Let me start by saying my skill level at electronics is in the diaper wearing level.
Background: I am a pilot...and am used to pushing buttons, not designing their circuitry. I also have a motorhome. One particular annoyance is the Warning Systems on in the motorhome. When the hydraulic leveling jacks are extended...you must turn ON the ignition to in in order to retract them. At the same time...a very load piezo buzzer sounds if the Ignition is ON and the jacks are not retracted fully. In an aircraft...some of the warning horns can be cancelled by pushing a button. I wanted very badly to add a circuit like this to my coach.
I used an automotive relay, a diode, a momentary switch with an led light ring in the bezel... My goal was to turn on the ignition...when the alarm is energized...the LED in the bezel will illuminate and the buzzer will sound. I push the button to cancel the buzzer...buzzer quits sounding, and the light remains illuminated until the alarm signal goes out. Unfortunately, I incorrectly assumed the signal switching was in the 12vdc+ side. So...when my alarm signal ceases...the light in the switch bezel did not extinguish...and the relay does not unlatch.
I redesigned the circuit to try and use the alarm signal 12vdc-. The relay won’t latch. I’m electronically challenged....but I’m guessing the Piezo buzzer induces a waveform in the signal, which when looped to the relay coil...isn’t clean enough to cause it to latch.
So, back to square one...
Can anyone suggest a circuit that would allow me to construct a working Warning Horn Cutout?
The idea is to monitor the alarm circuit...and have an LED illuminate whenever the Alarm is active. Be able to acknowledge the warning and push a momentary button which would latch open the circuit to the Piezo Buzzer making it stop. And finally, when the alarm signal itself has stopped...the relay will unlatch, extinguish the LED light in the switch bezel...and the system will be again ready to sound the Buzzer if another Warning Signal becomes active.
The photo of my circuit, well...it works on the iPAD, but when Install it in real life, the relay won’t latch...
Thanks for putting up will a complete dummy
