OT: Rocker Switch

[JoshH]

I have an LED rocker switch but I do not know how to wire the thing up correctly (going to be installing LED's). The thing has 3 pins. The 3rd pin has 2 pins, one + and one - . Could anyone help me out here?

[Ever Victorious]

without a diagram or specs on the switch, it's kind of a shot in the dark.

My guess, though, is that the 1st and 2nd pins are the contacts for the switch itself, and that pin 3 is for powering the LED... + and - terminals for polarity.

[djtorello]

does the package it came with say SPST or SPDT? usually switches the have a pair of terminals where the 3rd termianl is a Single Pole Double Throw.

[JoshH]

I tested resistance and there was no output from 1 to 2 when the switch was in the off position while there has output if it was in the on position. Therefore, I believe you are correct in saying the third pins are for the LED. Though, I tried to test resistance and did not get any reading. I thought I had to connect a resistor to the thing so that the LED would work properly.

[Ever Victorious]

Part of the key in LED is the D part... Diode. Power can only flow through a diode one direction, so if you connected your leads wrong, it looks like an open circuit.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, LED's have to be tested on a powered circuit, not just with a multimeter.

[sigjam]

LED meaning light emitting diode and be tested with a multimeter as long as you use the diode setting. A standard ohm meter will not test a diode.

[JoshH]

Used that setting but I remember nothing happened. I could try again.