Dual-remote switch instructions

Why limit yourself to one tube when you can use two?!

I've been experimenting with two light-painting tubes in the past few years, but managing one tube in each hand, plus the trigger, felt limiting because I couldn't turn them on and off easily. Simply put, I didn't enjoy the process.

One day I asked Christian, the DIY king on the team, to prototype a dual-remote switch that could control both tubes with a single button. It worked beautifully. We've created a lot of images with double tubes since then, and this is just the beginning.

Why Use Two Tubes?

Mix colors: Combine two different tube colors in a single exposure.
Combine modes: Use strobe and constant at the same time with a single button press.
Create larger light traces: Paint wide shapes in one pass.
Reduce blur: Shorter painting time for shapes such as circles means less risk of subject movement.

My grip for double tube light painting

Here's a picture of how I hold everything when I work with two tubes. It's slightly bulky to fit within a single hand if your hands are smaller (Hello Kim!), but you can secure your setup by adding rubber bands or hook and loop straps to attach both tubes together.

My grip for double tube light painting

Do you have to butcher your equipment to do light painting with double tubes? The short answer is no. You can absolutely use two independent tubes, leave them on, and paint during the whole exposure time, which we call outpaint. But being able to control both tubes with a single button simplifies the process.

We've had many requests from DIYers in the community, so here are the detailed instructions. Fair warning: this build requires a bit more skill and equipment than our usual projects. If you give it a shot, we'd love to hear how it goes.

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Link Embed Gallery (1 links, 1 cols)

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRGhQGgxK88

Hidden in edit mode to keep the editor stable

Dual-Remote Switch Wiring Instructions

Materials Needed

Two flashlights, each with its pressure switch. We've had good results with the Nitecore P10v2 and Klarus XT2CR PRO.
Soldering iron
Solder
Flux paste
Heat-shrink tubing in two sizes: one for individual wires and one large enough to cover all connections
Wire cutters and wire strippers
Heat gun
Electrical tape, optional for extra insulation

Prepare the cords

Cut each pressure-switch cord about 50 mm (2 inches) from the remote connector end. You can discard one of the two pressure-switch ends.
On one of the cut pressure-switch ends, carefully remove 25 mm (1 inch) of the outer insulation to expose the internal wires. Be careful not to nick the insulation on the individual wires inside.
If the wires are wrapped in foil or braided shielding, cut it away and discard it so only the colored wires remain exposed.

Strip each wire to expose 10 mm (about 3/8 inch) of bare conductor. Work gently to avoid cutting any strands.

Repeat steps 2 to 4 on the flashlight-connector ends of both cords.

Pre-tin the conductors

Heat your soldering iron to 650°F (343°C).
Apply flux paste to each exposed conductor, then pre-tin them with a thin coat of solder.

Solder the flashlight connector ends first

Solder the two black conductors from both flashlight-connector ends together.
Solder the white conductor from one flashlight end to the red conductor from the other, and the red conductor to the white conductor from the other. This cross-wiring enables reverse-mode activation: one flashlight will be in continuous mode while the other is in strobe mode, and pressing the remote toggles them both. If you prefer both flashlights to stay in the same mode, connect matching colors instead: red to red and white to white.

Bend each of the three conductors on the remote or pressure-switch end into a small hook. Do the same for the three joined conductors on the flashlight end. Interlocking these hooks before soldering creates a stronger mechanical connection.

Slide on the heat shrink

Cut a piece of the larger heat-shrink tubing and slide it down the cord on the flashlight-connector end, out of the way of where you'll be working. This will cover all the connections at the very end.
For each individual wire pair you're about to join, cut a piece of smaller heat-shrink tubing and slide it down that wire.

Solder the remote connections

Solder the black wire from the remote to the joined black wire on the flashlight-connector end.
Once the joint has cooled, slide the small heat-shrink piece over the connection.

Repeat steps 13 and 14 for the remaining wire pairs.

Apply the heat shrink

Use the heat gun to shrink the small heat-shrink pieces firmly in place. If any connections remain partially exposed after shrinking, wrap them with electrical tape to prevent short circuits.
Once all individual connections are insulated and cooled, slide the large heat-shrink tubing down to cover everything. Use the heat gun to shrink it into place, sealing the whole assembly.

Voila! Your dual-remote switch is now ready.

The final result

Troubleshooting

Flashlight doesn't respond after wiring? Check each solder joint individually for a cold or incomplete connection.
Unexpected behavior or no response at all? Make sure no bare conductors are touching each other, because even a brief short can cause issues.

FAQ

Getting started

Do you need a dual-remote switch to do double tube light painting? No. You can use two independent tubes and simply leave them on during the whole exposure (what we call outpaint). But a dual-remote switch lets you control both tubes with a single button, which makes the process much more efficient and enjoyable.
Can I control each tube independently with the dual-remote switch? No. The switch fires both tubes simultaneously. If you need independent control, you'll need to use two separate remotes.

Creative possibilities

Can I use two tubes of different colors? Yes! That's one of the main advantages of using two tubes. Combining two colors in a single exposure opens up creative possibilities that are impossible with a single tube.
What happens if I wire the conductors without cross-wiring? Both tubes will operate in the same mode at the same time, either both in continuous or both in strobe.
Can I use this with other tools, not just light-painting tubes? Yes! Any two devices that are compatible with your flashlights could work. We also used it with Blades and Whips so far.

Equipment and compatibility

What flashlight models do you recommend? We've had good results with the Nitecore P10v2 and the Klarus XT2CR PRO. We haven’t tried yet with the Olight Warrior 3s, which has a magnetic pressure switch, so we can’t recommend it at the moment.
Do you need to use two flashlights of the same model for it to work? No. You can mix different flashlight models as long as their pressure switches share the same wire color configuration. What matters is that the internal wiring matches, so the cross-wiring works as intended.
Will this work with any pressure switch, or only specific models? It depends on the wiring inside the pressure switch. We can only confirm it works with the models listed above. If you try a different model, check that the wire colors and configuration match before soldering.
Is the dual-remote switch weatherproof? No. The heat shrink provides basic insulation, but this build is not designed for wet conditions. We'd recommend keeping it dry during shoots.

Building the switch

Do I need soldering experience to build this? Some experience helps. This build is more demanding than our usual DIY projects, so if you've never soldered before, we'd recommend practicing on some scrap wire first.
How long does this build take? Plan for one to two hours if you're comfortable with soldering. More if it's your first time.
Where can I buy the materials? We've linked the flashlight models above. For the rest (soldering iron, solder, flux paste, heat shrink kit, wire cutters and strippers, heat gun), any well-stocked electronics or hardware store should carry everything you need.
Can I adapt this to connect more than two tubes? In theory, yes, but the wiring becomes significantly more complex, and we haven't tested it ourselves. But we might very soon! We'd love to hear from anyone who tries it.