A relay is an electrically actuated switch using electromagnets to operate it.
A latching relay and a ratcheting relay (or stepper relay) are different, but
both use a pulse of juice through a coil to work a switch.
A latching relay has two positions. Sometimes they have two coils.
Momentarily energizing one coil puts the switch in one state, momentarily
energizing the second coil puts the switch in its other state. Similarly, some
latching relays have one coil and momentary current flow through that one coil
moves the switch to one of its two states depending on the direction of the
flow of current through the coil.
A ratcheting or stepper relay usually has one coil (but sometimes a reset coil
to restore the stepper to its initial position) and two or more positions much
like a rotary selector switch. Each energization of the stepper coil advances
the switch one position.
It sounds like you had a two position stepper, or a stepper with an even number
of positions with every other terminal connected together.
I once had a six position 12 VDC stepper relay. I put a pushbutton on my MG-A
automobile's stick shift knob to operate the stepper and hooked the switch up
so position 1 and 4 were no connection, position 2 and 5 were left turn signal,
and position 3 and 6 were right turn signal. It worked great!
For use on a 12 VDC boat buss I would prefer a latching relay for more positive
operation. Instead of a push-push activation, I would have a push one button
(or move a toggle switch in one direction) for on and the other button or
direction for off because I would be certain I was turning the device either on
or off.
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying Julington Creek
30 07.695N 081 38.484W
----- Original Message -----
From:
To: [email protected]
Sent: 7/24/2008 5:43:03 PM
Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] 12 VDC buss
Norm, I have used what I think was called a latching or ratcheting relay that
only requires two wires, hot and gnd, but I think it required constant power to
hold in the relay. The scenerio was I had a lawn irrigation situation where I
needed to add a sprinkler head, had extra zones on the controller, but didn't
want to run another wire. The controller and head were on opposite sides of the
driveway. I hooked the new head to an existing head with a ratcheting relay. I
jumped another controller zone to the first on the clock and when the first
zone came on and went off the same wires would activate when the next jumped
zone on the controller energized and the relay would ratchet and the new head
would activate. Each time the system activates, the ratchet flip flops. I don't
know if that type relay is what you are looking for or not.
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