Embedded Files
These buttons were made by GAL and were found on installs in the 50s and 60s. The buttons themselves do not light up, but the call buttons sometimes have a little "in use" or arrow light. These buttons are mounted to the back box, so both the box and the plate are required for these to be complete.
Restoring a GAL Black Button Call Station
In this project, I rebuild this call station that is in pieces. This came off a Shepard elevator, and my guess is it was one of the last installs by Shepard before being bought out. This project required me to build a custom box to hold the buttons and plate, and wire the button to light up the arrows.
How to Wire Older GAL Black Buttons
This video shows you how to wire up older GAL black button fixtures. These buttons are fairly simple to work on as you don't need any complicated circuits or special parts. Below I have listed three different cases which show some common setups I have seen with GAL buttons.
Info about the circuits:
Each button is a little different. I've seen multiple different types of lamp sockets used, so choose a lamp or LED that fits appropriately.
VCC is the positive of your voltage source, GND is the negative of your voltage source.
If you are using an incandescent bulb or an appropriately rated LED for your circuit, you do not need a resistor as shown in my circuits. Simply use the lamp's voltage as your source voltage (VCC) and connect a wire where the resistor is.
If you are using a regular LED (no resistor included with it), you will need to add the resistor(s) as shown in the circuit. Use my simple resistor calculator below to determine the appropriate resistor to use (The resistor allows you to control the amount of current going to the LED so you don't burn it out).
Resistor Calculator:
This resistor calculator will give you a resistance value based on your inputs.
- The general current range for an led is between 12mA to 20mA. The higher the current, the brighter the LED.
- LED voltage drops vary depending on the color with red being 1.7-2.0V and green being 3-3.3V.
- Check your LED datasheet for official values, though these ranges should work.
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