How to make a backlit switch yourself

In a dark room, the light switch always has to be looked for by touch. This task is facilitated by the “firefly” installed on its decorative panel - a luminous neon bulb or LED.

Connect a neon bulb or LED of the AL102, AL307, KL101 and other series in series with a resistor of 100 - 500 kOhm or 100 - 200 kOhm to the terminals of the wall switch. Instead of a neon lamp, you can use a starter for a fluorescent lamp.

Before installing the LED or neon bulb, do not forget to turn off the plug or turn off the machine on the power shield. Then, in a removed decorative panel, drill a hole with a diameter of 8 mm for a neon lamp or a diameter of 1.5 - 2 mm for an LED.

Insert the light element into the drilled hole, fix it with glue “Moment” and assemble the switch. Now turn on the machine in the shield or screw in the cork. When the light in the room is on, the LED will be off.

The circuit of the neon bulb (1) and the LED when upgrading the switch

P.S. Important addition to the scheme: The LED circuit will work, but not for long! Look at the characteristics of the LED "Reverse voltage" It does not exceed 50V, and you suggest applying 220 * 1.41 = 310.2V to it! The solution to the problem is simple - turn on any diode in parallel with the LED, for example, KD510. Good luck! Vasily 10.24.2010

See also:Causes of the flashing compact fluorescent lamp (housekeeper)