I've installed the Rocky Hinge door solenoids on a bear claw latch and am using a keyless remote control system from them. This unit works fine but I've tried to install a "hidden" 5 post switch (middle wire 12 volts, next two ground, outer posts to solenoids) and all I do is blow fuses. Anyone else done this successfully? Have not gotten any useable help from rocky. Thanks for any help.
If it blows a fuse when you shut the door then you have a wire crossed or something is grounded out. The information you have given is not enough to solve the problem. This is one or two of the possible problems.
This only happens after I wire the "hidden" switch hot and try to activate it, if I use the keyless system without the hidden switch wired in everything works ok. I have definetely wired something wrong, someone else has told me I have to install a relay ahead of the switch, not sure why. Thanks for the thought.
You need a relay in there because those solenoids draw a pretty good amount of power. If you're going through the remote, they usually have a built-in relay that does that job for you. If you're running all the power through the switch, then it's probably not meant to handle that power and you're going to burn up fuses. Relays are cheap, throw one in and it should take of your problem.
The relay should go after the switch though. The switch should only be sending a signal to the relay to open and the relay will give the juice to the solenoids.
I was able to contact the maker of the remote unit and they explained how to wire into their unit which in turn wires into their relays and they say it will work (I sure hope it does!). Many thanks for helping.
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