I want to insert a switch to bypass ESL resistor-crossover

Hi,

using a biamped system with set.amps on the fullrange panel i want to make the basspart switchable to fullrange
bypassing the resistor crossover after the transformer
If that works i can run my system all day (maybe with compromised sq) and not only 2 hours in the evening.
Are there issues regarding voltage if i use 230V rated switches? As often Wago-clamps are used i think that should be ok
soundwise

have a nice day
Carsten
 
So you want to switch something on the secondary side of an ESL step-up transformer with a 230 V AC rated switch?

The secondary voltage can be several kilovolts, and the current can be more than enough to kill you. I would expect the switch to fail. Death by electrocution would also be a possible issue, as the insulation from the contacts to the user of mains switches for double-insulated 230 V equipment is only designed to handle 3 kV RMS and only for a short while. The insulation of switches meant for single-insulated equipment can only handle 1.5 kV.
 
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I can't quite picture what it is you want to do but it sounds like you want to place a switch on the HV side of the transformer. I've actually done this:

Some years ago I built a segmented ESL with welding rod stators, which I configured with switch-selectable wide and narrow dispersion modes. This was accomplished by placing a multi-pole rotary switch on the HV side of the transformer, to jump over or leave engaged the segmentation resistors.

Switch ON jumped resistors and put the panel in NARROW dispersion mode. Switch OFF broke the jumpers (resistors now in-circuit) and put the panel in the default WIDE dispersion mode.

The switch was an 8-pole Soviet military rotary type with silver contacts, rated for 300VDC, which I purchased for cheap on Ebay from Belarus.

The switch-mode feature was fun for a while but the novelty wore off pretty quickly because switching modes required powering down, lest arcing destroy the switch, and then I had to re-EQ the panel each time because each mode gave the panel a different frequency response curve. On my later builds, I've omitted the switch mode feature in favor of wide mode exclusively.

The 300 volt switch proved to be reliable -- but I never opened or closed the switch with kilovolt current passing thru it (always powered off first).

switch.JPG
switch 4.JPG
 
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Not sure what the circuit is but...

some resistors are needed to keep the step-up transformer functioning properly, both for low and high frequency issues and might be on either side of the transformer for different purposes.

ESL transformer interface is full of dips and bends and the manufacturer did their best accordingly.

Um, good reason to go direct-drive, eh.

Post a sketch of the circuit.

B.
 
Thank ou for your comments. Finally i used an alternating On-On switch and now i can switch the fullrange´-panel
from one transformer to another. Works perfect without compromising sound quality (except no tubes involved).
I don't see any danger here, can even switch while playing music. Over the years i "enjoyed" the transformated audio
signal a lot of times, harmless until the bass drops in :D