittle than most polycarbonates I've come across

You're right - thinking about it, that was b****cks.

I've got a piece of polycarbonate somewhere, about 5mm thick, that I shot at with a .22 rifle. The bullet didn't go through, let alone break it (there was a bit of spalling though), so clearly it's not brittle at all.

I've dealt with all manner of materials in my time, but I think this one is approaching the least user-friendly!

Try thin sheets of stainless steel.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This is an enclosure in one of my lad's bedrooms.

You spoil those kids...

 

[securespark]

Yeah I know! But do they appreciate it? Do they?

Do they 'eckers-like!

 

[JohnW2]

Off the top of my head, I'm not sure what you're talking about,

One of many:

Ah yes - and it certainly does have the same 'partially withdrawn pins' hazard as I was referring to. At least (unlike some of the relics in the dusty corners of my cellar), the valves (I refuse to call them tubes!) don't have exposed anode terminals on the top with a few hundred volts connected to them

in metal you can also have easy square/ rectangular (Chassis punches don't only come in round!)

True, but aren't they a lot more expensive?

Quite probably, I wouldn't know. The chassis cutters (both round and square) I still use today were bought in the 60s and 70s, and are still going strong!

Maybe, but it's much harder and more brittle than most polycarbonates I've come across

You're right - thinking about it, that was b****cks.

I think that's right, but I'm far too polite to have said so ... so what is this moulded stuff - anyone?

I've dealt with all manner of materials in my time, but I think this one is approaching the least user-friendly!

Try thin sheets of stainless steel.

I've done a fair bit with SS in my time, and think I would prefer it to this wretched off-white whatever-it-is any day!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Paul_C]

At least (unlike some of the relics in the dusty corners of my cellar), the valves (I refuse to call them tubes!) don't have exposed anode terminals on the top with a few hundred volts connected to them

Famous Last Words #248: "Of course the top cap is the grid!"

Funny how the modern revival has designers wanting to leave the valves completely exposed, and much more vulnerable to being damaged.

But on the subject at hand, if the relays need to "look pretty" through being located at some conspicuous point in the house, I would certainly go with just using an enclosure which is large enough to contain them completely.

 

[JohnW2]

At least (unlike some of the relics in the dusty corners of my cellar), the valves (I refuse to call them tubes!) don't have exposed anode terminals on the top with a few hundred volts connected to them

Famous Last Words #248: "Of course the top cap is the grid!"

Indeed - and this top cap, very familiar in the 60s, ain't no grid ...

Untitled

• JohnW2
• 19 Oct 2011
• 1

..and nor are either of the two evil prongs emerging from the top of this one (excuse 30+ years of cellar dust ); in common with the tuning lines connected to it, this was all at around 600V (insulted from the tuning knob shaft {knob now missing} by a little bit of paxolin rod!).

Untitled

• JohnW2
• 19 Oct 2011
• 1

(it all had to be exposed,'cos one tuned the anode circuit for minimum red glow of the anodes 0

Funny how the modern revival has designers wanting to leave the valves completely exposed, and much more vulnerable to being damaged.

Indeed so; my daughters tell me that it's'cool', and seem to think that their generation have invented thermionic valves as a successor to semiconductors!!

But on the subject at hand, if the relays need to "look pretty" through being located at some conspicuous point in the house, I would certainly go with just using an enclosure which is large enough to contain them completely.

I agree.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Stoday]

Oh nostalgia!

In my day the epitome was a pair of 813’s in push pull...

 

[JohnW2]

Oh nostalgia! In my day the epitome was a pair of 813’s in push pull...

Yep - or, per first piccie a pair of 807's in push-pull.

The second piccie is obviously also equivalent - a QQV06-40A, which is a dual beam tetrode in one envelope, again in push-pull (witness the centre tapped tuning line between the two anodes).

Kindest Regards, John.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Try thin sheets of stainless steel.

I've done a fair bit with SS in my time, and think I would prefer it to this wretched off-white whatever-it-is any day!

I should have said try cutting thin sheets of SS by hand...

 

[Paul_C]

Oh nostalgia! In my day the epitome was a pair of 813’s in push pull...

Yep - or, per first piccie a pair of 807's in push-pull.

And don't forget the 6146!