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Sky_Boss · 06-08-2019, 02:12 PM

On the wet bay side I already have a momentary switch. I'm installing a SeeLevel monitor that also has the momentary switch.

The Newmar set up is with a momentary switch that has 2 terminals and then they solder and LED between them to indicate pump on or off. A yellow wire is "hot" and the white wire is ground.

The SeeLevel switch has 3 terminals. Connecting the yellow wire to the center and the white wire to the bottom terminals allows that switch to operate the pump normally but that doesn't activate the LED.

When I meter the new switch I get about 7V at both the center and top terminals when the pump is on. With the pump off I get a tad more than 2V at them.

The SeeLevel connector has a white wire on its main plug that is supposed to be connected to the LED. It would be great if I can connect it to the top terminal but since it shows 2V when off I'm not sure if that works.

Anyone solved that issue without keeping the original switch?

BTW, I was surprised at how Newmar wired their switch and LED. I'm not saying it was wrong but I wasn't expecting to see it that way.

C.Martin · 06-08-2019, 02:40 PM

The See Level Switch, IIRC is an On-Off Switch. Newmar Switches are (On)-Off ..meaning momentary.

The reason for this is the controller used to actually control the pump operation. The momentary switch simply grounds out that voltage reading you were getting..and that signals the controller to switch “State”. HI state vs LO state.

In HI state the signal line voltage is above 3.3v...in LO state it is below 3.3v.

The two black heat shrink lines you display have vital components within. On one side is a resistor...on the other is a diode. Without wiring it as such...your See Level led will always glow...either brightly in HI state or dimly in LO state. By using a 3.3v zener diode...anything less than 3.3v is blocked completely by the diode..and anything above will break down and allow voltage to pass. This is how all those green diodes in your coach work.

To reconfigure the See Level to work properly with the water pump controller...the switch needs to be replaced with a momentary switch...and the signal is routed to the led with a resistor on one leg...and a zener diode on the other. Or simply omit the green diode...the momentary switch can still cause the controller to change state, with or without the green led...simply by causing a momentary short to ground of the signal wire.

Hope that helps...

C.Martin · 06-08-2019, 02:57 PM

Creating a Pump Switch for my Gen Bay.

LED with resistor and diode soldered in...before heat shrink tubing. The diode side gets soldered to the switch terminal that has the Yellow w/red trace (control) and the resistor gets soldered to the terminal that will have a white (GND) wire.

Sky_Boss · 06-08-2019, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C.Martin

...

In HI state the signal line voltage is above 3.3v...in LO state it is below 3.3v.

The two black heat shrink lines you display have vital components within. On one side is a resistor...on the other is a diode. Without wiring it as such...your See Level led will always glow...either brightly in HI state or dimly in LO state. By using a 3.3v zener diode...anything less than 3.3v is blocked completely by the diode..and anything above will break down and allow voltage to pass. This is how all those green diodes in your coach work.

To reconfigure the See Level to work properly with the water pump controller...the switch needs to be replaced with a momentary switch...and the signal is routed to the led with a resistor on one leg...and a zener diode on the other. Or simply omit the green diode...the momentary switch can still cause the controller to change state, with or without the green led...simply by causing a momentary short to ground of the signal wire.

Hope that helps...

AH HA! That explains why the system shows less than 3.3V with the pump deactivated.

the SeeLevel monitor is the Model 709-RVC PM which is compatible with RV-C standards with the momentary switch.

I am at a disadvantage in fully testing any theories out because I haven't run 12V to the display yet. It would make sense that the LED would be powered by the monitor and not the switch connections as Newmar did with the things you described.

So, I'm betting (hoping) that their LED lead can be connected directly to the 3rd terminal without any further muss or fuss.

On the attached photo the bottom terminal goes to ground. The middle is where I connect the hot side. The pump works with with those connected. The top terminal appears directly connected to the center terminal showing zero ohms. When connected they show the same voltage (about 7.1V) with the pump on and the same (about 2.3V) with the pump off.

BTW, on the connector plug their white wire connects to the pin furthest left on the picture.

I also see that the momentary switch is totally separate from the rest of the monitor. The only way it might be connected to the monitor is through the LED connection.

I guess I need to get that12V over there to properly test things.

C.Martin · 06-08-2019, 05:22 PM

Don,

That’s definitely a different version from mine.

Sky_Boss · 06-10-2019, 09:58 PM

Charlie,

It looks like you are spot on. I finally got everything fired up and it works great except...that darn LED. LOL

When I connect the display's white wire for it's LED to the load terminal I get as you suggested. A dim light with the pump off and a bright light with the pump on.

I understand what you had to do but I don't see a way to install such a set up with the display. I've contacted Garnet to see if they have a solution.

Thanks for your info...it was helpful!

jrburch1946 · 06-10-2019, 11:12 PM

cmartin has it correct! Garnet will tell where to find momentary switch for replacement. Easy job.

Sky_Boss · 06-11-2019, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrburch1946

cmartin has it correct! Garnet will tell where to find momentary switch for replacement. Easy job.

Are you saying that Garnet will tell me to replace their momentary switch with another one? LOL Ya, it does sound like I would need one wired as Charlie showed. I managed to mangle the one that Newmar
used and wired.

HOWEVER...the problem I see is that the LED is mounted on their circuit board! I'm not sure I see a way I could replicate the LED light controller that Charlie made for his project. Oh well.

lostinfla · 06-11-2019, 06:39 AM

When I installed the panel in the wet bay I just deleted the light. I don't use that switch much anyway and if I do need it, it's easy to tell if the pump is on or not.

Sky_Boss · 06-11-2019, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostinfla

When I installed the panel in the wet bay I just deleted the light. I don't use that switch much anyway and if I do need it, it's easy to tell if the pump is on or not.

Ya, I am not so much worried either. But, I'm a little OCD on things like this. LOL

Besides, I do want the display in the coach to properly show pump status. That is more important and what fixes one, fixes the other.

C.Martin · 06-11-2019, 08:27 AM

You might experiment...

If the white wire is getting the 7v +/- signal with pump on and 2.2v +/- with pump off. Place a 3.3v Zener inline...with the cathode toward the switch (black stripe end) and the other end connected to the white wire.

I've been meaning to do this on mine...just have too many other projects getting in the way. It should do the trick.

The problem with doing it without the diode...is the leakage of the LO signal going to the diode is it would occasionally turn on my pump. And...the faint glow did bug me.