can this be done?

[chrisatpsu]

i want one of my light elements to be controllable from 2 diff sources...

I have a string of C7 lights that i want to line the walkway to my house.
i want it to be controlled by a SSR4 channel, but I also want to be able to turn it on from one of those wireless remote controllers you can get from walmart.

i was thinking of  pluging the c7 string into a spt wire extension cord using vampire plugs. but have two inputs...  one input plugged into the wireless controlled recepticle, and the other connected to the channel output of the SSR4.

if i ensure that the hot from both inputs match, and the neutrals match (so i dont create a direct short) would this work?

also if i did do this, could i damage the SSR4 from power being applied to the channel while the SSR4 is expecting it to be off?

Additional info.
both inputs would be from the same circuit of the circuit panel.
I don't plan on dimming this channel, just off and on.

[trekster]

you could do it with a double pole double throw switch.

[rm357]

If you use a dpdt 120vac relay for that swich and use the remote to activate the relay, you can connect the common terminals to the string, the nc to the ssr4 and the no to 120v. If you put the relay in a bigger box with the ssr, you could get away with a spdt relay and only switch tne hot.

RM

[tbone321]

Although it's been a while, from what I remember triacs really don't care which of it's main terminals see's 120V so you "could" do that but there are some concerns.  First of which is that the two power sources MUST BE IN PHASE with each other.  That would mean that they need to be driven from the same source and the hot and common need to be correctly connected on both units.  This woud probably require a polarised plug and not all vampire plugs and sockets are.  Another issue would be that somewhere along the line you would have power being supplied to this configuration by a male plug and this is always a dangerous situation.

I would go along the line that RM357 suggested and use a 120V DPDT relay.  I would connect the SSR4 to the normally closed contacts and connect the Wallmart remote the the normally open side.  Then I would connect the relay coil to the normally open side as well.  This way when the remote turns on, it will both supply power to the NO contacts of the relay and energize the relay at the same time switching it to the NO contacts supplying power to your string.  When the remote turns the power off, the relay will also turn off and return back to the NC position returning control to the SSR4.

As far as a housing, I would buy an outdore electrical outlet housing and the outlet to go with it.  They have more than enough room for the relay to lay in the bottom beneith the outlet.  You could then tie the relay output to the outlet in the box and run 2 120V input cords to connect to the remote and the SSR4.  This way you have a stand-alone unit that will switch between the SSR4 and the remote and will still allow the SSR4 to dim if you want it to when it is in ontrol.