do they still make these switch boxes?

Bahney

Bahney

AC Members
Feb 17, 2007
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Hull, Yorkshire, England
many many moons ago when i kept my first fish tank almost everyone had a switch box on the side of the stand which powered everything...

you would remove the plugs off your heater/filter/lights and wire them into the switch box which would have just 1 plug into the mains, and you guessed it once the cover was put back on it has several switches across the front to control what ever was wired into it.

i am looking for something similar but i can't seem to find anything!! any ideas?
 
It would be very easy to build one. I built a similar switchboard to run my reef tank, but I retained the plug ends, so I have four independently switched duplex outlets, each in its own box. I guess I could have taken it one step further and just hard-wired the cord ends to the switches. It would take less room that way, because you only need a single-wide box for the switch instead of a double-wide for the switch and outlets. In any case, with a trip to Home Depot, it wouldn't be too hard to throw something together. However, I would only recommend doing this if you're fairly comfortable with electrical wiring already. Electricity is not something to be taken lightly.
 
Yeah... I use them on my computers.

Not what I use, but same idea....
http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productID=254

Another example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Black-8-Switch-Power-Center-15Amp-Strip-NR_W0QQitemZ170138077278QQihZ007QQcategoryZ23792QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

These are the ones i use:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-T-Com-5-OUTLET-SURGE-PROTECTOR-POWER-CENTER_W0QQitemZ250154326033QQihZ015QQcategoryZ16184QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I just did a search under "power center" to find those.

The nice thing about the ones I use, is that the switches are pretty common. I've had the master switch go bad before on one, and I just went to the local electronics store and bought another one rated the same, and soldered it back in.

Only issue with these is that you'll have to use those cool 12 inch power cables to use a wall wart with them.
 
It sounded to me like what he was talking about was similar to those power centers, but the cords from each unit were actually hard-wired into the box, not just plugged in. Regardless, its the same idea.
 
yey thanks guys, with your descriptions i have been able to find one...what a stupid thing t call it a "power centre" ???? i searched for everything other then that, lol

algardepowerc.jpg


this is it, algarde still make them! i think that was the exact same model i remember as well

Thanks once again, much apriciated
 
wackydan said:
Actually... I've done some googling.... Seems to be only on UK sites... So I assume, UK style mains plug and running off of 220? Not much use for that in states... but hopefully you are UK, and/or realize that before you order. :)
Click to expand...

i believe for a nominal fee you can buy transformers to step up the voltage to 220V/50Hz.
 
If someone had the need/desire, you could fairly easily have a 5 or six switches under one plate.(I'm not sure what kind of box to use... I do low voltage, I never need anything more than a triple gang.) Mounted into a wooden box or into a stand, or better, into a wall. You could either hard wire your equipment to the switches(dumb I think, but you could) or have them control a outlets in a row.... something....
 
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