the multiple reminder about "safety first" deserves many thumbs up

liked that "we are in an 'alternating' universe now" intro.

As usual, perfectly explained, with simple, understandable words, cool voice and pace, organized demonstration, and more. You are a real "Master, not only in electronics, but also in communication. Thanks.

Did you all notice guys, how Bill makes his presentations so interesting that u get glued to the channel...till he says " goodbye for now"...Excellent job Bill. I must admit that the voice modulation of Bill is one of the best I hve heard on youtube, or rather, de facto the best. The subject, topic, cautions, content, delivery, camera management, focus, details....well..u name it and it is here. Apart from teaching electronics, you are probably also teaching a thing or two to all those in teaching and tutorial business. Thanks Bill and keep it up. I wait for your videos. Regards

Bill what I’ve really appreciated was you calling us your Friends!! Really felt like I’m your friend!

An idea I had once for making a ln AC switching device was to build some sort of box where the relays are contained inside and what comes out of the outputs are female outlet plugs. On the power input side, definitely add a circuit breaker, ideally with GFCI, assuming you properly grounded your setup.

“The blink sketch on steroids...” LOL! Your videos are simply the best.

Man, this is the exact video I needed. I understand very generally how electricity works, I don't need someone to explain it again to me. I just need the different methods of switching ac power safely. I cannot wait to see what other videos you have to offer sir! Thank you

Bill, A year or so back I watched a KZfaq video by Robojax where he showed how to control an AC load device that he cut the power cord on and wired directly to the AC wall outlet and to the relay module controlled by the Arduino. Your video just vastly expanded my understanding of relays and the fact that I was using a relay module with additional circuitry. Thank you for that. This video was very good.

I'm so ready to learn the AC dimming. Love your vids!

I am just getting started with Arduino and this photo resistor and relay demo enabled me to create a timer switch for my christmas lights. They turn on when it gets dark outside and stay on for 6 hours, after turning off they want turn on until the next sunset. Thank you very much for your fantastic videos.

I looked through the comments and didn't see this one, so here goes. My memory from when I did this sort of stuff for a living (1970s) was that the open output voltage of transformers was always high as you found. This was so that when the transformer was used at its full power rating, the output voltage did not pull down to below the rated secondary voltage. The pull down is due to the I x R losses across the transformer secondary.

This is excellent, and I appreciate you bringing the IOT relay for AC power at the end, to my attention. I had kind of assumed such a thing existed, and now its clear it does and I can easily and safely make use of it.

Hi Sir Bill / @DroneBot Workshop, I just finished watching it and Thank You! so much for your well-explained and very detailed tutorial - I love it! Your video tutorials are very big help for those people who want to learn or pursue a career in robotics. I do appreciate your effort in making this tutorial and keep up your very good work! I am from Philipines by the way :)

I love the way you explain things. It's very clear and comprehensive.

Hi sir, I am doing a bachelor's in a technical university, and for a project we decided to make a microcontroller-controlled heater. This video was crucial in the project, thanks for the safety tips and attention to detail.

Also, the flyback diodes do not "block the emf", they allow the current through the coil they are connected across to (temporarily) continue flowing when power is disconnected, preventing a large emf from being produced across them in the first place.

"...and as the Arduino is a microcontroller, we're going to use it to control things." This made my day : )

Top notch education!!! Your teaching style reminds me of attending ITT

Signs often placed near high voltage installations, "Not only will this kill you, it will hurt the whole time you are dying"

Thank You! You have been bringing joy to my life with your videos consistently. 👍🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻

11 minutes in, this is really neat: one of the leads for my multimeter recently broke. Wanted to replace the lead; found it'd be cheaper to buy a new $10 unit. So, I bought two, in case one fails again; they arrived yesterday. So it's REALLY neat to see, the very next day, your demonstration of USING two multimeters for a project! :) I'm prepared, or at least, a little bit more. :)

Emphasis on safety much appreciated!

Great video as always, Bill. Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

Just a heads up when buying solid state relays, stay away from the Fotek brand. I had a 40 amp Fotek hooked to an electric heater for period of a few months. One day I could smell plastic burning, It was the Fotek, It was melted. Luckily it was in a proper aluminum enclosure and no harm was done. This was only a 10 amp load with a good heatsink with thermal compound. I took the relay apart and found it had only a 12 amp triac inside. I guess the Chinese have counter-fitted some of these Fotek relays, If you do get a Fotek make sure it is made in Tiawan and not China. I personally replaced the faulty relay with an American made Opto22 25 amp relay that does not get hot at all. It is also wise to de-rate any solid state relay by 50% or more for a more reliable unit. As Bill says "BE SAFE".

Let me congratulate from Lima-Peru, I am chemist and try to know more about Arduino and control optoisolated relays... great information and very well explained... thxs.

I really enjoy the thorough explanation and demonstrations with multiple components/setups. Great vid, if there were a double thumbs up i would click it

Just stumbled on your channel. Love your emphasis on safety. "a very ugly lamp" cracked me up. 😂

Fantastic video! Incredibly well structured and informative. Thank you very much!

Your voice is soothing as a learning narrator... So I subscribe. 😅

We would love if you make a video on how to make a proper optically isolated relay module explaining the circuitry and the reason behind choosing the equipments of such and such value. This video was very helpful.😀

i like that new recording set up with only one camera; feels more natural. i really like the relay modules. they're super easy to use and control. since they're relays, they can be used for pretty much anything. for example, i needed to build a sound input selector, and all i had on hand was a double relay module which worked well. then i needed to control my room's light/fan, and again, i used the double relay module. i also had to use a relay (not a module, simply the components that came with the arduino kit) because it was my audio preamp and it had to be electrically isolated from the arduino circuit or else it would hum. what's more, i even found some tiny relays that are perfect for audio since they are tiny and are dpdt which is perfect for stereo audio. also a tip, just stick with the 5v relay module since if going for the 12v versions, you will still need to run 5v from the arduino or else the relay module will expect a 12v signal which the arduino can not provide in the output pins.

Thank you. Thank you thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I'm a chemical engineer dabbling in the electricity realm, and you're a lifesaver. I will say, no need to throw shade (pun intended) at the lamp at the end. We're all a little ugly :)

I enjoy learning from you and watching your FANTASTIC videos. I wish I had you as a teacher in college. A++

The lamp is rather ugly, but your tutorial is beautiful. Thank you Mr from the DroneBot Workshop. I wish you a happy and long life.

Bill a commonly obtainable step down transformer is an old style door bell transformer. They are listed and one side either has a short pigtail power cord with a plug for 115-120 v and the other side has a screw terminal 2 screws for a nominal 24 V AC outlet

Great video Bill, but I would be remiss if I did not mention a few concerns I have regarding care around mains power. The isolation transformer will offer a layer of protection, but will not eliminate the risk of a 120 volt shock, and the step down transformer assembly you are using is unlikely an approved mains device. It should (minimally) be enclosed, thus blocking fingers from contacting the transformer primary. The concern over these hazards comes from my years of accidentally contacting mains voltages and surviving. As a teenager I survived contact with a 250 volt B supply on an old tube radio. I say survived because I have been one of the lucky ones, and my survival has enabled me to learn respect for electrical power. Anyone wishing to get a start in mains power control should stick with devices like the IOT power bar. At least until they can get certified training.

Great video thank you. Another safe method of controlling mains power that I do is to use 433mhz approved wireless switches and use the rcswitch library and the miniature 433 transmit and receive modules. Capture the codes from the original remote and get the sketch to send them.

Very helpful & informative. I would like to see a video on how to control a high voltage heating element with the Arduino. Maybe auto adjusting using a thermocouple. PWM not PID.

About the isolation transformer at 12 minutes: bathrooms no longer have those. That was like 1970s and earlier. Modern ones have the full 15A in a bathroom but the circuit must be GFCI protected.

It’s great what you are raise topic of safety of AC voltage.

I can't believe I've only just discovered your channel. This is top-notch material. Like & Sub well earned

Great video, I am glad somebody is stressing safety and doing things the right way. I have seen too many videos that have Stressed safety, but do things in a very Unsafe manner. One of which suggested using a 10 amp relay to control a 15 amp DC circuit. Not very safe. Two and to your suggestions, not all relays are created equal. I have seen some very bad Designs, from companies that are highly respected in the open source community. As a result I am Suspicious of everything That they design. Things to look for, isolation slots between the high and low voltage side of the components. The low-voltage control components Should not go beyond this isolation slot. The ground plane should not go beyond the isolation slot. The spacing between the high-voltage contacts conductors should be as wide as possible without affecting the current capacity. This is to help prevent arking. Also: pay attention to the specifications of the relay. Do not exceed the specifications. In fact a cushion of about 25% under the current specifications should be Adhered to. Remember, the relay may be rated at 10 A, but nothing else has been Certified for that rating. Also: the tip for you and others when using a isolation transformer. The ground is normally connected to the earth ground. Not isolated. To fix this use a GFI, connect the ground lead to the isolated neutral side of the plug. The GFI will work properly and be fully isolated. Keep up the good work, looking forward to your next video. Stay safe.

Thanks for introducing me to the IoT Relay. I built a homemade device similar to this. I use it with my computer usb port to turn off 120vac devices when I shut the computer off. I will be replacing my homemade unit with the IoT Relay.

Helpful video. I liked it

Ahh very good explanation of how to connect Arduino safely! Thanks Bill. 👍

Sorry, programmer here. Error in relay code. You are not using the 'thresholdPoint' constant in your activation code.

Great video as always! I have been researching a way to control my pool pumps with an Arduino. Going to do more research on the IoT module you showed.

Quick FYI. We're 100 volt in Japan. Adding to the fun, 50hz eastern Japan (Tokyo), 60hz western Japan (Osaka).

A good solution also is to use 433MHz remote plug with a 433MHz module for arduino...

As far as I know, in the US, we require ground fault interrupt devices in bathrooms, not isolation transformers. But the transformer is a good idea for the shop.

You can watch this is just awesome @DroneBot Workshop

very responsibly tutorials sir.. safety is number one... btw is that possible if i made a fuzzy logic to control an alternating current fans? .. I think to make it as my final project in college. thanks in advance

Great job again, amazing tutorial... there could be feedback in the light-controlled light, it could start flashing

One thing I learned from this video is the word "scads". I've never heard that term used in the UK, so I might see if I can start a trend over here. To be effective, I may need to involve scads of people though.

U.S. Electrical codes require ground fault circuit interrupters on outdoor circuits and other circuits where water is used as in kitchens, bathrooms, and garages. If isolation transformers were required they would have to be big and heavy and expensive to power 20 amp circuits !

Thank you for all your effort! Very informative. I don't miss any of your video

Very very helpful video. Your way in explaining is great . Keep going...

I luv that "ugly lamp"..🤣

Very nice video,great professor

This is exactly what I needed . Thank You !

Excellent tutorial!!

SSR's are very useful noob friendly devices. Just remember that it usually iies about the current rating, and also requires heatsinking.

Have you done a series on how to build your own iot controllers to make your own smart home? Lights, interior and exterior, cameras of the wifi variety that allow you to see in and outside your house while you are away from home, and door/window alarms that notify you of potential break ins. Please excuse the security mindset, many years of Military service, so these are the first steps I'm aiming to accomplish in my father's home.

Thank you, you somehow guess what Arduino projects i want to learn about and now I have great reference information and tutorials now.

Great video. The commercial power board makes things a little bit safer for the hobbyist. 😁

These are wonderful presentations. Many thanks.

8:30 In addition always unplug all AC sources before handling AC wires one had behind your back or in your pocket.

I don;t know if someone mentioned it already. AC transformers only put out the correct voltage at the rated current. If you draw more than the rated current the voltage will be lower, draw less current then the voltage will be higher.

Very well done. I was would like to see a video on using Zero Crossing SSR. How would you use one of these devices using a microcontroller. With Zero Crossing SSR you can use to control the brightness of lights such as LEDs or incandescent lights.

Thank you so much for this. Very good video as usual. Can’t wait for the dimming part :)

Great vídeo. Excelente chanel. from Brazil , thanks a lot

Good lecture, I want to know how to connect my electric motor with the relay and using rf to control it. Thank you.

Hi, could you make a follow up video where you explain how to controll certain AC Devices, like dimming a lamp/motor. And explain what kind of Devices can controlled in wich way and what devices cant be easily controlled ? Would be much apreciated!

As an electrician, I find your tutorial (s) incorporating Arduino- full demonstrations: Sir, Absolutely Brilliant. Thank you for sharing the code too; that's what I am wanting to learn (like everyone else on your Chanel) .. I would love you to demonstrate a stop/start station for an electric 240v pump in parallel with Arduino doing the same. Sincere thanks, Pete

Can you make a video to make a video to make SSR? Or a circuit board using TRIAC to be controlled via ESP32/Arduino.

Great video as always Bill.

Can you please make videos on dimming the AC devices with an Arduino Please

I learned more here than 2 in years of school

You should make a video for the esp32 working with relays over bluetooth control and wifi I would watch that video to

thanks you so much for all the work you put into making such an awesome video !! Its really appreciated :)

Excellent video. Thank you very much for your information. You know how to explain very well. Congratulations.

Excellent safety tips!! Thank you!!

I think maybe you were reading the peak to peak for the transformer and expecting the RMS value instead. It's been a while but I think RMS is equal to p-p value multiplied by .707 which would have gotten about 25 volts RMS

Excellent video, thank you for all the useful information.

Thank you for the great video more inspiration for home projects

Bill, thank you for this wonderful video! You did a great job covering safety and interfacing. Now you need to show a project working with tubes! LOL! Of course, if you could do that and show how to to it _safely_, it could be quite interesting. Thank you for making such interesting & educational videos. (Just curious: Will you be returning to your robot project in the future? Or drones?)

Working on a SSR ATS Arduino driven. Having problem with grid and inverter connecting and blowing up inverter. Either my code or cheap SSRs or both. Need a better explanation on Zero Cross.

I’m surprised you did not mention using arc suppression to protect mechanical relay contacts.

This is great thanks. I was thinking about trying something like this, using the Arduino 4 relay shield, but when I looked closer it seemed that it is designed with relays for DC not AC. Can you advise, are there two kinds of relays, which are different, one type for AC and one type for DC? Thx

Speaking of safety... Those type A mains plugs are a joke when it comes to safety. Yes, I'm from Sweden and we use a plug (Type C round and flat, Type F CEE7/4 and Type E/F )that connects to mains earth before Neutral or Live if they ain't grounded the pins are isolated so it's near impossible to touch a live wire when plugging it in.

Csn you explain the process how you make your wonderful videos - what editing software you use, process.....

I sub because of a ton of good info. I can't find the episode for DC devices controlled by Arduino and solid state relays.

This video will save a lot of live ( both human and microcontrolers) mine included

Why do you call them thrisistor as ooposed to thyristor?

very good proyect

I need to reduce household ac voltage (110/115) to 12 VAC and at least 2.5 amps, Can I do that with Arduino? Thanks

Nice video... I am working on a project of mutual induction using two coils. The source is a signal generator. am trying to figure out how to control the switching on and off of the primary coil using arduino uno. Which device might work well in this situation?

6:45 yeah , I learned that the hard way...

Good explanation. Thanks for the video