Yes, that is the same solution as what was posted earlier in the thread. You should ask him where the red conductor from the 5-conductor cables at the top of your image ended up.
Veteran electrician gave me a challenge
- Thread starter Sea Nile
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This was originally drawn out on a scrap paper sitting in the truck. I transcribed the problem into the picture I posted. He mistakenly put too many conductors on some of the cables, but cut him some slack, he was writing in ink/marker in a 5 minute stretch of time. And like I said, the addition of the cables were just a hint for me, the conditions of the challenge doesn't specify the use of these cables, you are free to wire it any way you choose using as many or few conductors that you want to.
Another C10
Electrical Contractor 1987 - present
- Location
- Southern Cal
- Occupation
- Electrician NEC 2020
AHH HAA . . . kidding aside, he sounds like a great mentor for you to learn by.
I give a lot of thanks to the ones I worked under through the decades, nothing better than learning from the ones with so much experience which are willing to explain why and not just how.
I learn a lot from the folks in here too. Thanks
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Um, no. Not that there is anything wrong with doing that, but institutions that primarily offer BA and higher degrees are not necessary to do this line of work. And you don't start out your career with debt in same range as a home mortgage either. Engineering degree is necessary to attend one those kind of schools though.Did you by chance attend the University of Nebraska?
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
I didn't carefully follow the connections to assure it will work, but kind of see the logic of it.
This is maybe a good exercise in logic and drawing a schematic, though with prices of copper like they are, reality is you probably still better off to use two three ways and however many four ways and just two "traveler wires" though the whole switching arrangement.
BTW the last cable segment to the light only needs two conductors, that red and blue could be tied together at the last switch and bring one conductor to the light (plus the white)
winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
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- Electric motor research
Thanks for the update.
Both the blue and red going to one light terminal is just another way of saying that two of the switches are connected to that one terminal; it is necessary for a shared terminal when the solution has an odd number of switches.
-Jon
RichB
Senior Member
- Location
- Tacoma, Wa
- Occupation
- Electrician/Electrical Inspector
I saw this years ago in the IBEW paper only it was 4 switches--the challenge was switch A,B,D ON C OFF= Light on
C ON all others OFF - Light ON--ANY other combination no light
This is similar--just need to get a couple jumpers in the correct spot and then it all falls together--If I remember correctly there will be 2 solutions--and you can't wire from Sw 1 to 2 to 3 etc--it may go from 1 to 4 to 3 to 5 etc etc--Also--In your drawing you are not using the common terminal--the correct usage of this terminal is critical to he solution
C ON all others OFF - Light ON--ANY other combination no light
This is similar--just need to get a couple jumpers in the correct spot and then it all falls together--If I remember correctly there will be 2 solutions--and you can't wire from Sw 1 to 2 to 3 etc--it may go from 1 to 4 to 3 to 5 etc etc--Also--In your drawing you are not using the common terminal--the correct usage of this terminal is critical to he solution
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
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- Owner/electrical contractor
Years ago, there was a website that you could build and test PLC programs, it would be ideal to test theory such as this. It was hosted by a college. I cannot find it anymore. Looked for an app that does the same thing, but couldn’t find anything similar.
mtdt
Member
- Location
- Lynchburg, Va, USA
(2)-3 ways and (3)-4 ways. wire them normally with travelers like railroad tracks thru the 4 ways - then position the switches in their respective boxes so they are all down when the light is off.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
That is the way to do it, this was supposed to be more of a mind challenge of finding a way to make it work with specific conditions, and maybe even more so just to be able to draw it out schematically or if actually attempting to do so in more of a small scale mock up and not so much in a real world application.
SSDriver
Senior Member
- Location
- California
- Occupation
- Electrician
Run all of them to a PLC. Program PLC. Done
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
The program could potentially look very much like the schematic posted early in this thread.
This was primarily a logic challenge using specific items and not about what is practical or most cost effective.
SSDriver
Senior Member
- Location
- California
- Occupation
- Electrician
I agree, I was being a little humorous
tallgirl
Senior Member
- Location
- Glendale, WI
- Occupation
- Controls Systems firmware engineer
But also, any excuse to use a PLC is a good excuse.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
for typical lighting control it is not so much a real life situation, for some production control scheme it could be though. There also could be more practical ways of doing the same thing but this exercise is a way of making one think about the logic needed to do such controls
4x4dually
Senior Member
- Location
- Stillwater, OK
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer/ Ex-Electrician
It dang sure made me think. It took me a few pencils and some eraser to make it work. LOL
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
I just realized this is an older thread not ancient yet but older.
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