Making a footswitch with LEDs

[Hardtailed]

My new build will require a 4-button footswitches (clean/dirty, crunch/lead, solo boost and FX loop)
For sake of being able to find spare parts easily, I wanna stick with good old TRS (Stereo) 1/4" cables, which mean I'll need two cables and I don't get to have an extra wire to provide power to the LEDs (I need to use the common for ground on both, this way if I'm stuck with a 2-button footswitch, I can still use 2 of the options)

Now, without a way to "phantom power" the LEDs, I figure there are two ways to light them up:
- Put them in serie with the switch
- Put them accross the switch (parallel) along with the proper dropping resistor

Problem with the first option is that the relays will pull more current than the LED might like (the clean channel will require switching as much as 3 relays, so around 100mA).

2nd option seems pretty simple really: with the switch off, most voltage is dropped accross the dropping resistor and the LED, there is not enough voltage accross the relays to turn them on. With the switch on, the LED is bypassed therefore it turns off and full power is restored to the relays.
However, this relies on the fact that putting the LED and resistor in serie with the relays will still provide enough power to light the LED while not switching the relays. Does that make sense? Will it work?

[olive2sing]

Yes it will work. I spent the last week doing just the same thing. My first relays had way too high resistance. So I picked up some at Radio shack with 200ohm coils. I bought a foot switch with 1K resistors in series with the leds. I took them out and put in 1.5K to work with the 12volts I'm using. the trouble I ran into next was the relays would not drop out when the switch opened. I put a 820ohm resistor across the coil, the 10ma running through the coil kept the coil voltage about 3 volts and it wouldn't drop out. So with the resistor bypassing some of the current it works great. I know there is a better way but this works. It's a matter of the right dropping resistor and the right relay. hope this helps>

[defaced]

Run the pedal off of an Ethernet cable? 8 conductors, and you can find them everywhere.

[Hardtailed]

Run the pedal off of an Ethernet cable? 8 conductors, and you can find them everywhere.

What I'm worried about is the small cabling heating up. I'll have about 100mA running on one of the lines.
Although, CAT5 is gauge 24 I believe, which is good for 350mA... so they say

[tedmich]

just copy PV, their 7 pin DIN connector works great on the Ultra/XXX/JSX and the Hosa 7 pin MIDI cable fits it perfectly and is <$10 for 25ft
Buy Hosa 7-Pin Phantom MIDI Cable | MIDI Cables | Musician's Friend

and the female panel mount is here:
T 3478 000 Amphenol Tuchel Circular DIN Connectors

[daz]

Run the pedal off of an Ethernet cable? 8 conductors, and you can find them everywhere.

Exactly what i did years ago and i'm still using it today. Not to control the amp, but several functions including 2 LED switches and relays in a little rack unit and some midi stuff with LEDS. never had a issue at all.

[Steve Conner]

Run the pedal off of an Ethernet cable? 8 conductors, and you can find them everywhere.

Good idea. If you're worred about the current handling, parallel up some of the conductors, or buffer the relays with a transistor. (I wouldn't be that worried myself.)

If you want something burlier, Neutrik make panel mount Ethernet jacks and ruggedized housings for regular Cat5 plugs: Neutrik - Data Connectors - etherCON RJ45 Data Connector

[defaced]

I picked up some of those Neutrik connectors, and I am a fan. I've only played with them out of the box, not full on gig mode, but they are very similar in quality to the XLR connectors I've used from them, which have held up great.

[fuzznut]

I have a Ampeg VL-503 chassis, and it came from the factory with an ethernet connection for the pedal. I don't have the pedal, but it has 5 switches, and the schematic for it is on Lee Jackson's web site.