Door Bell Voltage?

[ViewRVs]

I looked in Lowe's at door bells. They are all 16v and use a converter to change the home 120v to 16v. How should that work in RV with a 12v system?

[74Argosy24MH]

If the transformer output is 16v ac they will not work.

If it is dc out and they are a mechanical chime it will be a duller thud instead of a ring.

If it is dc out and electronic they should work. Might not be quite as loud and the tones as designed. If all you want is a noise Radio Shack or the surplus electronic outfits (All electronics) sell buzzers for a couple of bucks. You will think you are watching Ricky and Lucy when it goes off.

John

[Inland RV Center, In]

Fred. The 16 to 18 AC volt chimes work well on a 12 DC system. With a double chime, one is hit when the switch is pushed, and the other chime is hit when the switch is released.
Most any household door bell or chimes will work OK in your Airstream.
After all, that's exactly what Airstream installs.
The burnout of the chime happens when the door bell "switch" hangs up, keeping a continuous voltage on the chime solenoid.


Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com

[Craig]

Andy.

Thanks - you answered my question before I even asked it!
But one more - how do you replace the switch? Do you need to remove the AS name plate, or can it be pryed out as explained by someone in a different thread?
Craig

[Craig]

Is a transformer used in an AS? I figured with the 12 V system it wouldn't be necessary. I'm having trouble with my doorbell. I obviously have two lines at the switch, but then one running to the chimes, and I don't think there is a transformer.
Craig

[Pahaska]

You can not transform DC.

There would be a hot line to the switch, a switched line to the chime, and the chime would be grounded to the skin of the trailer.

[Craig]

Thanks, John.

Let me ask a stupid question. Should the doorbell work when hooked to AC power (not using DC)?

Craig

[Pahaska]

You would have to have DC available, either from the battery or through the converter. The chime would not be wired into the AC circuits in any way.

[Inland RV Center, In]

The switch or push button is easily pried out with a small pocket knife.
To answer other questions. There is no 12 volt transformer for the chime circuit, as one is not needed.
If your chime has bit the dust, just get a 16 to 24 volt AC chime, and install it, and forget it. (Like Ron Popiel)
The why's and wherefore's are not necessary.
Spend the rest of your "worry" time trying to figure out how to replasticoat your Airstream in one hour or less and at a cost of less than a "six pack."


Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com

[buckwheat]

Hi all, I've got my "new" 1987 345MH in the driveway going through a short list of things that need to be fixed. My door bell, like many others in the forum, does not work. Couldn't even find the door bell but the button was fairly obvious. Not under the couch, not in the cabinets, no where that I could find. I did notice however, that I could hear a faint click whenever I pushed the door bell button. The click was coming from within the 12V Control Panel above the sink and turned out to be a small black relay box. Wires from the relay connected to a small circuit board which in turn was connected to a speaker, an electronic door chime maybe? The main IC chip has an AY-3-1350 part number that crosses to an obsolete programmable sound generator. I think Radio Shack sold these chips in the late '80s as "Sound Effects" ICs. Anyway, my question is, "Does anyone else have this setup?" Of course the circuit board is toast where a diode and an unknown resistor fried themselves and took out some circuit traces with them. I've replaced the diode (it was a 1N4733, fairly common) but the charred remains of the resistor make it impossible to determine it's value. If anyone has this circuit board and can share a photo of it, maybe I can get my board back in operation. Any thoughts as to whether or not this was original equipment? The wiring used for the connections makes me think that it was. This particular 345MH was manufactured in Oct '86 as a 1987 model.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Fred

Airstream used a regular household type "door bell." They all operate on 18 to 24 volts AC. They will work fine on 12 volts DC.

I am not aware of any door bell used by Airstream that had a circuit board.

Perhaps someone prior changed it out.

Andy

[RivetED]

Originally posted by Pahaska
You can not transform DC.

VERY TRUE. DC 'transformers' are what freshmen EE students were asked to get at the lab supply !...kind of like red & white stripped paint, etc. When DC is passed through a transformer there is a very short delay (inductance of the coil) before the circuit becomes a dead short. If enough current is available things will burn, fry, etc. Be careful. Maybe a simple R/C tank/oscillator might be an answer.