dust collector remote control

[EricU]

I have an older Oneida cyclone dust collector, 220v 1.5hp(?).  It doesn't have a switch.  I have been controlling it with X10 outlets.  I'm trying to decide how best to control it because my X10 controllers  have gotten flaky and I am moving the DC across the room.  Plugging it and unplugging doesn't seem like a good idea.

There are lots of contactors available for cheap.  If I have a 240v coil, I can add an on off switch using the power available (it's single phase, no neutral).  But that means that if I wanted to remote control, I would have to switch 240v somehow.  The christmas tree remotes seem like the easiest remotes.  I don't really want to hard wire remotes. The DC is going to be next to the door, so walking over and switching it on isn't going to be that big of a burden.

What have other people done with their DC systems?

[fredhargis]

deleted by me, I went back and re-read the post...

[DaveBozeman]

If I'm reading it right.. I use a Long Ranger.. have one for 220 and another for 110

I've had the 220 for at least 20 years

[EricU]

It's funny how many people have thought that "long ranger" was a clever name for their product/project.

And google just wants to do a search for lone ranger.

Right now I have an on/off switch in my amazon shopping cart. My thinking is that I can always add a contactor and a remote switch later

[fredhargis]

The contactors are a truly industrial approach. I used a Long Ranger for about 10 years until I dropped the FOB once to often onto the concrete. Rather than replace the FOB I bought a Shop Fox (dumb move, don't ever do that!). After fighting with it for about 6 months I built my own using a contactor....that was probably 12 years ago. Since then I've replaced the light switch remote maybe 3 times, I've always kept a spare on hand making it an easy and painless process. Otherwise, the thing has worked without fail.

[BAdams]

I have a 220V dust collector and originally wired a power contactor with a 120V coil.  Got a cheap Christmas light remote to control the contactor.  I put the remote on a carabiner and clipped it to my belt loop.  Worked ok, but I didn't like the whole remote setup.

So I bought a current sensing relay.  I use the dust collector with my 220V planer and 120V bandsaw.  Ran one wire from the planer circuit and one wire from the bandsaw circuit through the window in the relay that closes a contact whenever current flows on either circuit.  Wired the relay contact to the power contactor.  

No more remote.  The dust collector automatically starts and stops with either piece of machinery.  I like it.

Bryce

[DaveR1]

I did the same thing BAdams did originally with the cheap Christmas light remote. I actually like it because there are times I want to run the DC without running another tool or I don't want the DC to shut off when I shut off the tool. I have one of those current-sensing things but it's still in its box on a shelf.

[EricU]

turns out I have a Square D 8910 KO-2 with enclosure in my junk collection.  Seems to be a 240v coil contactor.  So maybe I'll just add momentary switches to it for now

[Hank Knight]

I installed a magnetically activated reed switch (https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Recessed-S...56&sr=8-34) and a magnet on each of my blast gates. The switches are wired in parallel back to a relay that initiates the contactor for the cyclone. When I open the blast gate, the magnet closes the switch and turns on the cyclone. When I close the blast gate the reed switch moves away from the magnet and opens, shutting the cyclone off. Reed switches are designed for home security systems. They are simple and will last a lifetime. It's a pretty foolproof system.

[Stwood_]

Made my own with a lamp remote and a 220 contactor.