Old GE Remote Switching

[rwade0700]

Would anyone be able to recommend a newer and modern system to replace an aging GE Remote Control Relay Center ? A moderately priced unit, not one to break the bank as it is only used for switching. The unit I am working on is a RRF-56 frame using RR-5 relays used for switching (12) different lighting areas.

 

[gar]

111130-1451 EST

Why change from RR relays?

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[rwade0700]

Customer was asking for newer technology not wanting to maintain something 40 years old. I didn't have any luck finding any RR5 relays either. This model of relay installs on a busbar. I could get RR7 relay and wire it in there but the panel is really not made to accommodate this style.

 

[rwade0700]

There was also a rectifier that had previously been used on this system but was bypassed. The coverplate says to use the rectifier with a different frame than the RRF-56 that I was working on.

 

[gar]

111130 EST

Ask the customer why newer technology is better? It may not be. A silver contact mechanical switch has a much lower voltage drop than a solid-state relay. The RR relay is a bistable mechanical device and requires no power to maintain it in either state. The RR relay is inherently rugged. Not very sensitive to large voltage transients.

For 45 years I have had a large number of RRs in my house (probably 40 to 50), and mine are of the busbar type. This has presented a few problems. Unfortunately the RR7s won't fit in the same mounting holes because of a center-to-center spacing problem. But replacing the mounting plates with ones with wider spacing will solve the problem. The RR7 design should provide an even more reliable relay because it eliminates the mechanical stress from the busbar mounting system.

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