Osgeld:
I have no idea what sort of voltages/amperage I would be dealing with
I suggest you find out with a basic multimeter
I have previously tried to find a voltage with a multimeter (primary to case) but I was getting around 1 volt or so. I wasn't sure if that was a reading or just interference
Unfortunately I don't own an oscilloscope, so no dice there :
I will see if I can do a little more work with the multimeter to find some info
Although from what I've read, assuming the current is low (<500ma) and the voltage on the first stage is low (I would assume it to be so) I should be able to use a transistor (like a 2n2222) in place of the switch, right?