Adding a kill switch to an Echoplex?

[iamjackslackof]

I posted about this on TGP here, but I thought I'd ask here too.

Anyone have an Echoplex, and added a kill switch to the motor to save wear and tear? Seems as simple as a SPST switch interrupting the power to the motor, but I'm not sure. I saw discussion of using a relay or a (new to me term) triac, but those both seem more complicated, and since I'm not gigging it, probably not worth using to prevent popping.

Thanks!

 

[jwin615]

Don't EP motors operate on mains voltage? hence using a relay... You don't want mains on a footswitch for a multitude of reasons.

 

[iamjackslackof]

Don't EP motors operate on mains voltage? hence using a relay... You don't want mains on a footswitch for a multitude of reasons.

Seems reasonable lol. I didn't think about it being mains voltage, I was just thinking on how it would work functionally.

Do you happen to know how using a relay to do it would work, and how it's safer? My only experience with them is with the PPCB relay breakout board, so not even in the same ballpark as this.

 

[Erik S]

I have an EP, but I'm not worried about the motor. I bet I could leave that sucker running for years and it would be fine.

 

[iamjackslackof]

I have an EP, but I'm not worried about the motor. I bet I could leave that sucker running for years and it would be fine.

My thinking is more about saving tape wear and wear on the heads, as well as the motor itself. I've never used one of these before, and I don't anticipate spending this much on one again, so I really want to make sure I keep it running as well as I can.

 

[Erik S]

My thinking is more about saving tape wear and wear on the heads, as well as the motor itself. I've never used one of these before, and I don't anticipate spending this much on one again, so I really want to make sure I keep it running as well as I can.

They are expensive. If you're looking to protect your investment, I probably wouldn't recommend modding it.

 

[Stickman393]

Hmm.

If one didn't particularly want to mod the unit itself, I suppose one could build a relay box that one could plug into. A spdt ice cube relay would do the trick. You could probably find something around 9vdc.

Mains voltage is no joke, but as long as you wire it up correctly, don't fuck with it while it's powered, there's no prob. Relays don't retain charge like capacitoes do. Use a SPDT relay to break the hot leg of a 120v outlet, switch the coil voltage with a latching SPST or SPDT switch.

 

[iamjackslackof]

Hmm.

If one didn't particularly want to mod the unit itself, I suppose one could build a relay box that one could plug into. A spdt ice cube relay would do the trick. You could probably find something around 9vdc.

Mains voltage is no joke, but as long as you wire it up correctly, don't fuck with it while it's powered, there's no prob. Relays don't retain charge like capacitoes do. Use a SPDT relay to break the hot leg of a 120v outlet, switch the coil voltage with a latching SPST or SPDT switch.

I don't mind modding it, it seems like nothing I can't undo. I'm likely going to mod the preamp for a little more treble anyway.
I am hoping it's not mains voltage powering the motor and I am just reading the schematic wrong, but I won't know until I get it in for sure.

I'm just trying to wrap my mind around how to install it. The relay needs power somehow, so I guess I'd tap into the circuit elsewhere and get a relay in the range of whatever voltage I can get, or regulate it down somehow. Then connect a switch to the relay I assume?