attaching a switch??

Now that I have my little 9 volt light working I am attempting to add a small slide switch. I am using 2 small 5mm LEDs with a simple resistor. I have some slide switches that have 3 leads on the back and I am trying to figure out where to connect the wires to get it to work.

The package does not have instructions and there are no positive nor negative markings on the switch leads. Can anyone give me a diagram of or general idea of how to do this? Does the positive wire from the battery go to the middle switch lead?

The actual switch I purchased is a SPDT slide switch from the link listed below....thanks again for any help.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062492

Usually the middle lead is "common", i.e. when the switch is in one position, the middle lead and one of the side leads are connected, when the switch is in the other position, it's the middle lead and the other side lead.

I can't make out the picture that well, but I'll make an educated guess and say that the lead that the slide is closer to is the one that's connected to the middle lead.

Trying to figure out if I can attach the resistor to the leads of the switch or should I put it between the supply and positive lead of the LED.

I just wired it up with a 4.2 Li/Ion and single LED to test the switch and it works however it got hot for some reason. I was holding it all together and maybe the wires touched however it was very hot.

I put the positive wire from battery on the center lead and negative on the left. Then I touched the LED to the switch and it worked however it would not actually go from on and off while using the switch. I can not believe I can find no instructions on the internet.....lots of photos of switches but no instructions.

Here's one way to do it...hopefully it turns out better than this ms paint drawing:laughing:


The way you described your connections sounded like the switch was shorting out the battery (why switch got hot) and wouldn't allow the switch to break the circuit (why LED wouldn't turn off).

Hope my artistic abilities will help get your electrons on the right path. Enjoy!

Edit: Just realized I have the switch labeled like a SPST....but you get the idea.

Ha, I just sketched a diagram too; I'll go ahead and post it anyway. From your other thread, I understand that you'll have two LEDs in series with a resistor, running off a 9v PP3 battery. If so then this is the circuit diagram:

Fig.1:



And this is one way in which it might be physically wired:

Fig.2:



However, because it's a series circuit, the components can be assembled in any sequence provided that you observe correct polarity for the LEDs - current flowing from anode to cathode. The switch could be connected in the negative side of the circuit, as in Fig.3, or in the middle of the component string, as in Fig.4, so just arrange the components for the best fit in the limited space which you have available.

Fig.3:



Fig. 4:

Adam that helps greatly and I will try this later tonight. Thanks for the simple diagram and explanation as well.

selectron your diagram helps me further as yes I am using 2 LEDs with a resistor. Thanks so much again and maybe I can get this little project going later tonight.