Genius solution! It really is like a black magic. Even for myself who works with this stuff. It took some thinking to realize the simplicity of the concept, yet it solves a huge issue. I was lucky that in my appartment there is neutral wire pulled and crimped in every switch. Praise to that electrician!
Thanks for these great videos! I had difficulty sourcing capacitors and resistors in South Africa, so I opted for a 10uF 350V capacitor and no resistor. The circuit works great on the Qualitel 3 Gang Tuya switch, tested with 11W bulbs. I also tested with 3.5W bulbs but they would not work.
I'm grateful that people are testing my circuit with different smart switches, and reporting back to me😉. Some LED bulbs won't work if the internal driver is based on a capacitive dropper circuit😢. A 350v 10uF capacitor, should be OK, but 400V is better for safety. If you can't find a fusible resistor, you could solder a small fuse inline with a 10ohm resistor. Or just the fuse on it's own (mabe 1A). The 10ohm resistor will prolong the life of the capacitor. But that's up to you.
Hello, Thanks for the great idea in your videos! I have bought 5 differen smart switches and your idea was working only on 1 of them. I found a way to make it work on all of them with simple addition - i put a full rectifier on the input. That is solving a problem were you have just one diod inside the smart switch instead of full rectifier.
Thanks for the tip. Some people have commented that all the diodes need their polarities reversed, on some brands to smart switches.(Obviously the capacitor polarity reversed aswell 😉)
A tip for everyone who doesn't fully understand this magic; Look out animation of how full-bridge rectifier works. Before testing this, add weak fuse (0.5A) to the L1, just before the switch. Add another one just on neutral wire coming out the bulb. Do not add the light bulb. Do not connect virtual neutral to the switch. It should prevent the loud reminder of your mistake. Instead, fuse will blow and if you're lucky, everything else will be unscathed. If fuse does not blow, you're ready to remove the fuses and connect everything as it's shown. Even better if you can test this on 12V AC transformer, if you have one lying around.
You can safely test the circuit with some current limiting, in the form of a old style incandescent light bulb. You put it inline with the Line supply. Make sure you test your circuit with a LED bulbs as the connected loads. This way if you make a mistake or short-circuit, the worst thing that will happen is the incandescent bulb lights up. And if you did everything right, it will work as it should. Look at this video at the following time stamp ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html skip to 12;56
La lampara a la que se conectan los diodos y el condensador, obligatoriamente tiene que ser lampara de led, o puede ser incandescente o tipo de descarga??. Gracias. Y Enhorabuena por el video solución.
I'm in the process of replacing traditional crappy switches with the M5 - in a 2 year old house. I've been lucky in that most of the time the electrician pulled a neutral but in some cases there's no neutral. What I've done so far is find the first downlight where the wires from the switch run to and then just pull a neutral - relatively easy when there's conduit end to end and you pull say one of the live wires connected to another live and neutral ie use the one live wire as a draw wire. My real problem is that my one room missing a neutral is more than double volume - the downlights are 6m up - so not as easy (or safe) to be up and down the ladder looking for the first downlight in the chain. I got very excited watching your video until it dawned on me : I still need to find the first downlight in the chain since it's a two part solution - the diodes at the switch and the diodes and cap at the light. In my case if I knew which was the first downlight connected to the switch I may as well just pull through a neutral and do the job properly. What would be ideal is to not have to do anything bulb-side and only fiddle at the switch - especially if you have downlights in a slab and you don't know where the conduit runs. Besides my challenges, I want to applaud you on your innovative solution and on your video.
I hope you find that neutral wire and get it to the switch somehow😉👍. You could still use my solution, if you can't find the first downlighter. You can put a diode bypass between every downlight and its feed. Sometimes you only need the diodes, and the capacitor is not required. This is because some LED downlights have large capacitors on their driver circuit. If you are lucky enough to get away with just the diodes then no fusible resistor is needed either.
That's great. It might be worth checking out my circuit update regarding the fusible resistor, If you have a quite powerful led load connected. The main difference is that the fusible resistor in now in series with the capacitor. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
I have used 10Amp diodes for my newer version of this circuit. But it's worth mentioning that 1Amp is more than adequate for most LED bulbs that are not drawing more than 0.05Amp. Using bigger diodes are useful in the event of a circuit fault, that way the diodes can cope better with higher fault currents, if something goes wrong😉👍. The 10A10 type diodes can handle over 200Amp for a brief instant, this means it can survive a circuit breaker tripping ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Great source of knowledge! Thank you so much! I got a hold of a smart power wall outlet with neutral wire required. Could this virtual neutral circuit be used?
I did everything like you said, the switch seems to be working. However only the second light is working properly, the main light with diodes and capacitor doesn’t work. When I try to turn it on, it triggers the house breakers.
Something is not right 🤔. It's possible that one of the diodes are damaged, or in the wrong polarity. Either replace all the diodes or test them individually. If your circuit breaker is tripping, you would most likely of damaged/destroyed a diode! It's possible to safety test the circuit without damaging anything using "safety current limiting", by putting a old school incandescent light bulb, in-line/in series with the Line supply. In one of my older videos I demonstrate how to do this. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html at time stamp 12:56
Your video is very simple and straight to the point. I'll be, for shure, a constant viwer of your channel. That said, i do have a question: My system will be placed for a LED reflector (30W) and the tension is 220V. In that case i've made some calculations: The current at the reflector is 0,14A (I=P/U = 30/220 = 1,13636363) So the resistence at it is 1.613 ohm (R=U/I = 220/0,14) For the capacitor I need a 33uF capacitor, just in case... So I'm trying to do the calculations for the fusible resistor, and I'm stuck. I've search all over and didn't find a source that indicates a resistor besides the 1.613 ohm, but someting about this calculation seems strange to me, and, at some answers you talk about using a 5ohm resistor. Could you help me understand what i am missing? and what kind of resistor do i need to protect my reflector?
Some people have had some trouble with the fusible resistor blowing with stronger LED lights. So I decided to change my circuit design a bit. In my new design, I moved the fusible resistor out of the main current path. It is now in-line/series with the capacitor. Now it only has to deal with the inrush current and ripple smooth current. It will protect the circuit if the capacitor failed. I also changed the diodes for very high current types, to make the circuit more robust, and possibly survive a short-circuit/ circuit breaker tripping. Take a look at this video ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html Also you might not need a big 33uf capacitor, because many LED light fixtures have big filter capacitors inside there power supplys. With some "big led lights" you don't even need a capacitor at all.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Sir, I'm speechless. You not only do a great service to everyone who needs help with the topic, with your videos, but you also take the time to answer questions in a helpful way. I will definitely watch your video. And I wish you strength in this incredible work. I am already recommending your channel to other enthusiasts.
looks great... in the video it looks like only the led on the middle switch works... is that right? Should the other switches have leds on them too? Cheers.
I have a different "NO-Neutral" circuit made for stairway switched lights. It gets around the problem by putting the Sonoff directly by the light fixture. ua-cam.com/video/9hQFFsBkxaU/v-deo.html Alternatively it might be possible to just power a second Sonoff switch, and have it trigger a another Sonoff in a software group, as a "slave" . Or using a sonoff "remote control type" wall plate switch.
hello ..what resistor is used ..10 ohm 1w or 2w or higher.??..I used 1w and smoke comes out at the end it burned. used with .incandescent light bulb ...P.S I tested the circuit and it works very well on sonoff NS Panel
Thank you for testing and confirming that the Sonoff nspanel works. A 1w or 2w resistor, is OK for a led light bulb only. I'm thinking of revising the circuit a bit, a 5ohm resistor could handle a bigger load bulb😉. Maybe a 2w 5ohm. You could put 2 10ohm resistors in parallel if you prefer. I may decide to do a video on my "newer circuit". With bigger diodes and the 5ohm resistor in a different position in the circuit. Thanks again for your feedback 😊.
Some people have reported this issue, so I have modified my circuit in a new video. Basically it now has the resistor in-line with the capacitor, and not feeding the switch Line anymore. The resistor now only handles the inrush current to the capacitor, and does not carry the current from the LED light. I also changed some of the component values to to make it more robust. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Yes it will work on 220v and a 450v rated capacitor is fine😉👍. You can safely test your circuit before installation like in this video. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html at this time stamp 12;56
How well will this work with a set of fluorescent lights as load? Say, 4 of them, amounting to 144W? They have a ballast, so I'd think there is an inrush current.
It won't work with the older type florescent lighting, the type with magnetic ballasts. It will however work with the newer type, the type with electronic ballasts. It's probably a good idea to use bigger diodes and bigger fusible resistor. Or even better use my newer circuit. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Hi, I wanted to know if this would work straight out of the "box"? I wanted to use this to install a KASA smart switch, and i live in canada. what are the values i could use in the calculations so i can choose the right components? thanks!
How is that different from just simply connecting a cap in parallel with the 1st bulb between "line 1" (wire 1 - hot) and "return line" (wire 2 - hot) Context = we use 220v from where i am, both cables have 120v
My circuit works the same with two "hot lines" making 220v. The "return hot" is basically working the same as the neutral line, it's just completing the circuit. But you still need the diodes, unless your smart switch is a dedicated "NO-NEUTRAL" type, that only needs a "bypass capacitor", at the load. See my older videos that explains in more detail how the circuit works. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html
Hi, thanks for sharing this. Just a few questions: 1) How long would the capacitor last? I’ve some experience with no neutral wifi switches with capacitor installed. Seems to have the the same concept as yours. Only issue was the capacitor wears out (defect?) after some time causing the switch/light to go nuts until the capacitor’s replaced 2) If i use this method on zigbee switches, would it still act as zigbee repeaters? 3) Generally how safe is this method?
The other "no-neutral" smart switches, work on a completely different principle. With my circuit, it's the diodes that do the bypass function, and not a film capacitor as traditionally used, in a "no-neutral" device. In fact you can even sometimes leave the capacitor out completely! (for some types of led bulb). The Electrolytic capacitor's job is to smooth out the DC ripple, It prevents some types of led bulbs from "shimmering/flickering". When the led bulb isn't ON, the capacitor does nothing and just sits there. So it's not working as hard as with the other "no-natural" designs. As for safety, of course it's a homemade circuit, that's why I added the fusible resistor, for safety. It's the same type of protection they use inside the led light bulbs. Most smart switches use an internal fusible resistor, for safety as well. The circuit is only designed for devices that need that need a neutral connection to function. So if your zigbee device, is designed to take a neutral connection, then yes! it should retain its complete functionality as normal. I have not had one of these circuits fail on me yet🤞🤞.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel thanks for the detailed explanation! I have 1 gang switch that’s wired to a ceiling fan. Do i need to change anything or just stick with the same method?
@thebatu89 This circuit isn't suitable for a ceiling fan, it was designed for LED light bulbs. Some types of led drivers for led tape strip work as well.
Many Thanks for sharing, for Diod can i use 1N4004? (1A/400V) or need use back 1N4007? (1A1200V) check back with the other brand smart switch are dont need add a diod at the panel , only add a 4.5uF capacitor on like are can work in? are this is safe to protect the switch and light? thanks in advance for your advice.
1N4004 will work fine😉. My circuit needs the diodes at the smart switch, and the at the LED light aswell. You can try different values for the capacitor. Sometimes you can eliminate the capacitor at the LED light completely. It all depends on the type of led driver inside the lights. I don't exactly understand your question so I hope this helps.
I got most of it on ebay. I'm changing my circuit slightly in response to people's comments. So a video with the updated circuit should be out soon😉. You can change the fusible resistor to 5ohm 1w-2w. I'm changing the capacitor to 15uf aswell. I'm using bigger diodes, to make it harder for people to blow them up😁. 10A10 Diodes in in place of the old 1N4007. There's nothing wrong with the old circuit, I'm just making a much tougher version.
If several bulbs are connected to a single switch, would this work if the capacitor is only connected to one of the lights? Would this also work if it is fluorescent tube lights?
You can connect just one capacitor/diode bypass, for multiple LED bulbs, but you need to find the point where the first bulb is fed from the switch. This way the bypass acts on the entire parallel string of lights😉. If you can't find that point, then just use a bypass for every light bulb. This circuit should work with CFL lamps, but it won't work with the old fashioned (magnetic ballasts) florescent tube lights. It should work OK with the more "modern electronic ballasts" for florescent tube lights😉👍 I have a slightly improved version of this circuit that is more robust/tougher. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
I tried your way to bypass the neutral wire in the MOES dimmer switch but unfortunately the 8.8w bulb is blinking and the zigbee smart bulb is working but is on all the time at about 10% and can not be dimmed / brightened. I'm 99.9% sure I didn't make any mistakes. do you have any idea why that. does it work in my case?
My circuit is unfortunately not to design to work with the smart dimmer switches😥 . It only works with normal On/Off style smart switches. I obviously do appreciate people testing my circuit with various different brands, that I haven't tried it with yet. If enough people give me feedback, with their findings, then maybe I could compile a list of compatible devices.😉
It's is not safe or legal, to use the protective earth/ground, as a neutral substitute! It certainly will work in some cases, BUT if you have a RCD (GFCI in US) protected home, the circuit will trip on a ground fault, if you try to use the ground wire as the neutral.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Thanks for the quick reply. I am now thinking about going with Zigbee. They have switches that do not need a neutral or a capacitor. I don't know how that works, maybe they have a battery built in them. (I am in the US and my house is pre 1985)
Hi. Thanks for this idea. It looks great! I’m trying it out with an athom 3 gang switch. The curcuit works when it startd, but when I turn the return channel light on, the circuit breaker goes off. I think i got the diodes and capacitor directions right, but I’m not using a resistor (I’m testing it with what I have at hand). What am I missing?
It's great that you're trying my circuit with different brands of smart switch. But I recommend you set up a testing rig, with a safety current limiting. You simply put a old style incandescent light bulb in-line with the Live feed to power your smart switch. That way If you make a mistake nothing blows up, only the "fault lamp" lights! I demonstrate this in this video ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html (at12:56) . If all works well in your test circuit, then take the safety lamp out, and install the switch. Hopefully you haven't damaged your smart switch or some of the diodes. Good luck👍
@@schoren Great let me know your findings. Some people have reported, with some brands of smart switches, all the polarities of the components have to be reversed. But if you lucky it's exactly the same. I like the idea of using a smart switch with tasota pre-installed.
I’ve tried reversing the diodes but still not working. I also added the old light for protection. If I remove the diode, I see that both light bulbs (the one I’m trying to control and the protection) turn on for like a second, and then the relay unlatches. This happens in any configuration of the diodes. What could be happening?
@@schoren try to verify that nothing is damaged. Maybe test the smart switch by connecting it as normal, see that it still works as it should. Check all your diodes and capacitor with a multimeter. If you have new "fresh" diodes and capacitor it's probably better. I have not tested this make of smart switch yet, so I can't guarantee that my circuit will work with it. It's also possible that all polarity of the components need reversing. It might require some testing to figure it all out. But be careful it's easy to destroy something!
That's the DC voltage!, so it's different to 230Vac. Inside the led bulb the voltage will normally be rectified from AC to DC anyway. The peak voltage from 230Vac is 325V!!(that's how high it can normally be rectified inside a led bulb). Not all LED bulbs work with DC, but luckily most are just fine with it. The older "capacitor dropper led driver" type circuits, won't work. So because the rectified voltage is higher the capacitor is rated at 400V, for safety. So inside the led bulb the voltage is at its "normal" operation levels.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Yes you are right. I didn't think about it. The diode bridge in the lamp stops working as a rectifier. It is already under DC voltage. Thanks for the good idea!
Hi. This Not work with Tuya qs-zigbee-s10-2c. But if i change Live wire to N connector and wire from bulb to L, it's starting, bur Bulb not get Light (((
Yes! People have tested it with LED ceiling lights, that use separate driver/ power supplys. Just test it first before you commit. If you follow my "safety current limiting method" in this video ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html I used a "old incandescent bulb" for protection, so nothing goes bang when testing. Then remove it if everything works.
Hi Can this work for multiple lights controlled by just one switch? A 3 gang switch that controls 3-4 pin lights per switch. Should i just add the diodes and capacitor on the first light on the first switch? Thank you!
I will draw some circuit diagrams for you when I get time 🤔😉👍. So one switch/ output, needs the diodes, which will provide the "neutral", to power the Sonoff M5. The other switch/outputs connect as normal to the lights. You can put more lights on the diode (neutral return) switch/output, but I recommend a separate bypass circuit(diodes and capacitor) for each LED bulb. This is only needed for the switch/output with the diodes. It is possible to have just one bypass circuit on the first bulb, and connect more bulbs in parallel with that first bulb, but it's easy to make a mistake that way. It is sometimes possible only use diodes, without needing a capacitor! This only works with some types of led light fixtures.
@@dupper789 it's likely that if your circuit breaker is tripping, then one or more diodes are now destroyed😩. They may look OK, but you can't tell just by looking. It's super important to have all the diodes in the correct polarity. There is NO room for error here! Use diodes with at least 400V rating. The diodes I used was 1N4007 rated at 1000V. You can use higher current rated ones that make the circuit more robust. I can't stress enough checking the polarity of all the components. Capacitor rated at at least 400V.
@MyProjectBoxChannel thanks for getting back to me, I bought extra and been throught it twice, double checked the polatity, the voltage on the capacitor is 450v cant see the voltage of the diodes. I'll try and get the exact same size you have used. Just out of interest can i set it up without the second set of diodes and capacitor at the light side? I remember you saying in the video that the second set is to stop the flickering.
@dupper789 It's extremely important that both sides/sets of diodes are connected before you power up the circuit! If you only use one set of diodes, you will have a short-circuit, and the diodes will be destroyed! It is the capacitor that is responsible for removing the flicker on the LED light. It's a good idea to make up a testing rig to verify that everything is working as it should, like in my original sonoff mini version. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html In that video I use some "safety current limiting" for testing, in the form of a inline tungsten filament bulb.
Thanks for the great video I was trying out your solution but on a Aqara H1M 3 gang and it works partial I am not sure if the wiring is different in my country. I tried using both the 4w and 10w led bulbs the 4w bulbs flicker while the 10w is lower brightness when the switch is off. When on both lights will just be at full brightness.
I have not tested that smart switch with my circuit yet. It could work I don't know with out experimenting with it. It's possible you have something connected wrong? Maybe the polarity needs to be reversed for some diodes. Maybe make a test setup, with safety current limiting like in this video. Using a old school incandescent light bulb. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html at this time stamp 12:56
@@MyProjectBoxChannel In theory I believe all circut should be similar but one thing I did find interesting was when I placed the diodes @ the switch without the capacitor + diode setup @ the bulb the smart switch could already work and but still faced the same issue of the lights flickering / staying on when the switch was in off postion. Also forgot to mention 1 switch on usually controls 2 bulbs vs your example where 1 switch only controls 1 bulb
@@8136909 without seeing your circuit in front of me, it is difficult for me to work out what is wrong. The circuit very easy to get wrong, despite it's simplicity. You can easily damage components and not realise it. Are you using the optocupler circuit, or the "4 diodes and capacitor" circuit?
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Thanks for replying and yes I agree it not as easy as it sounds. I am using the 4 diodes and capacitor method exactly like in this video you made. 1 problem for me is I am only confident of the wires I can see @ the switches and the wires terminating @ the bulbs any additional wiring made above the ceiling is unknown. When you mention reversed for the diodes should I do it @ the switch or the lights or once you switch it at one point you gotta do it on both ends?
@@8136909 I would suggest build a test circuit wired to a plug, complete with LED bulb. Verify it all works as expected first, with your "un-tested smart switch". Then move on to installing it to the house wiring.
Thats a great idea! You could make a little "bypass module", with short flexible wires, that connects at the ceiling rose. I don't currently live in the UK at the moment, and they don't use that system here. I wont be able to get hold of a ceiling rose. So the only way I could demonstrate it is with a animated drawing/schematic.
Yes! The higher the voltage rating of the capacitor, the better its for safety😉. I recommend you use the safety testing method in one of my previous videos. Use a "old school" incandescent light bulb in-line (as current limiting) to test everything works first. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html
@@abokhozayem No problem happy to help😉👍Could you tell me which model/brand smart switches you used. I would like to compile a list of ones that work with my circuit
@@noelagena5240 Yes it does work. I'm working on a slightly improved version for NSpanel and NSpanelPro. These devices are more expensive so I want to make a new video with a "better" circuit just for them. You can try a different version aswell from this video in the link. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
@@MyProjectBoxChannel sure, here in Brazil, some places have Line/Neutral/Ground system, running with 127v @60hz; Other places have Line/Line/Ground running at 220v @60hz. I’d like to know if it must have a “real neutral” wire.
@@leandrocarneiro2719 Yes "Line-Line" 220Vac will work fine. But you have to pick/designate, one of the Lines at the LED bulb, as your "neutral/return-line". It should work fine as long as you keep to that polarity throughout the circuit. If you get the polarity mixed up it will go Bang! So be careful. Choose one line as neutral and stick to it. The other Line will be the switched-Line.
I am not sure. I don't know what your exact application is. I wouldn't recommend it. But give me more details. So I can understand what you are trying to do.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel My home is connected to 3 phase 230V but without neutral , somehow the electrician managed to connect the smart meter ,but is showing consumption just on 2 phases. To show the consumption on all 3 phases the power meter require a neutral wire from the power grid.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel cool thanks, i found some 1N1407 by chance, going to try it out now. I compared your circuit wiring with the off the shelf solution, are the diodes at the light bulb necessary? a comparison video will probably give a certain group (e.g. me) more confidence to try your solution :)
@@SEOng-gs7lj yes you need the diodes at the light bulb. My circuit works differently to other no-neutral designs. Look at this video for more examples and explanation. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html
@@MyProjectBoxChannel i understand how your circuit works now, but i'm curious about how the off the shelves ones work too and especially downsides if any
It's possible to do a 3 gang switch like this. But if it's multi-way lighting, like for a staircase, it's a bit more tricky. I'm not exactly sure what you mean so maybe more information is required.
I think it will work with my circuit, but I have not tested with that presice model, so I can not 100% verify it. I have tested it on a normal sonoff TX-T3, and it works great 👍. I have made some changes/Improvements to my circuit so please se my new video. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Hi! I've tried your solution with and it works great! What would it take to make this circuit fool proof? I mean a circuit that won't blow up when reversing the neutral-live wires, are you planning on developing such circuit? I ask because I created my own DIY Smart Wall Switch that works great with Home Assistant and the question always pops about no-neutral wiring and your hack would fix my issue if it could be incorporated in the design. Let me know what you think! Either here or by direct message. Again great work! Cheers ;)
I have some ideas yes! You can message me on Facebook messenger facebook.com/My-Project-Box-105438131355367/ Or my normal Facebook facebook.com/robert.wynmaalen
Hi! It is Cool, but I think you need add in video (ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html) - information about "Fuse Resistor". Thank You! 1) It is for 220-230v
@@TheHenrychinaski88 yes it will be ok for a led bulb 💡. You could also use 5ohm resistor, for a higher current load, but that will increase the inrush current when charging the capacitor a bit.
Thank you for including fusible resistor, it saved my switch.. After wiring everything it worked great but i wanted to change which switch switches which light. And when i switched line with fake neutral from line 1 out to line 2 out everyhing stoped working. I checked and switch works
@@TheHenrychinaski88 hopefully you got it all working in the end👍. It might be a simple circuit, but it's still very easy to make a mistake. What I do for testing purposes, is to put a old school incandescent light bulb, in-line with the Live supply feeding the circuit(in series). That then acts as safety current limiting. It will supply enough current to test that everything is working correctly. But if there is a fault or short-circuit, the old bulb 💡 just lights up, and nothing goes BANG! It's a good trick and saved my arse many times😉.
Genius solution! It really is like a black magic. Even for myself who works with this stuff. It took some thinking to realize the simplicity of the concept, yet it solves a huge issue.
I was lucky that in my appartment there is neutral wire pulled and crimped in every switch. Praise to that electrician!
this is exactly what ive been looking for as i purchased m5 sonoff without knowing that i dont have neutral line
I also have a newer "improved" version of this circuit. It's been made a bit more rugged to handle more abuse. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Thanks for these great videos!
I had difficulty sourcing capacitors and resistors in South Africa, so I opted for a 10uF 350V capacitor and no resistor.
The circuit works great on the Qualitel 3 Gang Tuya switch, tested with 11W bulbs.
I also tested with 3.5W bulbs but they would not work.
I'm grateful that people are testing my circuit with different smart switches, and reporting back to me😉. Some LED bulbs won't work if the internal driver is based on a capacitive dropper circuit😢. A 350v 10uF capacitor, should be OK, but 400V is better for safety. If you can't find a fusible resistor, you could solder a small fuse inline with a 10ohm resistor. Or just the fuse on it's own (mabe 1A). The 10ohm resistor will prolong the life of the capacitor. But that's up to you.
Hello, Thanks for the great idea in your videos! I have bought 5 differen smart switches and your idea was working only on 1 of them. I found a way to make it work on all of them with simple addition - i put a full rectifier on the input. That is solving a problem were you have just one diod inside the smart switch instead of full rectifier.
Thanks for the tip. Some people have commented that all the diodes need their polarities reversed, on some brands to smart switches.(Obviously the capacitor polarity reversed aswell 😉)
Hello, can you send me picture of full rectifier, or diagram, on Bseed smart switch doesnt work.
@@draganmilevski555 on capacitive dropper half wave will not work, it only work on switching power supply
A tip for everyone who doesn't fully understand this magic; Look out animation of how full-bridge rectifier works.
Before testing this, add weak fuse (0.5A) to the L1, just before the switch. Add another one just on neutral wire coming out the bulb. Do not add the light bulb. Do not connect virtual neutral to the switch. It should prevent the loud reminder of your mistake. Instead, fuse will blow and if you're lucky, everything else will be unscathed.
If fuse does not blow, you're ready to remove the fuses and connect everything as it's shown.
Even better if you can test this on 12V AC transformer, if you have one lying around.
You can safely test the circuit with some current limiting, in the form of a old style incandescent light bulb. You put it inline with the Line supply. Make sure you test your circuit with a LED bulbs as the connected loads. This way if you make a mistake or short-circuit, the worst thing that will happen is the incandescent bulb lights up. And if you did everything right, it will work as it should. Look at this video at the following time stamp ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html skip to 12;56
La lampara a la que se conectan los diodos y el condensador, obligatoriamente tiene que ser lampara de led, o puede ser incandescente o tipo de descarga??. Gracias. Y Enhorabuena por el video solución.
I'm in the process of replacing traditional crappy switches with the M5 - in a 2 year old house. I've been lucky in that most of the time the electrician pulled a neutral but in some cases there's no neutral. What I've done so far is find the first downlight where the wires from the switch run to and then just pull a neutral - relatively easy when there's conduit end to end and you pull say one of the live wires connected to another live and neutral ie use the one live wire as a draw wire. My real problem is that my one room missing a neutral is more than double volume - the downlights are 6m up - so not as easy (or safe) to be up and down the ladder looking for the first downlight in the chain. I got very excited watching your video until it dawned on me : I still need to find the first downlight in the chain since it's a two part solution - the diodes at the switch and the diodes and cap at the light. In my case if I knew which was the first downlight connected to the switch I may as well just pull through a neutral and do the job properly.
What would be ideal is to not have to do anything bulb-side and only fiddle at the switch - especially if you have downlights in a slab and you don't know where the conduit runs.
Besides my challenges, I want to applaud you on your innovative solution and on your video.
I hope you find that neutral wire and get it to the switch somehow😉👍. You could still use my solution, if you can't find the first downlighter. You can put a diode bypass between every downlight and its feed. Sometimes you only need the diodes, and the capacitor is not required. This is because some LED downlights have large capacitors on their driver circuit. If you are lucky enough to get away with just the diodes then no fusible resistor is needed either.
About to use these to get my m5's working!
That's great. It might be worth checking out my circuit update regarding the fusible resistor, If you have a quite powerful led load connected. The main difference is that the fusible resistor in now in series with the capacitor. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Be aware this is dangerous as you are taking the current for the lamp through the diodes which are only rated for 1A, thease could over heat and fail.
I have used 10Amp diodes for my newer version of this circuit. But it's worth mentioning that 1Amp is more than adequate for most LED bulbs that are not drawing more than 0.05Amp. Using bigger diodes are useful in the event of a circuit fault, that way the diodes can cope better with higher fault currents, if something goes wrong😉👍. The 10A10 type diodes can handle over 200Amp for a brief instant, this means it can survive a circuit breaker tripping ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Great source of knowledge! Thank you so much! I got a hold of a smart power wall outlet with neutral wire required. Could this virtual neutral circuit be used?
No. This circuit is not designed for socket outlets. It is to be used specific types of smart light switches, and led light bulbs only.
I did everything like you said, the switch seems to be working. However only the second light is working properly, the main light with diodes and capacitor doesn’t work. When I try to turn it on, it triggers the house breakers.
Something is not right 🤔. It's possible that one of the diodes are damaged, or in the wrong polarity. Either replace all the diodes or test them individually. If your circuit breaker is tripping, you would most likely of damaged/destroyed a diode! It's possible to safety test the circuit without damaging anything using "safety current limiting", by putting a old school incandescent light bulb, in-line/in series with the Line supply. In one of my older videos I demonstrate how to do this.
ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html at time stamp 12:56
You were right, the diode has been broken. Now, everything is working fine. Thanks 😄
@@mateuszkaminski7998 happy to help 👍😉
Your video is very simple and straight to the point. I'll be, for shure, a constant viwer of your channel.
That said, i do have a question:
My system will be placed for a LED reflector (30W) and the tension is 220V. In that case i've made some calculations:
The current at the reflector is 0,14A (I=P/U = 30/220 = 1,13636363)
So the resistence at it is 1.613 ohm (R=U/I = 220/0,14)
For the capacitor I need a 33uF capacitor, just in case...
So I'm trying to do the calculations for the fusible resistor, and I'm stuck. I've search all over and didn't find a source that indicates a resistor besides the 1.613 ohm, but someting about this calculation seems strange to me, and, at some answers you talk about using a 5ohm resistor.
Could you help me understand what i am missing? and what kind of resistor do i need to protect my reflector?
Some people have had some trouble with the fusible resistor blowing with stronger LED lights. So I decided to change my circuit design a bit. In my new design, I moved the fusible resistor out of the main current path. It is now in-line/series with the capacitor. Now it only has to deal with the inrush current and ripple smooth current. It will protect the circuit if the capacitor failed. I also changed the diodes for very high current types, to make the circuit more robust, and possibly survive a short-circuit/ circuit breaker tripping.
Take a look at this video
ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Also you might not need a big 33uf capacitor, because many LED light fixtures have big filter capacitors inside there power supplys. With some "big led lights" you don't even need a capacitor at all.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Sir, I'm speechless. You not only do a great service to everyone who needs help with the topic, with your videos, but you also take the time to answer questions in a helpful way.
I will definitely watch your video. And I wish you strength in this incredible work. I am already recommending your channel to other enthusiasts.
looks great... in the video it looks like only the led on the middle switch works... is that right? Should the other switches have leds on them too? Cheers.
Great stuff! Any similar solution for stairs switches?
I have a different "NO-Neutral" circuit made for stairway switched lights. It gets around the problem by putting the Sonoff directly by the light fixture. ua-cam.com/video/9hQFFsBkxaU/v-deo.html
Alternatively it might be possible to just power a second Sonoff switch, and have it trigger a another Sonoff in a software group, as a "slave" . Or using a sonoff "remote control type" wall plate switch.
Hi, so this will not work on a line to line setup of power line?
Great tutorial by the way!
hello ..what resistor is used ..10 ohm 1w or 2w or higher.??..I used 1w and smoke comes out at the end it burned. used with .incandescent light bulb ...P.S I tested the circuit and it works very well on sonoff NS Panel
Thank you for testing and confirming that the Sonoff nspanel works. A 1w or 2w resistor, is OK for a led light bulb only. I'm thinking of revising the circuit a bit, a 5ohm resistor could handle a bigger load bulb😉. Maybe a 2w 5ohm. You could put 2 10ohm resistors in parallel if you prefer. I may decide to do a video on my "newer circuit". With bigger diodes and the 5ohm resistor in a different position in the circuit. Thanks again for your feedback 😊.
I tried this and it worked perfectly….however my resistor was blown after a week. Any idea as to why this happened?
Some people have reported this issue, so I have modified my circuit in a new video. Basically it now has the resistor in-line with the capacitor, and not feeding the switch Line anymore. The resistor now only handles the inrush current to the capacitor, and does not carry the current from the LED light. I also changed some of the component values to to make it more robust.
ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
will it any difference to the type of components if the live is 240v instead of 110v.
All the components were chosen for 240Vac, but it should still work fine on 110V aswell.
hi! can this setup work for 220v? and can I use a 450V capacitor that I have right now. I am from the Philippines and we have 220v.
Yes it will work on 220v and a 450v rated capacitor is fine😉👍. You can safely test your circuit before installation like in this video. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html at this time stamp 12;56
How well will this work with a set of fluorescent lights as load? Say, 4 of them, amounting to 144W? They have a ballast, so I'd think there is an inrush current.
It won't work with the older type florescent lighting, the type with magnetic ballasts. It will however work with the newer type, the type with electronic ballasts. It's probably a good idea to use bigger diodes and bigger fusible resistor. Or even better use my newer circuit. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Hi, I wanted to know if this would work straight out of the "box"? I wanted to use this to install a KASA smart switch, and i live in canada. what are the values i could use in the calculations so i can choose the right components? thanks!
How is that different from just simply connecting a cap in parallel with the 1st bulb between "line 1" (wire 1 - hot) and "return line" (wire 2 - hot)
Context = we use 220v from where i am, both cables have 120v
My circuit works the same with two "hot lines" making 220v. The "return hot" is basically working the same as the neutral line, it's just completing the circuit. But you still need the diodes, unless your smart switch is a dedicated "NO-NEUTRAL" type, that only needs a "bypass capacitor", at the load. See my older videos that explains in more detail how the circuit works. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html
Hi, thanks for sharing this. Just a few questions:
1) How long would the capacitor last?
I’ve some experience with no neutral wifi switches with capacitor installed. Seems to have the the same concept as yours. Only issue was the capacitor wears out (defect?) after some time causing the switch/light to go nuts until the capacitor’s replaced
2) If i use this method on zigbee switches, would it still act as zigbee repeaters?
3) Generally how safe is this method?
The other "no-neutral" smart switches, work on a completely different principle. With my circuit, it's the diodes that do the bypass function, and not a film capacitor as traditionally used, in a "no-neutral" device. In fact you can even sometimes leave the capacitor out completely! (for some types of led bulb). The Electrolytic capacitor's job is to smooth out the DC ripple, It prevents some types of led bulbs from "shimmering/flickering". When the led bulb isn't ON, the capacitor does nothing and just sits there. So it's not working as hard as with the other "no-natural" designs. As for safety, of course it's a homemade circuit, that's why I added the fusible resistor, for safety. It's the same type of protection they use inside the led light bulbs. Most smart switches use an internal fusible resistor, for safety as well. The circuit is only designed for devices that need that need a neutral connection to function. So if your zigbee device, is designed to take a neutral connection, then yes! it should retain its complete functionality as normal. I have not had one of these circuits fail on me yet🤞🤞.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel thanks for the detailed explanation!
I have 1 gang switch that’s wired to a ceiling fan.
Do i need to change anything or just stick with the same method?
@thebatu89 This circuit isn't suitable for a ceiling fan, it was designed for LED light bulbs. Some types of led drivers for led tape strip work as well.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel thanks, so I’ll probably need to get a no neutral zigbee switch for the fan.
Many Thanks for sharing, for Diod can i use 1N4004? (1A/400V) or need use back 1N4007? (1A1200V)
check back with the other brand smart switch are dont need add a diod at the panel , only add a 4.5uF capacitor on like are can work in? are this is safe to protect the switch and light?
thanks in advance for your advice.
1N4004 will work fine😉. My circuit needs the diodes at the smart switch, and the at the LED light aswell. You can try different values for the capacitor. Sometimes you can eliminate the capacitor at the LED light completely. It all depends on the type of led driver inside the lights. I don't exactly understand your question so I hope this helps.
Thanks for the video and the great idea, do you by any chance have a link to a shop where I can purchase the resistors in the UK?
I got most of it on ebay. I'm changing my circuit slightly in response to people's comments. So a video with the updated circuit should be out soon😉. You can change the fusible resistor to 5ohm 1w-2w. I'm changing the capacitor to 15uf aswell. I'm using bigger diodes, to make it harder for people to blow them up😁. 10A10 Diodes in in place of the old 1N4007. There's nothing wrong with the old circuit, I'm just making a much tougher version.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel great, thanks very much 🙏
If several bulbs are connected to a single switch, would this work if the capacitor is only connected to one of the lights? Would this also work if it is fluorescent tube lights?
You can connect just one capacitor/diode bypass, for multiple LED bulbs, but you need to find the point where the first bulb is fed from the switch. This way the bypass acts on the entire parallel string of lights😉. If you can't find that point, then just use a bypass for every light bulb. This circuit should work with CFL lamps, but it won't work with the old fashioned (magnetic ballasts) florescent tube lights. It should work OK with the more "modern electronic ballasts" for florescent tube lights😉👍 I have a slightly improved version of this circuit that is more robust/tougher. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
I tried your way to bypass the neutral wire in the MOES dimmer switch but unfortunately the 8.8w bulb is blinking and the zigbee smart bulb is working but is on all the time at about 10% and can not be dimmed / brightened. I'm 99.9% sure I didn't make any mistakes. do you have any idea why that. does it work in my case?
My circuit is unfortunately not to design to work with the smart dimmer switches😥 . It only works with normal On/Off style smart switches. I obviously do appreciate people testing my circuit with various different brands, that I haven't tried it with yet. If enough people give me feedback, with their findings, then maybe I could compile a list of compatible devices.😉
Hey, is there a way that something like this is possible with a tuya dimmer?
Hi,
Thanks for the great video!
In choosing of a Fusible resistor, this model MF01SFF100JA10, is it will work well with this parameters?
Yes it should be fine😉👍. You can also use a 5ohm 1w, fusible resistor for bigger or multiple led bulb loads. Let us know how you get on.
What do you think of the Method of using the ground wire if it is bonded to the Neutral?
It's is not safe or legal, to use the protective earth/ground, as a neutral substitute! It certainly will work in some cases, BUT if you have a RCD (GFCI in US) protected home, the circuit will trip on a ground fault, if you try to use the ground wire as the neutral.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Thanks for the quick reply. I am now thinking about going with Zigbee. They have switches that do not need a neutral or a capacitor. I don't know how that works, maybe they have a battery built in them. (I am in the US and my house is pre 1985)
Hi. Thanks for this idea. It looks great! I’m trying it out with an athom 3 gang switch. The curcuit works when it startd, but when I turn the return channel light on, the circuit breaker goes off. I think i got the diodes and capacitor directions right, but I’m not using a resistor (I’m testing it with what I have at hand). What am I missing?
It's great that you're trying my circuit with different brands of smart switch. But I recommend you set up a testing rig, with a safety current limiting. You simply put a old style incandescent light bulb in-line with the Live feed to power your smart switch. That way If you make a mistake nothing blows up, only the "fault lamp" lights! I demonstrate this in this video ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html (at12:56) .
If all works well in your test circuit, then take the safety lamp out, and install the switch. Hopefully you haven't damaged your smart switch or some of the diodes. Good luck👍
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Thanks! I'll check that video, and I'll do my follup up tests with the light bulb protection.
@@schoren Great let me know your findings. Some people have reported, with some brands of smart switches, all the polarities of the components have to be reversed. But if you lucky it's exactly the same. I like the idea of using a smart switch with tasota pre-installed.
I’ve tried reversing the diodes but still not working. I also added the old light for protection.
If I remove the diode, I see that both light bulbs (the one I’m trying to control and the protection) turn on for like a second, and then the relay unlatches. This happens in any configuration of the diodes.
What could be happening?
@@schoren try to verify that nothing is damaged. Maybe test the smart switch by connecting it as normal, see that it still works as it should. Check all your diodes and capacitor with a multimeter. If you have new "fresh" diodes and capacitor it's probably better. I have not tested this make of smart switch yet, so I can't guarantee that my circuit will work with it. It's also possible that all polarity of the components need reversing. It might require some testing to figure it all out. But be careful it's easy to destroy something!
Hello. Have you measured the voltage at the bulb? After the diodes + capacitor, the voltage increases. My device showed 280 volts. That's a lot!
That's the DC voltage!, so it's different to 230Vac. Inside the led bulb the voltage will normally be rectified from AC to DC anyway. The peak voltage from 230Vac is 325V!!(that's how high it can normally be rectified inside a led bulb). Not all LED bulbs work with DC, but luckily most are just fine with it. The older "capacitor dropper led driver" type circuits, won't work. So because the rectified voltage is higher the capacitor is rated at 400V, for safety. So inside the led bulb the voltage is at its "normal" operation levels.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Yes you are right. I didn't think about it. The diode bridge in the lamp stops working as a rectifier. It is already under DC voltage. Thanks for the good idea!
@@АлександрАнтонов-г8ж I'm glad my circuit worked for you😉👍. Just be safe when working with mains votage.
Hi. This Not work with Tuya qs-zigbee-s10-2c. But if i change Live wire to N connector and wire from bulb to L, it's starting, bur Bulb not get Light (((
Hi, can I use this circuit to power an LED lamp with a power supply ?
Yes! People have tested it with LED ceiling lights, that use separate driver/ power supplys. Just test it first before you commit. If you follow my "safety current limiting method" in this video ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html I used a "old incandescent bulb" for protection, so nothing goes bang when testing. Then remove it if everything works.
Hi
Can this work for multiple lights controlled by just one switch? A 3 gang switch that controls 3-4 pin lights per switch. Should i just add the diodes and capacitor on the first light on the first switch? Thank you!
I will draw some circuit diagrams for you when I get time 🤔😉👍.
So one switch/ output, needs the diodes, which will provide the "neutral", to power the Sonoff M5. The other switch/outputs connect as normal to the lights. You can put more lights on the diode (neutral return) switch/output, but I recommend a separate bypass circuit(diodes and capacitor) for each LED bulb. This is only needed for the switch/output with the diodes. It is possible to have just one bypass circuit on the first bulb, and connect more bulbs in parallel with that first bulb, but it's easy to make a mistake that way. It is sometimes possible only use diodes, without needing a capacitor! This only works with some types of led light fixtures.
Hi, mine keeps tripping the power, do the diodes and capacitors have to be a specific voltage?
@@dupper789 it's likely that if your circuit breaker is tripping, then one or more diodes are now destroyed😩. They may look OK, but you can't tell just by looking. It's super important to have all the diodes in the correct polarity. There is NO room for error here! Use diodes with at least 400V rating. The diodes I used was 1N4007 rated at 1000V. You can use higher current rated ones that make the circuit more robust. I can't stress enough checking the polarity of all the components. Capacitor rated at at least 400V.
@MyProjectBoxChannel thanks for getting back to me, I bought extra and been throught it twice, double checked the polatity, the voltage on the capacitor is 450v cant see the voltage of the diodes. I'll try and get the exact same size you have used.
Just out of interest can i set it up without the second set of diodes and capacitor at the light side? I remember you saying in the video that the second set is to stop the flickering.
@dupper789 It's extremely important that both sides/sets of diodes are connected before you power up the circuit! If you only use one set of diodes, you will have a short-circuit, and the diodes will be destroyed! It is the capacitor that is responsible for removing the flicker on the LED light. It's a good idea to make up a testing rig to verify that everything is working as it should, like in my original sonoff mini version. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html
In that video I use some "safety current limiting" for testing, in the form of a inline tungsten filament bulb.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel thanks, I'll give it another try..
Thanks for the great video I was trying out your solution but on a Aqara H1M 3 gang and it works partial I am not sure if the wiring is different in my country.
I tried using both the 4w and 10w led bulbs the 4w bulbs flicker while the 10w is lower brightness when the switch is off. When on both lights will just be at full brightness.
I have not tested that smart switch with my circuit yet. It could work I don't know with out experimenting with it. It's possible you have something connected wrong? Maybe the polarity needs to be reversed for some diodes. Maybe make a test setup, with safety current limiting like in this video. Using a old school incandescent light bulb. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html at this time stamp 12:56
@@MyProjectBoxChannel In theory I believe all circut should be similar but one thing I did find interesting was when I placed the diodes @ the switch without the capacitor + diode setup @ the bulb the smart switch could already work and but still faced the same issue of the lights flickering / staying on when the switch was in off postion.
Also forgot to mention 1 switch on usually controls 2 bulbs vs your example where 1 switch only controls 1 bulb
@@8136909 without seeing your circuit in front of me, it is difficult for me to work out what is wrong. The circuit very easy to get wrong, despite it's simplicity. You can easily damage components and not realise it. Are you using the optocupler circuit, or the "4 diodes and capacitor" circuit?
@@MyProjectBoxChannel Thanks for replying and yes I agree it not as easy as it sounds. I am using the 4 diodes and capacitor method exactly like in this video you made. 1 problem for me is I am only confident of the wires I can see @ the switches and the wires terminating @ the bulbs any additional wiring made above the ceiling is unknown.
When you mention reversed for the diodes should I do it @ the switch or the lights or once you switch it at one point you gotta do it on both ends?
@@8136909 I would suggest build a test circuit wired to a plug, complete with LED bulb. Verify it all works as expected first, with your "un-tested smart switch". Then move on to installing it to the house wiring.
Hi
Thanks for the video.
Could you show the mod installation for the bulb end applied in the ceiling dose instead of directly at the bulb.
Steve.
I mean rose not dose 🙂
Thats a great idea! You could make a little "bypass module", with short flexible wires, that connects at the ceiling rose. I don't currently live in the UK at the moment, and they don't use that system here. I wont be able to get hold of a ceiling rose. So the only way I could demonstrate it is with a animated drawing/schematic.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel A bypass module diagram based on your no neutral solution that could fit into a Ceiling rose would be very useful. ✅🙂
great thanks for sharing
Thanks.
I can’t find 10uF 400V capacitor, is it possible to use 10uF 450V capacitor instead?
Yes! The higher the voltage rating of the capacitor, the better its for safety😉. I recommend you use the safety testing method in one of my previous videos. Use a "old school" incandescent light bulb in-line (as current limiting) to test everything works first. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html
Thank you
Excellent tutorial, the switch ( as the other tuya switches ) work perfectly. Thanks again.
@@abokhozayem No problem happy to help😉👍Could you tell me which model/brand smart switches you used. I would like to compile a list of ones that work with my circuit
Does this one work for NS Panel?
@@noelagena5240 Yes it does work. I'm working on a slightly improved version for NSpanel and NSpanelPro. These devices are more expensive so I want to make a new video with a "better" circuit just for them. You can try a different version aswell from this video in the link. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
Would it work on a "line"/"line" system?
I'm sorry I don't know understand what you mean? Could you please give me more information?
@@MyProjectBoxChannel sure, here in Brazil, some places have Line/Neutral/Ground system, running with 127v @60hz;
Other places have Line/Line/Ground running at 220v @60hz.
I’d like to know if it must have a “real neutral” wire.
@@leandrocarneiro2719 Yes "Line-Line" 220Vac will work fine. But you have to pick/designate, one of the Lines at the LED bulb, as your "neutral/return-line". It should work fine as long as you keep to that polarity throughout the circuit. If you get the polarity mixed up it will go Bang! So be careful. Choose one line as neutral and stick to it. The other Line will be the switched-Line.
Any idea of this trick will work also for smart meter like Shelly 3EM 3-phase energy meter where there is no neutral ?
I am not sure. I don't know what your exact application is. I wouldn't recommend it. But give me more details. So I can understand what you are trying to do.
@@MyProjectBoxChannel My home is connected to 3 phase 230V but without neutral , somehow the electrician managed to connect the smart meter ,but is showing consumption just on 2 phases. To show the consumption on all 3 phases the power meter require a neutral wire from the power grid.
Can we use an unpolarized capacitor?
Yes you can. But it's going to be physically quite large. But it will work fine
@@MyProjectBoxChannel cool thanks, i found some 1N1407 by chance, going to try it out now. I compared your circuit wiring with the off the shelf solution, are the diodes at the light bulb necessary? a comparison video will probably give a certain group (e.g. me) more confidence to try your solution :)
@@SEOng-gs7lj yes you need the diodes at the light bulb. My circuit works differently to other no-neutral designs. Look at this video for more examples and explanation. ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html
@@MyProjectBoxChannel ok thanks, let me check out that video, i finished my installation. SUCCESS!!!
@@MyProjectBoxChannel i understand how your circuit works now, but i'm curious about how the off the shelves ones work too and especially downsides if any
Can I convert my 3 gang switch L1, L2 and COM to smart switch
It's possible to do a 3 gang switch like this. But if it's multi-way lighting, like for a staircase, it's a bit more tricky. I'm not exactly sure what you mean so maybe more information is required.
Are you try this solution with Sonoff TX T5 Ultimate?
I think it will work with my circuit, but I have not tested with that presice model, so I can not 100% verify it. I have tested it on a normal sonoff TX-T3, and it works great 👍. I have made some changes/Improvements to my circuit so please se my new video. ua-cam.com/video/mznx0xoF8Ck/v-deo.html
@@MyProjectBoxChannel - I saw this solution. I will try it and after we will see😁
Hi . It's work fine. No issue
@@robertbarat7354 that's great 👍. Thanks for letting me know.
Genial.
Hi! I've tried your solution with and it works great! What would it take to make this circuit fool proof? I mean a circuit that won't blow up when reversing the neutral-live wires, are you planning on developing such circuit? I ask because I created my own DIY Smart Wall Switch that works great with Home Assistant and the question always pops about no-neutral wiring and your hack would fix my issue if it could be incorporated in the design. Let me know what you think! Either here or by direct message. Again great work! Cheers ;)
I have some ideas yes! You can message me on Facebook messenger facebook.com/My-Project-Box-105438131355367/
Or my normal Facebook facebook.com/robert.wynmaalen
Hi! It is Cool, but I think you need add in video (ua-cam.com/video/oBR5O391m_c/v-deo.html) - information about "Fuse Resistor". Thank You!
1) It is for 220-230v
It's a 10Ω 1W fusible resistor. It should work with 110V and 240V 😉
@@MyProjectBoxChannel should 1W 12 Ohm be ok, instead of 10? My local shop was out of those..
@@TheHenrychinaski88 yes it will be ok for a led bulb 💡. You could also use 5ohm resistor, for a higher current load, but that will increase the inrush current when charging the capacitor a bit.
Thank you for including fusible resistor, it saved my switch.. After wiring everything it worked great but i wanted to change which switch switches which light. And when i switched line with fake neutral from line 1 out to line 2 out everyhing stoped working. I checked and switch works
@@TheHenrychinaski88 hopefully you got it all working in the end👍. It might be a simple circuit, but it's still very easy to make a mistake. What I do for testing purposes, is to put a old school incandescent light bulb, in-line with the Live supply feeding the circuit(in series). That then acts as safety current limiting. It will supply enough current to test that everything is working correctly. But if there is a fault or short-circuit, the old bulb 💡 just lights up, and nothing goes BANG! It's a good trick and saved my arse many times😉.