awpaeth@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Alan Wm Paeth) (01/26/89)
I have a three-way switch (Radio Shack) that comes with a companion switch; I need it wire the master as a conventional (2-way) switch for use without the companion. Presumably, I just need to add a resistor across the two (SP)DT output legs of the master (to allow current to flow to power the switch)? I'd like a UL approved sort of answer before I fool with this (eg "use the blue wire", not "play with it until it works"). It is a mystery to me why these switches even require a double output rail; a single rail design (SPST with shunt resistor) should work, as the previous X-10 lamp controllers I've seen will toggle state in the presence of switch action. This would also allow n-switch (to the limit of the summed series resistance) without the additional "4-way" DPDT complexity normally associated with extending 3-way lights for control at >=3 stations. Would make wiring simplier, too, though not back compatible. /Alan Paeth Computer Graphics Laboratory University of Waterloo