Switching 24vac

"alp"

Some screaming heavy metal music should provoke the solenoid into a bit of "grunging" noise so you can locate it with you ear to the ground.

....... Phil

A PC parallel port, an optotriac, and an alternistor should be enough for such a temporary circuit.

I use 24vac switching in my furnace controller boards:

For this application, just use a 555 to operate a relay at something between 3 and 20 Hertz. The relay can interrupt the 24 vac to the solenoid. You should add a snubber across the relay points, made from a 100 ohm resistor in series with a .1 uf

Ed

they have wire tracers for that.

I didn't think a relay could operate at the frequency needed (to buzz a solenoid). That is why I asked about an electronic switch. However, your explanation seems solid (apart from my doubt about the max frequency the relay contacts can operate at). I will consider it. Thanks.

Alp

Now this is an interesting idea. I wonder if I can fashion something without a PC parallel port. (555 would be fine). I'll have to look up more on alternistors and triacs I think. Thank you!

Alp

Yes they do. I do not wish to buy one.

Alp

hmm. How about using your friends metal detector for a day?

Hi Alp, Here's a completely different technique you could try, I've used it very successfully to locate and follow buried coax for my antennas. I saw this hint somewhere on the net. Take a small portable radio tuned to station, lay the radio down on a table and rotate the radio around, you will find a spot where the signal strength diminishes. Actually there are two nulls in the signal, 180 degrees apart. If you don't find a good null try this outside on the ground or try a different station. Now with the radio rotated for the null, move it across the ground where you think the cable is, when you are above the cable it will transmit a signal and you will hear the radio signal. Follow the cable until the signal is no longer there, and you should be near the valve. This works great on antenna coax cables, you might have to disconnect the wires at the power source and add 10 or 20 ft of wire just to get a little more signal on the buried wire. Give it a try, Mike

I haven't used that method, but I have used an AM radio to follow buried wiring and pipes.

I connect a battery to a small DC relay, with the coil in series with a normally closed contact, so that the relay buzzes the way a doorbell works. I connect one side of the battery to a ground rod and the coil end that connects to the contact to the conductor to be followed. The coil generates a noisy broad band pulse splatters all over the AM band. I tune the radio between stations at the low end of the band (where ground penetration is maximal, but antenna efficiency for the buried conductor in minimized, so only the near field is significant. I can follow the buried conductor by swinging the radio back and forth across the conductor, centering the peak of the buzz in the swing.

I was able to help a friend find the route of a buried plastic sewage pipe this way, by flushing one end of a flexible wire, attached to a fishing bobber, down the toilet, to act as the radiating conductor.

I mention alternistors and not triacs because alternistors are designed for inductive loads, and your solenoid is one. But you can use a regular optotriac (MOC30xx family) to trigger them.

A typical general purpose relay will transfer in roughly

Ed

So, how did this turn out?

Thanks, Rich