"Jeff" my last name @fidnet.com wrote...
I have a 12v DC linear actuator, it just has 2 wires coming from the
motor.
If I connect the red wire to the positive terminal of the battery and the
black to the negative, the motor extends. When I reverse the wires the
motor retracts. The motor draws about 5 amps. Pretty straight forward
even
for an electrical dummy like me :)

I have a grip for my control stick that has a 3 position switch to control
this motor. It is an ON-OFF-ON SPST switch that is capable of about 2
amps.
So I went down to Radio Shack and bought a DPDT 12v relay part number
275-218. Here is the Radio Shack web site for this relay:
http://www.radioshack.com/searchsku.asp?find=275-218

I need some help wiring the thing up so I can use my motor. Which wires
go
where? Did I get the right kind of relay?

You'll need 2 relays, one wired to each side of the ON of the switch... If
you could replace the switch with a DPDT of proper amperage, you could do
without the relays. Routing large enough gauge wire up the control could be
a problem though...

Wiring is pretty straight forward, keep in mind that you need to reverse the
polarity to the motor...

If you were to use a DPDT CENTER OFF switch you'd do it like this:

1I I2
Battery + 3I I4 -
Motor + 5I I6 -

Run a jumper from 1 to 6 and another from 2 to 5. The battery positive runs
to 3 and negative to 4. The actuator moter is hooked to 5 and 6. Reverse the
polarity or switch position as need be to get the actuator movement in the
desired direction...

Using the relay works the same way, you'll be using 2 NORMALLY OPEN
terminals on each relay, run 2 jumpers from the commons to your battery
inputs, run another 2 jumpers from the NO terminals of each relay (use the
ones across from the commons you used) reverse the polarity across the
jumpers on one relay. Strap one side of the coils of each relay to ground.
Take the other side of the coils to each of your control stick switch
points, wire the common of it to the battery positive. Be sure to use proper
gauge wire on the load wiring and its supply, be sure to fuse/breaker the
switch supply as well as the positive supply for the load feed into the
relays, to avoid meltdowns from shorts in motor or wiring...

For the legals, "I cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the
information supplied above"...