By far the best reverse-engineer that exists. It takes me hours to do the same that you do in minutes. Lots to learn from you man, keep the videos coming!
Hi Clive I've just obtained the latest latest version of this device the YAM-803. Almost all the components are now surface-mount types. When I first tested it I was alarmed to find that it consumes about 27W (@245v) on standby! Changing C1 to 680nF (0.68uF) reduces the consumption to about 12.3W and everything works as intended. I finally settled on supplying the DC 12volts via a separate switch mode power supply, of course omitting C1. I simply connected the 12v to the 0.0v and the +ve to one of the 680 ohm resistors, there was no need to disconnect the 12v zenners.. Standby is now just under 1/2 W. As this module is mainly designed for remote controlled lighting circuits, channel 1 is designed to default to ON after a power cut.
You may have been reading the apparent power and not the actual power. Capacitive droppers always give the appearance of high current, but the power dissipation is usually much lower. Probably about a watt in your unit.
Yeah, Poundland has all these cool LED lights, meanwhile the Dollar Tree near me has 100 watt incandescent bulbs, which I thought were banned, but apparently they can get away with it because the bulbs are rated for "rough service"
that receiver is a classic. it's a super regenerative circuit. The op-amp is a new wrinkle though to amplify the output of the receiver. Usually they use a string of 2 or 3 "Self biased" transistors to do the amplification (this is where the emitter of an NPN is grounded, and then a 1M to 10M resistor is connected between collector and base, and then another resistor from base to V+)
Can't believe I stumbled on this. I bought a "traffic light" from aliexpress which had this controller inside. When you turn the power on and off, it will cycle through 1 relay each start. So, when you turn off and on, green light. Off and on again, yellow.... so on. How cool!
At first, I was skeptical about using an iPad for making these videos, but on second-thought, I think it's very logically a good idea. The viewfinder (main screen) is big enough for Clive to see how the final video will look in accurate detail.
You are such an expert but for those basic users here just to see how to connect wires, we just need a few seconds of this video from 10:03. You’re welcome.
I believe the microcontroller and remote probably operate on 2.4 gigahertz and are tied to a serial number similar to a wireless mouse. That being said, it most likely won't interfere with other units. But there may be a sync function in the microcontroller and one in the remote. That's probably why there's the extra pin on the microcontroller so you might be able to use a momentary switch connected to that pin and ground.
Note about the diode noise, you can even use this for good and make a super simple and cheap noise source for measuring antennas. Since it makes noise on very wide range of frequencies.
They don't have to be matched, just have a unique number in the transmitter. The receiver could be set to just remember the first ID it receives. Given the amount of testing I suspect it would have received, that first ID was probably received during this video.
23 fucking minutes and already 1 dislike, what the fuck is that guy thinking he must have misclicked, if he actually disliked the video i want to hear why he disliked it...
I have used a lot of these. They also sell them as 12 volt DC units. twice when I ordered 120 AC units they sent 12 volt DC units marked as 120 volt AC, they burned up quit nicely when I powered up the unit. They also sell them as single channel units, those do have a code for different channels of operation.
In other teardowns of mains equipment we have seen the 4 diode bridge setup on the mains, but this one has 4 extra capacitors across the 4 diodes, would you hazard a guess as to their necessity, and why in products where cost is the main design feature, they spent the extra on capacitors
This circuitry requires a clean supply with as little noise as possible to increase the sensitivity of the wireless signal reception. Other applications are less critical.
Shoul dhave gotten two of them to test whether they're uniquely paired or are just a one-for-all thing, if they were the latter it'd be handy for switching on separate banks of things on different circuits at the same time... :)
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Thanks for the explenation, it helped a lot. One question only; how does it works as "toggle" instead of button?
I have several of these YAM controllers. I was initially confused about the mains capacitor size as it is designated CBB22J and an erroneous web search told me that it was 0.22uF. However, it is also designated "400V 105" which is 1uF (one million picofarads). My magic tester says it is 1.2uF which is close enough. Clive may have misread the zero in the 105 as a decimal point. My RX do not have the 4 caps across the bridge or the inductor and only one zener populated. My TX is different, it has an 18 pin AD0369 encoder. The encoding is done by bridging solder tabs - low, high or open, yet the receiver doesn't have matching solder tabs, it has the same pre-coded microcontroller as in this video. Its a shame Clive didn't figure out how to encode the RX as I would like to sync 2 of my TX to the one RX.
The "finger test" reminds me of some gas fitters who came to our house to replace a gas fire which had been leaking CO (and probably would have killed us if we hadn't noticed). I found them waving a lighted newspaper about and when I asked them what they were doing, they told me they were testing for gas leaks. I suppose the idea was that if they lived to tell the tale, there wasn't a leak.
Handy unit. it's about $4 shipped to the us in the 110 version. Might get one for the shop so one remote for dust collection, air filter and compressor. Obviously using this unit to switch high capacity relays. I wish we had a pound land here as they seem to have the coolest cheap stuff like those batteries. Those never show up at dollar stores here. Anything under $4 each is a good deal here. Need to make a trip to the UK and go shopping I guess..
I noticed with mine that they have found a way of further cutting costs. No more 78L05, looks like it uses a Zener for the 5V as well. The remote control board is different as well. Of course, it could be a “clone”...
Great video as always. Do have a question though: how safe are these relay-switching-live-only setups considered? I ask because I have a Raspberry Pi controlling a number of relay boards (220v 10A AC relays) only switching the live which I use for controlling lights. The high/low-voltage isolation on them is very good (physical cutouts on the board). I've been told that using them is unsafe but I can't see why - light switches themselves only switch the live feed anyway. Everything is fused and connected to an RCD, the connections to the lights are earthed at the relay end even though the actual light fittings are plastic. Am I being safe? I was maybe perhaps thinking of using 2 relays to switch both live and neutral for each feed - would this be safer or just overkill? Any opinions welcome!
The way they did the 12V clamping looks odd to me. Why didn't they put the whole 240V rectified signal through the zener and resistor in series (dropping the voltage across the resistor), and then take the twelve volts across the zener? As it is, the 12V rail could be any voltage and any variation in zener current would result in a different drop across the 68R resistor. I know that this isn't meant to be the best designed thing, but I wonder why they wouldn't do that?
Hobo Sullivan They start at £27 on Amazon here in the UK... £34.95 for the same one Clive is using... for some unknown reason, some people are selling the cheaper one for £100.
That cap looks a lot like the ones I use to replace on monitors in a casino, they would fail dramatically with a ton of smoke and smoke would then come out of every hole and slot in the machine causing people to panic. Mind you the machines were very hot inside and on 24/7 and they failed only after the monitors were 7-10 years old.
So the two blacks are because one is used for in and the other is common for the outs? And is the black for the neutral, red for hot in? And does the on/off turn all of the three off and all three on? Or can I use A, B and C for individual on/off? If so what is the on/off for then, all at once?
There is a major problem about this device. That is when we turn off the power to the unit (radio signal receiver) and when we give the power again, unit get turned on automatically. That is a really bad design. Imagine there is a power cut. When power goes and come again all the devices controlled by this unit will get turned on. Do you have any suggestion how to avoid automatically turning on the relays when I give power to the unit.
Hello Major design problem on all models of this design: at start-up, the relay is powered! So the device to be ordered is immediately powered! On a two-channel module, this known anomaly is almost bypassed by the written procedure on the object: "1. Connect the power supply with the A / 1 ON ... This does not prevent a short action of the relay
Hi jean-pierre legrand, I have a 3ch model, and I am having this same issue of auto power up 1st load on power restore. I am not a circuit expert, how can I bypass this issue in my rf switch model. Thanks
I was trying to decypher the Chinglish instructions this weekend, as I bought 3 units. (1 two channel, and 2 one channel). I was wondering if turning the power off briefly and then on would do anything special like switch first to the first channel, do it again then the second channel, etc? That would be cool if one lost the remote controller for instance. Or just wanted their life a little more complicated... Edit: I think I found out. On the first off/on it turns on channel A. On the second off/on it turns on channel A and B. On the third off/on it turns on channel A and B and C! This is on a similar 3 channel device. See: th-cam.com/video/sfOxZcCJrgk/w-d-xo.html On a two channel device, the off/on sequence is similar, it goes A, then B, then A and B. There is the video for the two channel device: th-cam.com/video/amBdRraHabM/w-d-xo.html Good job on the video Clive and thanks.
This is common with these devices. It is programmed into the controller chip which is most likely a one time programmable chip. It is to operate the switch without the remote. I have brownouts/blackouts regularly and also consider it a nuisance. The only solutions came up with is to replace the controller chip with an 8 pin decoder (maybe a RF803D)? Otherwise this is useless to me. I don’t like coming home to find my lights on.
How do you Jack it to use on 12v plz? I want to connect this to my solar panel to light a few garden lights. Saw another video where this is connected directly to a battery. Your input will be much appreciated.
The code is fixed by the uC. Cannot find the number on the net. I would like to disable the mode that allows you to turn on the lights by toggling a light switch, this is the reason the first channel lights when the power is interrupted. The floating pad under the uC is supposed to program it by grounding but it does not work. I tried ground and 5 volts but no joy. I guess I will have to redesign it with a 2272 decoder.
Maybe you should have a look at the inline remote switches, the ones that plug in between a socket and the device you want to switch. They just seem very dodgy, especially because you could in theory plug something like a heater into one and I doubt it would handle that sort of power.
Clive, where did you get the quick tester from? Is there a North American version? Worst case I can chop off the UK plug and put a NEMA 15P on the end. That would be super useful for my lab.
all the logic in the micro-controller , it got a different coding and switch input "A" automatically when u power up the unit (in case u need to use it with a regular light switch ). u can't modify the logic ( momentary or latch or whatever ) except after changing the code :( i got another 4 output unit from the same vendor and it lasts for 2 years now. my micro controller is more bigger (14-DIP) and got no numbers written on it ... just smooth. and i got a timer to turn off all the outputs after 17 seconds.
I'd love to see more vids on these! controlling LED strip lights, hacking...what else can they do with a little help from soldering and adding some Lego part pre made D.C.step downs etc etc etc
Hi bigc, can you please explain a bit more about the "decoupling capacitors " ? And why there is a little choke in the input rectifier circuit? Because usually capacitor dropper circuits don't have an input choke. :)
I think it's all about reducing noise from the circuitry and external sources. The radio frequency receivers are easy to swamp out with electrical noise, making them less sensitive.
+bigclivedotcom Oh.. all right. Now I got it. :) I've learned so many things from your channel really.😀
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you can also get switches that go directly in e27 mount and then you mount a bulb in them, they usualy have a silver remote and you can get combos like 4 mounts and 1 remote or you can get 1 mount one remote. do a review if you can ;)
Hi, Clive, I bought four remote control dimmer units for 12 volt LED lights and they were not encoded so all remotes operated all dimmers; annoying but at the prices hardly surprising.
That's really common with the IR controllers for LEDs. But also quite handy as you can carry one with you and randomly change shop window lighting to your favourite colour.
These were RF ones see www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322039419332?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT but thanks for the idea, I can't wait to try it out, you wicked man!
Any idea what operating frequency the unit operates on? 2.4ghz? interesting unit if the mains is removed and the relays have independent outputs. 3 Channel on/off basically? An RC unit for about £2.50, very interesting indeed, many thanks for the posting, my use would be in models and automata. Stephen.
You fed 240v AC into that unit right? Straight into the rectifier circuit? No transformer? How did the voltage drop down to 12v after (before?) the rectifier circuit? I missed something obvious I guess.
The large red capacitor limits the current to a controlled portion on each half wave of the mains supply. It's a capacitive dropper circuit commonly used in low power electrical devices like time switches and LED lamps.
When you mentioned a 3 way remote switch, is that referring to a real 3 way switch, that has a traveler wire from 2 individual switches for this remote control unit? Or are you using the 'marketing term' used to describe a single off-on switch using a remote control?
Hi Clive I too have similar sets of units and control various garden lights. As such I now have around 4 separate remote controls. Do you know if it possible to get a universal remote control which can be taught to replace the 4 individual remotes? Thanks
Nowhere can I find the RF frequency. Did you see anything on the devices to indicate common 315 or 433 MHz? Though if I judge the antenna wire length it is probably 315 (23cm) rather then 433 (17cm). You know what, I'll order one anyway.
I have this switch. I use it for my ceeling lamp, two USB HDDs (i can mount/dismount drives wirelessly) and for my charging station. It's a great solution.
Hi! You might be the right guy to ask the following- I have a similar remote unit for my exhaust valve on car. The remote works pretty bad and also eats up battery very quickly. I am thinking of putting a manual switch to it instead of remote. What kind of switches and on what wires do I connect? Thank you!
Hello, theres how way to use two remote control to control only one receptor with 2 lamps over 220v? I Say, for use one remote control in the door and another control in the bed to control same lamps.
I'm trying to find a replacement remote for my light fitting which obviously has something like this built in. My remote is 433.92MHz frequency - is it likely to be uniquely coded to my light fitting or can I just buy a generic replacement?
Clive, Reading the ebay listings, it appears that each time power is switched on to this unit, it cycles round the 3 outputs, so 1st time on, output A is on, switch on and off and B comes on, and after C, it switches ALL outputs on (I guess this is to allow control if you lose the RC?). Quoting from an eBay listing: *3. Manual lighting sequence (wall switch control): A/1 , B/2 , C/3 , the whole circuit will be turned on.* If your ever playing around with this again, could you possibly check if it's not too much trouble? I want one of these to control a dust collector for my woodworking, but having it come on after every second powercut is a deal breaker! :)
bigclive , recently, I've been searching for a ground loop isolator for my car. Problem is, when i have power plugged into my phone (iphone 6s) and the headphone cable plugged into my AUX port, i get a LOT of interference and static. Seems like most of the GLI devices are pretty much cheap garbage and kill a lot of bass out of your music. Any chance you could do a project video on how to perhaps build a really nice GLI device with quality components?
Can this YAM remote switch be used to make a 2 way (UK) light switch (or 3-way (US) light switch)? Right now I have a light with one switch. I would like to add a remote switch in addition to the current switch. Can this device be used?... and if so, please make a video showing how to wire it. thank you
I would love to Se a teardown og the Sonoff wifi remote controlled switchbox. They have it at Banggood. I'm intrigued to buy one, but would love to hear your thoughts on it First.. 😊
Great video with plenty of information. If I wish to have this in line with the current wall switch so that it will also work as well as the remote how would I do this?
Hi Clive. Just received one of these units and I connected the live wires one by one to my Aneng AN8002 meter. Whilst in the 'off' state, they still gave readings between 7v and 15v ( on the AC setting on the meter ), shooting up to 240v when powered on. Is this anything I should be concerned about, or is it just a false reading from the meter ?
Wouldn't it be wiser to do the finger test with the back of your finger? Any charge there will cause your finger to curl, so it curls away, instead of making it clamp harder? Not as much of an issue with capacitors, but probably a good habit to get into if you're going to use a finger test...
Hi there! Is it possible to clone the remote from the set so that it can also be used with an additional remote control? Is it a rolling code or a special fixed code? Thank you
hi clive would this be suitable for an outdoor lighting system that runs on mostly led lighting along with 3 low voltage CFL sign post lights and an underground halogen light, the controller will remain indoors alongside the consumer unit (this won't be wired directly into the consumer unit it will be replacing an old mechanical timer that has recently blown and has been bypassed)
Im surprised that you havent done a "big clive" teardown of those cheap mains remote switches - the ones where you plug them into the UK mains and then plug your main device into that. They seem very cheap, just wondering if they are also safe!?
Hi, Can you give me some advice please. I won't be doing the electricals myself, just buying the materials. I want to use this switch (3 way) to control 3 devices. 1 x inline fan with 108w motor. 1 x inline fan with 50w motor. 1 x 3 light fitting total 15w Would I be able to use this device to control them all?
Hey Clive, when PP capacitors fail "interestingly," in _my_ admittedly-limited experience, they have tended to blow their Magic Smoke™ out through a small hole, usually about 2 mm in diameter, and typically in the direction of a component which is easily damaged by hot gas and smoke. We just replaced a bunch of junky German-made fluorescent ballasts on the CNC machines at my father's shop. I think the capacitors were WIMA branded...?
Anyone try to clone the remote for the YAM switch? I assume it's 433mhz (not 315mhz) but I couldn't do it, tried two different duplicator remotes and they blinked but wouldn't accept or send the signal to this switch.
I have one of these that worked until I had to turn mains off and on.Anyone know how to reset the control do the remote will pair with the light? Thanks
Hey Clive, I love your videos. In a previous one, you tore down some e-cig chargers to check if they could load malware on to your computer. I noticed one of them only had discrete components on a single sided board inside, and opened mine up to check and found that it was the same. The LiPo in my e-cig doesn't have a charging protection circuit. Is it safe to use that charger? Could you possibly make a quick video explaining how it works?
hi clive i have ordered one of these controls and mine is heating up a bit is that ok and should it do that? its powering an 230v outdoor lighting system
HI, i have a yam-802 (2 way), sleep function is only 10 seconds, I want to increase the timer to 300 seconds by resistors or capacitor change on 555 ic. Do you Have a solution ?
Question. I have a switch hooked up to a large motor ventilation fan on the roof. What type of remote switch would you recommend for a larger power draw? I am looking for something simple that I could do without an electrician. Thanks for the help! I am the USA by the way.
By far the best reverse-engineer that exists. It takes me hours to do the same that you do in minutes. Lots to learn from you man, keep the videos coming!
Hi Clive I've just obtained the latest latest version of this device the YAM-803. Almost all the components are now surface-mount types. When I first tested it I was alarmed to find that it consumes about 27W (@245v) on standby! Changing C1 to 680nF (0.68uF) reduces the consumption to about 12.3W and everything works as intended. I finally settled on supplying the DC 12volts via a separate switch mode power supply, of course omitting C1. I simply connected the 12v to the 0.0v and the +ve to one of the 680 ohm resistors, there was no need to disconnect the 12v zenners.. Standby is now just under 1/2 W. As this module is mainly designed for remote controlled lighting circuits, channel 1 is designed to default to ON after a power cut.
You may have been reading the apparent power and not the actual power. Capacitive droppers always give the appearance of high current, but the power dissipation is usually much lower. Probably about a watt in your unit.
Thankyou Clive, I have been looking absolutely everywhere to find something that can doudle my engine, I had almost given up hope :)
Poundland always sounds so much better than any dollar store we have in America!
I guess the extra 42% value due to exchange rates helps.
As strange as it might be poundland is owned by Americans 😂
Yeah, Poundland has all these cool LED lights, meanwhile the Dollar Tree near me has 100 watt incandescent bulbs, which I thought were banned, but apparently they can get away with it because the bulbs are rated for "rough service"
I'd prefer if it was called poundtown
+OriginalSashquatch where does it say poundland is owned by Americans, the CEO is British business man Jim McCarthy
+ManiacGamer definitely british
that receiver is a classic. it's a super regenerative circuit. The op-amp is a new wrinkle though to amplify the output of the receiver. Usually they use a string of 2 or 3 "Self biased" transistors to do the amplification (this is where the emitter of an NPN is grounded, and then a 1M to 10M resistor is connected between collector and base, and then another resistor from base to V+)
Can't believe I stumbled on this. I bought a "traffic light" from aliexpress which had this controller inside. When you turn the power on and off, it will cycle through 1 relay each start.
So, when you turn off and on, green light. Off and on again, yellow.... so on. How cool!
At first, I was skeptical about using an iPad for making these videos, but on second-thought, I think it's very logically a good idea. The viewfinder (main screen) is big enough for Clive to see how the final video will look in accurate detail.
You are such an expert but for those basic users here just to see how to connect wires, we just need a few seconds of this video from 10:03. You’re welcome.
I believe the microcontroller and remote probably operate on 2.4 gigahertz and are tied to a serial number similar to a wireless mouse. That being said, it most likely won't interfere with other units. But there may be a sync function in the microcontroller and one in the remote. That's probably why there's the extra pin on the microcontroller so you might be able to use a momentary switch connected to that pin and ground.
My unit failed after 5.5 years. The article made diagnosis and repair a " walk in the park." Great little gadget
Thanks a lot Clive for this detailed job. I didn't get to find it anywhere until I came here.
I had noticed many of my remote sockets failing over time: now you've explained why
Here's a video about the way the capacitors fail.
th-cam.com/video/qGc9-ToEiIQ/w-d-xo.html
Note about the diode noise, you can even use this for good and make a super simple and cheap noise source for measuring antennas. Since it makes noise on very wide range of frequencies.
A video before 4am? Madness!
They don't have to be matched, just have a unique number in the transmitter. The receiver could be set to just remember the first ID it receives. Given the amount of testing I suspect it would have received, that first ID was probably received during this video.
That's what my cheapo car keyless entry does. The first remote it sees after power up is the one it remembers has access.
Easily hacked for existing 12v DC applications such as car, boat and indoor 12v L.E.D. lighting. Nice.
Hello Clive, it might be fun to look at the signal from the RF module to the microcontroller on an oscilloscope.
I think the weak component is not necessarily the capacitor but the thin neutral trace. Some higher current and it will burn.
I just got a couple of 2 way switches made by yam and the remotes have different codes on the back also they don't operate each others switches.
No way of learning different codes?
23 fucking minutes and already 1 dislike, what the fuck is that guy thinking he must have misclicked, if he actually disliked the video i want to hear why he disliked it...
Probably just another hater kiddy. Sadly a very common thing on TH-cam :(
Maybe they were expecting the video to be about a different type of cheap 3-way?
maybe wasn't cheap enough for them? :P
There is ALWAYS that person that dislikes videos no matter who they are from..
so he decided to be cheap himself and vote down xD
I have used a lot of these. They also sell them as 12 volt DC units. twice when I ordered 120 AC units they sent 12 volt DC units marked as 120 volt AC, they burned up quit nicely when I powered up the unit. They also sell them as single channel units, those do have a code for different channels of operation.
In other teardowns of mains equipment we have seen the 4 diode bridge setup on the mains, but this one has 4 extra capacitors across the 4 diodes, would you hazard a guess as to their necessity, and why in products where cost is the main design feature, they spent the extra on capacitors
This circuitry requires a clean supply with as little noise as possible to increase the sensitivity of the wireless signal reception. Other applications are less critical.
Shoul dhave gotten two of them to test whether they're uniquely paired or are just a one-for-all thing, if they were the latter it'd be handy for switching on separate banks of things on different circuits at the same time... :)
Thanks for the explenation, it helped a lot. One question only; how does it works as "toggle" instead of button?
I have several of these YAM controllers. I was initially confused about the mains capacitor size as it is designated CBB22J and an erroneous web search told me that it was 0.22uF. However, it is also designated "400V 105" which is 1uF (one million picofarads). My magic tester says it is 1.2uF which is close enough. Clive may have misread the zero in the 105 as a decimal point. My RX do not have the 4 caps across the bridge or the inductor and only one zener populated. My TX is different, it has an 18 pin AD0369 encoder. The encoding is done by bridging solder tabs - low, high or open, yet the receiver doesn't have matching solder tabs, it has the same pre-coded microcontroller as in this video. Its a shame Clive didn't figure out how to encode the RX as I would like to sync 2 of my TX to the one RX.
The "finger test" reminds me of some gas fitters who came to our house to replace a gas fire which had been leaking CO (and probably would have killed us if we hadn't noticed). I found them waving a lighted newspaper about and when I asked them what they were doing, they told me they were testing for gas leaks. I suppose the idea was that if they lived to tell the tale, there wasn't a leak.
Handy unit. it's about $4 shipped to the us in the 110 version. Might get one for the shop so one remote for dust collection, air filter and compressor. Obviously using this unit to switch high capacity relays. I wish we had a pound land here as they seem to have the coolest cheap stuff like those batteries. Those never show up at dollar stores here. Anything under $4 each is a good deal here. Need to make a trip to the UK and go shopping I guess..
I noticed with mine that they have found a way of further cutting costs. No more 78L05, looks like it uses a Zener for the 5V as well. The remote control board is different as well. Of course, it could be a “clone”...
Great video as always.
Do have a question though: how safe are these relay-switching-live-only setups considered? I ask because I have a Raspberry Pi controlling a number of relay boards (220v 10A AC relays) only switching the live which I use for controlling lights. The high/low-voltage isolation on them is very good (physical cutouts on the board).
I've been told that using them is unsafe but I can't see why - light switches themselves only switch the live feed anyway. Everything is fused and connected to an RCD, the connections to the lights are earthed at the relay end even though the actual light fittings are plastic.
Am I being safe? I was maybe perhaps thinking of using 2 relays to switch both live and neutral for each feed - would this be safer or just overkill? Any opinions welcome!
The way they did the 12V clamping looks odd to me. Why didn't they put the whole 240V rectified signal through the zener and resistor in series (dropping the voltage across the resistor), and then take the twelve volts across the zener? As it is, the 12V rail could be any voltage and any variation in zener current would result in a different drop across the 68R resistor. I know that this isn't meant to be the best designed thing, but I wonder why they wouldn't do that?
Apparently, Cliff do sell Quicktests on Amazon, although they're a bit above my price range at US$73 or thereabouts.
Hobo Sullivan They start at £27 on Amazon here in the UK... £34.95 for the same one Clive is using... for some unknown reason, some people are selling the cheaper one for £100.
Seems like a reasonabley good quality design I'm impressed
That cap looks a lot like the ones I use to replace on monitors in a casino, they would fail dramatically with a ton of smoke and smoke would then come out of every hole and slot in the machine causing people to panic. Mind you the machines were very hot inside and on 24/7 and they failed only after the monitors were 7-10 years old.
So the two blacks are because one is used for in and the other is common for the outs? And is the black for the neutral, red for hot in? And does the on/off turn all of the three off and all three on? Or can I use A, B and C for individual on/off? If so what is the on/off for then, all at once?
There is a major problem about this device. That is when we turn off the power to the unit (radio signal receiver) and when we give the power again, unit get turned on automatically. That is a really bad design. Imagine there is a power cut. When power goes and come again all the devices controlled by this unit will get turned on. Do you have any suggestion how to avoid automatically turning on the relays when I give power to the unit.
Hello
Major design problem on all models of this design: at start-up, the relay is powered! So the device to be ordered is immediately powered!
On a two-channel module, this known anomaly is almost bypassed by the
written procedure on the object: "1. Connect the power supply with the A
/ 1 ON ... This does not prevent a short action of the relay
Hi jean-pierre legrand, I have a 3ch model, and I am having this same issue of auto power up 1st load on power restore. I am not a circuit expert, how can I bypass this issue in my rf switch model.
Thanks
Technology Explained dude, did u get fix or work around for this problem?
I was trying to decypher the Chinglish instructions this weekend, as I bought 3 units. (1 two channel, and 2 one channel). I was wondering if turning the power off briefly and then on would do anything special like switch first to the first channel, do it again then the second channel, etc? That would be cool if one lost the remote controller for instance. Or just wanted their life a little more complicated...
Edit: I think I found out. On the first off/on it turns on channel A. On the second off/on it turns on channel A and B. On the third off/on it turns on channel A and B and C! This is on a similar 3 channel device. See: th-cam.com/video/sfOxZcCJrgk/w-d-xo.html
On a two channel device, the off/on sequence is similar, it goes A, then B, then A and B. There is the video for the two channel device: th-cam.com/video/amBdRraHabM/w-d-xo.html
Good job on the video Clive and thanks.
This is common with these devices. It is programmed into the controller chip which is most likely a one time programmable chip. It is to operate the switch without the remote. I have brownouts/blackouts regularly and also consider it a nuisance. The only solutions came up with is to replace the controller chip with an 8 pin decoder (maybe a RF803D)? Otherwise this is useless to me. I don’t like coming home to find my lights on.
How do you Jack it to use on 12v plz? I want to connect this to my solar panel to light a few garden lights.
Saw another video where this is connected directly to a battery.
Your input will be much appreciated.
There are 12V versions of these.
The code is fixed by the uC. Cannot find the number on the net. I would like to disable the mode that allows you to turn on the lights by toggling a light switch, this is the reason the first channel lights when the power is interrupted. The floating pad under the uC is supposed to program it by grounding but it does not work. I tried ground and 5 volts but no joy. I guess I will have to redesign it with a 2272 decoder.
We want to know how to connect the wires how to install this..
Clive, i would absolutely love it if you went through the different kinds of voltage regulators in more detail.
I looked it up and the 2TY seems to be a standard transistor of the PNP variety.
Maybe you should have a look at the inline remote switches, the ones that plug in between a socket and the device you want to switch.
They just seem very dodgy, especially because you could in theory plug something like a heater into one and I doubt it would handle that sort of power.
Certainly those little wires wouldn't carry much current. Should be safe for CFL and LED's though, maybe a small exhaust fan.
i have been using this for quite a while, works a treat !
Clive, where did you get the quick tester from? Is there a North American version? Worst case I can chop off the UK plug and put a NEMA 15P on the end. That would be super useful for my lab.
If you search for my quicktest video you'll find some links to sellers in the description.
Will do. Thanks!
We, the public, demand a tear down of that power meter!
all the logic in the micro-controller , it got a different coding and switch input "A" automatically when u power up the unit (in case u need to use it with a regular light switch ).
u can't modify the logic ( momentary or latch or whatever ) except after changing the code :(
i got another 4 output unit from the same vendor and it lasts for 2 years now.
my micro controller is more bigger (14-DIP) and got no numbers written on it ... just smooth. and i got a timer to turn off all the outputs after 17 seconds.
Finger test :D, i once finger tested a crt television that was only powered down half a minute ...
I'd love to see more vids on these! controlling LED strip lights, hacking...what else can they do with a little help from soldering and adding some Lego part pre made D.C.step downs etc etc etc
ebay listing says each unit is programmed so more than one unit per room is possible
Hi bigc, can you please explain a bit more about the "decoupling capacitors " ? And why there is a little choke in the input rectifier circuit? Because usually capacitor dropper circuits don't have an input choke. :)
I think it's all about reducing noise from the circuitry and external sources. The radio frequency receivers are easy to swamp out with electrical noise, making them less sensitive.
+bigclivedotcom Oh.. all right. Now I got it. :) I've learned so many things from your channel really.😀
you can also get switches that go directly in e27 mount and then you mount a bulb in them, they usualy have a silver remote and you can get combos like 4 mounts and 1 remote or you can get 1 mount one remote. do a review if you can ;)
Hi, Clive, I bought four remote control dimmer units for 12 volt LED lights and they were not encoded so all remotes operated all dimmers; annoying but at the prices hardly surprising.
That's really common with the IR controllers for LEDs. But also quite handy as you can carry one with you and randomly change shop window lighting to your favourite colour.
These were RF ones
see www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322039419332?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
but thanks for the idea, I can't wait to try it out, you wicked man!
Any idea what operating frequency the unit operates on? 2.4ghz? interesting unit if the mains is removed and the relays have independent outputs. 3 Channel on/off basically?
An RC unit for about £2.50, very interesting indeed, many thanks for the posting, my use would be in models and automata.
Stephen.
Very likely 433MHz. You can get transmitter/receiver pairs for less than 50p (60$/€ cents) on ebay.
You fed 240v AC into that unit right? Straight into the rectifier circuit? No transformer? How did the voltage drop down to 12v after (before?) the rectifier circuit? I missed something obvious I guess.
The large red capacitor limits the current to a controlled portion on each half wave of the mains supply. It's a capacitive dropper circuit commonly used in low power electrical devices like time switches and LED lamps.
When you mentioned a 3 way remote switch, is that referring to a real 3 way switch, that has a traveler wire from 2 individual switches for this remote control unit? Or are you using the 'marketing term' used to describe a single off-on switch using a remote control?
It has three channels of single switches.
Hi Clive I too have similar sets of units and control various garden lights. As such I now have around 4 separate remote controls. Do you know if it possible to get a universal remote control which can be taught to replace the 4 individual remotes? Thanks
Nowhere can I find the RF frequency. Did you see anything on the devices to indicate common 315 or 433 MHz? Though if I judge the antenna wire length it is probably 315 (23cm) rather then 433 (17cm). You know what, I'll order one anyway.
Hi Clive great video, where did you get that bench tester thingy for the mains
Search my videos for quicktest and you'll find links in the description.
Never fails does it.. someone always asking about that thing
Just look on ebay for Quicktest and play around with the keywords (adding -ph -strips helps to filter out the ph testers)
Cpc Farnell does the quick test.
made by Cliff I think
Can you plz tell which IC is used
I think that single pin is just support for the RF board.
Can you please share the link for the bench tester as I am unable to find the same
I have this switch. I use it for my ceeling lamp, two USB HDDs (i can mount/dismount drives wirelessly) and for my charging station. It's a great solution.
ceiling* you heretic.
jdod64 I'm polish. English is my 2nd language.
+SatanicJamnic excuse me then my polish friend.
Do you enjoy getting invaded?
rccarz5 Ya. It's quite fun. You can't get bored.
I presume the contacts aren’t clean but switching 240v live supply?
Hi! You might be the right guy to ask the following- I have a similar remote unit for my exhaust valve on car. The remote works pretty bad and also eats up battery very quickly. I am thinking of putting a manual switch to it instead of remote.
What kind of switches and on what wires do I connect? Thank you!
Hi.. Nice Video. How did the case when Inverter connection with those switches?How do we proceed?
Hi. Congrats for the post. I have two of these switches and they have different codification. Have you found a way to reprogramming the codification?
Hello, theres how way to use two remote control to control only one receptor with 2 lamps over 220v?
I Say, for use one remote control in the door and another control in the bed to control same lamps.
I'm trying to find a replacement remote for my light fitting which obviously has something like this built in. My remote is 433.92MHz frequency - is it likely to be uniquely coded to my light fitting or can I just buy a generic replacement?
It will be coded. Some are compatible and may be paired, but it's not guaranteed.
really fascinated by these capacitive dropper circuits as an alternative for transformers, can you do an in depth video to explain how they work?
Clive, Reading the ebay listings, it appears that each time power is switched on to this unit, it cycles round the 3 outputs, so 1st time on, output A is on, switch on and off and B comes on, and after C, it switches ALL outputs on (I guess this is to allow control if you lose the RC?).
Quoting from an eBay listing:
*3. Manual lighting sequence (wall switch control): A/1 , B/2 , C/3 , the whole circuit will be turned on.*
If your ever playing around with this again, could you possibly check if it's not too much trouble? I want one of these to control a dust collector for my woodworking, but having it come on after every second powercut is a deal breaker! :)
bigclive , recently, I've been searching for a ground loop isolator for my car. Problem is, when i have power plugged into my phone (iphone 6s) and the headphone cable plugged into my AUX port, i get a LOT of interference and static.
Seems like most of the GLI devices are pretty much cheap garbage and kill a lot of bass out of your music. Any chance you could do a project video on how to perhaps build a really nice GLI device with quality components?
Can this YAM remote switch be used to make a 2 way (UK) light switch (or 3-way (US) light switch)? Right now I have a light with one switch. I would like to add a remote switch in addition to the current switch. Can this device be used?... and if so, please make a video showing how to wire it. thank you
I would love to Se a teardown og the Sonoff wifi remote controlled switchbox. They have it at Banggood. I'm intrigued to buy one, but would love to hear your thoughts on it First.. 😊
Great video with plenty of information. If I wish to have this in line with the current wall switch so that it will also work as well as the remote how would I do this?
looking good Clive, no band aids visible today 🤕
If we lost the remote control can we use any other this type of rf remote in the same switch control
Hi Clive.
Just received one of these units and I connected the live wires one by one to my Aneng AN8002 meter.
Whilst in the 'off' state, they still gave readings between 7v and 15v ( on the AC setting on the meter ), shooting up to 240v when powered on.
Is this anything I should be concerned about, or is it just a false reading from the meter ?
hi, i would like to pair 2 of those devices to use only 1 remote. can that be done by turning the screw (in the green housing) on the receiver board ?
Wouldn't it be wiser to do the finger test with the back of your finger? Any charge there will cause your finger to curl, so it curls away, instead of making it clamp harder? Not as much of an issue with capacitors, but probably a good habit to get into if you're going to use a finger test...
Hi there! Is it possible to clone the remote from the set so that it can also be used with an additional remote control? Is it a rolling code or a special fixed code? Thank you
I use a cheap universal cinese remote 433mhz for clone and work but my is another model.
5dollars!
@@gnomecagnome3204 Thank you!
hi clive would this be suitable for an outdoor lighting system that runs on mostly led lighting along with 3 low voltage CFL sign post lights and an underground halogen light, the controller will remain indoors alongside the consumer unit (this won't be wired directly into the consumer unit it will be replacing an old mechanical timer that has recently blown and has been bypassed)
It should work OK for that. It's intended for low power lighting loads. Keep in mind that it's a 220-240V unit.
Ok thanks Clive !
Im surprised that you havent done a "big clive" teardown of those cheap mains remote switches - the ones where you plug them into the UK mains and then plug your main device into that. They seem very cheap, just wondering if they are also safe!?
Hi, Can you give me some advice please. I won't be doing the electricals myself, just buying the materials.
I want to use this switch (3 way) to control 3 devices. 1 x inline fan with 108w motor. 1 x inline fan with 50w motor. 1 x 3 light fitting total 15w
Would I be able to use this device to control them all?
Clive did you ever find out if there was different coding between units?
Not yet. I've just ordered some more.
Oh okay. Thanks for letting me know.
Clive did you have to go to poundland to buy that pack of batteries? That would be annoying lol
I wonder if the Engrish writing means Dual Voltage and frequency (120V/240V) 50/60 Hz
Hey Clive, when PP capacitors fail "interestingly," in _my_ admittedly-limited experience, they have tended to blow their Magic Smoke™ out through a small hole, usually about 2 mm in diameter, and typically in the direction of a component which is easily damaged by hot gas and smoke. We just replaced a bunch of junky German-made fluorescent ballasts on the CNC machines at my father's shop. I think the capacitors were WIMA branded...?
Nice rip down thanks👍👍
I have 3 way switch but recently it's trip down the switchs in minutes
What would wrong with it
Does it randomly turn the switches off after that time? It may be that the main electrolytic capacitor or the voltage dropping one has degraded.
@@bigclivedotcom if i put all switches on , it won't stay on
If only one switch turned on it works so anyone of among them works only
@@abhijeetkamat2889 that does sound like an issue with either the large rectangular capacitor or the large round smoothing capacitor.
@@bigclivedotcom thanks for quick reply ...I will check it
Where did you get that magnifier with the built in light?
Probably Poundland
Anyone try to clone the remote for the YAM switch? I assume it's 433mhz (not 315mhz) but I couldn't do it, tried two different duplicator remotes and they blinked but wouldn't accept or send the signal to this switch.
I have one of these that worked until I had to turn mains off and on.Anyone know how to reset the control do the remote will pair with the light? Thanks
Sir, Already ground is connected to my lamp,will I need to connect the black wire again
Hey Clive, I love your videos. In a previous one, you tore down some e-cig chargers to check if they could load malware on to your computer. I noticed one of them only had discrete components on a single sided board inside, and opened mine up to check and found that it was the same. The LiPo in my e-cig doesn't have a charging protection circuit. Is it safe to use that charger? Could you possibly make a quick video explaining how it works?
Great video ... What is that quick connect testing unit you are using called? (JUST KIDDING) :)
Hmmm... I'll bet it would be easy to modify that thing for 110V (US) by changing out that capacitor, right?
Yes. Using a 200V capacitor with a higher capacitance value. They may actually have a 120V version of this item.
+bigclivedotcom See? I learn things from you!
YAM makes 120v versions, but use a buck regulator as opposed to a capacitive dropper.
hi clive i have ordered one of these controls and mine is heating up a bit is that ok and should it do that? its powering an 230v outdoor lighting system
The relay coils might get warm in use. Do you have a high load on it?
HI, i have a yam-802 (2 way), sleep function is only 10 seconds, I want to increase the timer to 300 seconds by resistors or capacitor change on 555 ic. Do you Have a solution ?
How to use as monentory mode(push to on) ???
What changes required??
A little bit green here will it put a 12volt out thanks Jeff,
You get 12V versions.
Ok thanks I go into it a bit better get the one I need Jeff.
Question. I have a switch hooked up to a large motor ventilation fan on the roof. What type of remote switch would you recommend for a larger power draw? I am looking for something simple that I could do without an electrician. Thanks for the help! I am the USA by the way.
Would this work in US 120V service?
From the schematic it appears it might
You would need to change the dropper cap, or add another one in parallel with it.
Could I use this to control the speed of a 2 speed inline fan? I would get an electrician for the work, just need to know