rotary switch shorting or non-shorting?

[ferninando]

for switching between line level components
do you want 'make before break' or 'break before make'?

for amp outputs to speakers you would want "break before make". right?

 

[battradio]

brake before make

 

[ferninando]

battradio, you say "break before make" on line level components.
In other words, it's 'break before make" in all cases when switching from any audio component to another.
That's what I like to hear.
Thanks batt.

 

[peterh]

for switching between line level components
do you want 'make before break' or 'break before make'?

for amp outputs to speakers you would want "break before make". right?

For switching outputs on a tubeamp you never want "break-before.make"
you ALWAYS want a load on the output, shorts won't damage, open could.

 

[battradio]

For switching outputs on a tubeamp you never want "break-before.make"
you ALWAYS want a load on the output, shorts won't damage, open could.

He wants to switch line level components CD players , tuner to the input of the amp you don't want to short the together .

a true speaker switch , you don't want to short the loads together either you really want switching that place a light load on the amp before it remove the one that was on it . Shorting the loads together can also destroy an amp

 

[peterh]

He wants to switch line level components CD players , tuner to the input of the amp you don't want to short the together .

a true speaker switch , you don't want to short the loads together either you really want switching that place a light load on the amp before it remove the one that was on it . Shorting the loads together can also destroy an amp

shorting outputs might damage a ss-amp, but it will not harm a tubeamp.
The opposit is true; open output will not affect a ss-amp, it might damage
a tubeamp.

The above is referring to power outputs to a speaker. Regarding line-outputs
neither short or open will damage ss or tubeamps.

 

[ferninando]

I sure wouldnt want to short outputs of my tube amps.
Ill leave that to you peter.

 

[jaymanaa]

You want a shorting switch for line level inputs.

On speakers it doesn't really matter.

 

[ferninando]

OK J, pretty much as battradio said.
thanks for clearing it up.

 

[jaymanaa]

I might also ad, that for a source selector switch, if possible, it's nice to have one that shorts all the inputs to ground except the one that is selected. That will stop that annoying bleed over. Those rotary switches can make my head hurt at times. It's like a red neck IQ test, esp, with integrateds with tape stuff, and everything else.:drool:

 

[ferninando]

J, how can you make that happen on a 2pol 4-6 pos rotary switch?

 

[jaymanaa]

I'd need the diagram for the switch, or at least what it came out of.

 

[Tubologic]

J, how can you make that happen on a 2pol 4-6 pos rotary switch?

You can't. You need to assemble your own switch and include a rotating open circuit deck to ground all unused (unselected) sources. This is the best and most elegant way to avoid inter-sources leakage and switching transients.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/rotar...5522677633D4E4F4E45267573743D3332372D38353026

Also, using the common cheap rotary selector switch in the speaker circuit is not a good idea, IMO. You'll need a high quality (high current and low contact resistance) switch rated at many amps, and these are usually expensive parts in rotary switch form. I allways used BBM type rotary switches for audio selection purposes and never encountered any troubles so far.

 

[jaymanaa]

Wasn't Curcio selling a ceramic shorting rotary selector switch for upgrading the PAS preamps. Seems to me his was and it wasn't too expensive, maybe 20 something. Might check there. If you already have something, can you post a pic?

 

[Chip Chester]

This same dialog happens on boating sites, when discussing switches for multiple batteries, but with just one charging alternator. Perko makes both kinds. With their high current rating and beefy terminals, they'd make great heavy-duty speaker switches -- except they're SPDT only. (I suppose you could gang 'em up with a little work.)

Chip

 

[jaymanaa]

You don't say what you're doing, but just to make sure I ain't messing you up, the selector switch doesn't "have" to short unused inputs to ground, it's just the "best" way to do it. If the other sources are turned off, there won't be any bleed anyhow. Just wanted to say that, so as not to complicate an issue for you.

 

[markn2wae]

We slipped a gear here I think.

He wants to switch line level components CD players , tuner to the input of the amp you don't want to short the together .

a true speaker switch , you don't want to short the loads together either you really want switching that place a light load on the amp before it remove the one that was on it . Shorting the loads together can also destroy an amp

As to how we got from "line level" switching to "speaker switching" I can't follow here. :scratch2:

For speaker switching, you never want an OPEN circuit on Tube amps, and never a SHORT on SS stuff.

On switching INPUTS, I would go with "make before break" to keep the circuit from going from one input to "NOTHING" then to another input (the worst that could happen is you would for a moment hear BOTH sources while switching between them.

IMHO, going from input to "NOTHING" then back to input my cause a loud pop or other disturbance.

Mark T.

 

[jaymanaa]

As to how we got from "line level" switching to "speaker switching" I can't follow here. :scratch2:

For speaker switching, you never want an OPEN circuit on Tube amps, and never a SHORT on SS stuff.

On switching INPUTS, I would go with "make before break" to keep the circuit from going from one input to "NOTHING" then to another input (the worst that could happen is you would for a moment hear BOTH sources while switching between them.

IMHO, going from input to "NOTHING" then back to input my cause a loud pop or other disturbance.

Mark T.

Correct, input selectors have been shorting ever since Lee DeForest decide to hook two Edison phonographs to one amp. I don't think he ever had two speakers though, with the filter choke coils and all.

 

[ferninando]

so bottomline is make-before-break on line level switching between components.
I would not want to short the outputs of 2 tube amps together tho.
But I have a speaker selector for that so I'm good.

 

[jaymanaa]

so bottomline is make-before-break on line level switching between components.
I would not want to short the outputs of 2 tube amps together tho.
But I have a speaker selector for that so I'm good.

You are Golden.:yes: