Detailed Look and Wiring Montgomery Vector Elevator Buttons

The long awaited video about Montgomery Vector buttons is finally here! In this video, I will show you a detailed look of these buttons and how to wire them up. This video is different from my other Vector video as these buttons are complete with all of the original electronics.
Become a Channel Member!
/ stlelevators
Connect with Me!
Instagram: / stlelevators
My website: www.stlelevato...

[@baelevatorsmore728]

Yay more Montgomery Vector! It’s nice to have some authentic Vector fixtures to wire. For something made before I was born, these fixtures seem so ahead of their time.

[@baelevatorsmore728]

I suppose as a future video maybe you could find and wire older Dover Traditional VR fixtures? There isn’t a specific name for these fixtures (according to the North American Elevator Guide) but they’re quite a bit rarer than the Dover VR fixtures used with Impulse and newer Traditional.

[@stlelevators]

The VR buttons are basically the same as regular.

[@baelevatorsmore728]

@STL Elevators I suppose that’s true yeah. Just thought it would be a cool fixture to wire.

[@ElevatingPuertoRico]

I love these buttons

[@stlelevators]

I do too!

[@ElevatingPuertoRico]

@@stlelevators that’s awesome

[@ElevatingPuertoRico]

@@stlelevators fun fact, they’re not common here in Puerto Rico

[@ECFE]

Excellent, I bet it's nice to have an authentic one in the collection

[@stlelevators]

Yes!

[@EASsirenVids01]

This is awesome. Hope these become more available to collectors!

[@stlelevators]

I doubt it, but I'm glad we have one for the museum.

[@Dana_Danarosana]

Fantastic demonstration!

[@stlelevators]

Thanks!

[@statecollegewx4060]

I like the contacts. This a very nice detailed wiring.

[@stlelevators]

Thanks!

[@statecollegewx4060]

@@stlelevators your welcome

[@ProspectElevators]

Montgomery Jowevator fixtures 😉

[@stlelevators]

Basically

[@ee4u]

Flashback to the first video of the series lol

[@stlelevators]

Haha

[@snocoelevators]

I gotta find a Vector someday

[@stlelevators]

They're hiding around.

[@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440]

STL elevators I have not ever seen a Vector in person at all and I am in california so its super rare their

[@stlelevators]

They're really cool!

[@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440]

@@stlelevators I haven’t gotten a feel of them obviously but I have seen those fixtures on roblox before

[@vancouverelevators_transit]

Personally I would use a 9V battery and a 3V battery pack to make 12V

[@stlelevators]

That works too.

[@NWIndianaElevators]

I wonder where the other button went to... 😏 Also, I like seeing how the actual buttons work as well as how to wire them up!

[@stlelevators]

I was surprised with how simple they were.

[@SidShakal]

as someone with very little knowledge of elevator control systems, what blows me away about these is that they operate on ~117VAC mains voltage. i'd _imagine_ maybe older designs used neon indicators or something (like those you might still see in power strips), which may have required higher voltages, or maybe there's another reason to have mains voltage at the call stations that i just haven't thought of. but it just feels wrong powering an LED indicator and a switch with mains voltage. i mean, they even had to double up on beefy resistors to safely drop the extra 100++ volts they couldn't run through the LEDs. 😅

[@stlelevators]

A lot of older elevators used mains voltage. Newer stuff like these use 24V or even less.

[@SidShakal]

​​​​​@@stlelevators That's what I thought too, but at 24 VAC, those 4.6kOhm resistors wouldn't pass enough current for the LED bar to give more than a very faint glow. At ~120 VAC though, it's just right. 🙂 [edit: those resistors are in parallel with each other, so their equivalent resistance together is actually more like 2.3kOhm, but i think the point still stands] I found this video because I became curious about a call station in a late 80s/early 90s Montgomery Vector elevator where I work, after an elevator tech totally botched a repair on it. I won't say I've taken voltage measurements, but I will say I'm certain the call stations in our facility run on 117±5VAC.

[@Txdcblues]

The ledge makes it look like a keyboard button

[@stlelevators]

Yea it kinda does.

[@CenTexElevators489]

So now that I've been seeing some of these Montgomery Vector hall stations and the occasional lanterns, do you think the chances of getting a Vector car station is going to happen eventually, or does it appear somewhat unlikely?

[@stlelevators]

Probably low due to the cost of shipping them.

[@CenTexElevators489]

@@stlelevators I would say the same thing, not only because of their large size and high shipping. But also, the control boards are a very complex design, harder to wire up, the floor indicators only worked with Mi-Prom controllers, and the parts for Vector are way beyond obsolete.

[@qeelevators2960]

@@stlelevators Sometimes shipping is the worst. That brass otis cop I have, I got for 80$ because no one else even bid on the auction, but shipping was nearly 200$. Still was worth it so much lol

[@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440]

The therminal call button s2 is unpopulated and only had a wire block on it

[@Txdcblues]

If I get one, I’ll try with 9v and 10 ohm resistors😈

[@stlelevators]

I tried 9v with 0 ohms and it was super dim.

[@Txdcblues]

@@stlelevators rip

[@mitchellkelly3955]

Ah yes, another vector wiring video on this channel. Only this time it actually has the “real” contacts

[@stlelevators]

The first one was mainly just me having to be creative. I'm glad I finally got one to make a proper wiring video on.