How To Wire Otis Touch Elevator Buttons

On this elevator part video, I show you how to get these neat Otis touch fixtures to work! Please note that the method shown in this video is not the ideal way to power and use these tubes. Proper wiring and operation of these fixtures requires specific voltages that require special power supplies that are not easily accessible. The whole point of this video is to show a quick and easy way to make these fixtures work for display in a collection.
In addition to the wiring, I show you a bit of info about a car operating panel and what happens when you do run these tubes with the voltage they like. More info about the pieces shown in this video can be found on my website: www.stlelevato...
Note: This project requires 120v ac which can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. If you are unfamiliar with the dangers or working with this voltage, I do NOT recommend you try this.
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[@Dana_Danarosana]

These are so cool!! Wonderful demonstration too. AND your timing is spot-on. Board of Trade (Duluth) is just up the block from me and has been closed for renovations for a few months. I finally got back in there yesterday and found those touch fixtures have been replaced with Innovation... D'oh!

[@stlelevators]

Nooooo :(

[@BigKitty1011]

STL uses 120VAC. Me like! Great video! Short, sweet, and to the point! Looking forward to more part vids

[@stlelevators]

Thanks!

[@statecollegewx4060]

This is an awesome part wiring. I hope you were really careful

[@stlelevators]

Thanks!

[@jonc3806]

Jason, I think you should do a project on how to wire Monitor TR Fixtures.

[@CenTexElevators489]

And how about the Adams Survivor-O, since you have one of those Otis hall stations that had touch buttons but were replaced with the Adams drop in replacement.

[@Skivator]

Monitor is basically the same wiring of Adams survivor

[@stlelevators]

Monitor and Adams are basically the same idea. Just a different looking base. My Long call button video shows Monitor wiring as well.

[@CenTexElevators489]

I also noticed you had another one of these hall stations, but with the Adams Survivor-O "drop-in" replacement buttons in your collection, and therefore, I am wondering if you could make a video about the Otis hall station with Adams drop-in buttons.

[@Skivator]

I assume it just looks like touch but has an Adams survivor base

[@stlelevators]

It's just like any other Adams intermediate button.

[@CenTexElevators489]

@@stlelevators Indeed, but I noticed that they had only 2 contacts on one side instead of 4 contacts (2 on each side).

[@CenTexElevators489]

Even though the contact arrangement is slightly different with a special common outlet and jumper tab, I was actually able to wire one up and make it work.

[@exoticcar5482]

Does anyone know the type of light source used in these? Does NOT look like an incandescent bulb. Is it some sort of neon discharge lamp? Have never seen this before

[@stlelevators]

As quoted from an Otis document: "Touch buttons utilize a three element gas filled tube as the active component."

[@upanddownadventures]

To clarify, as far as I know the touch sensitive tube itself is what lights up.

[@exoticcar5482]

I have found the answer. It is actually a neon lamp which is considered a miniature gas discharge lamp. This is actually not the same as the larger neon tubes use for signage

[@atomstarfireproductions8695]

Could you add a relay to it to make the buttons control things such as arrow lanterns?

[@stlelevators]

It’s not as simple as that due to the way the tubes work, but with the right circuit, yes!

[@atomstarfireproductions8695]

@@stlelevators is it something based on voltage or resistance?

[@BigKitty1011]

@@atomstarfireproductions8695 Resistance, the tubes can only take max 25mA through them (technically a peak pulse of 100mA). That's not much for a relay. You could try getting a specialty relay that could take the 60V that is present across the cathode resistor. But you're better off just using a SCR (just like Otis did), and connecting your relay to that.

[@atomstarfireproductions8695]

@@BigKitty1011 so inside the elevator controllers, did they have amplifier tubes or maybe later transistors?

[@BigKitty1011]

@@atomstarfireproductions8695 They would have used a thyristor. (or thyratron if using vacuum tubes). Now this is not the only way to run a relay with these tubes, an optocoupler would work just as well (while also providing isolation). Of course, they didn't have optocouplers during the time, so they just used what they had. If you really want to run a relay with these tubes, I'd suggest reading this pamphlet by Otis first. drive.google.com/file/d/1nZzTJ7d36-0OTUZWkCUgzLGgmPIH_MyF/view I wouldn't suggest doing this if you don't know exactly what you're doing. Lot's of things can go wrong with these tubes (trust me, I have some pretty good stories to tell)

[@willsheposh363]

It’s an Otis Lexan call station.

[@Skivator]

Did you even watch the video?

[@willsheposh363]

I did.

[@stlelevators]

Well you obviously didn't

[@willsheposh363]

It has tubes that light up when pressed.