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View Full Version : Fully electrically isolated double pole single throw momentary-latching switch



Buryaman
11-08-2015, 09:59 AM
first off, i must apologize if i cannot provide images as the lightsaber that sports this particular switch has since been sold off.
yay, more moneys for more sabers. BTW i'm specifically targeting the DIY-ers and budgeteers: the build won't be painful but it's gonna be a blast to see when it actually works.

however, i have been rummaging through the threads and there has been talk of a single throw double pole momentary-latching switch... and quite amusingly got "the look" from various local shopkeepers who had no idea just what in the name of the force i was talking about.

so, looking for them made me turn up empty handed, but i have found a way to make one, albeit being on the ghetto side.

looks like something macguyver would cook up. anyway, here goes: i'll just sketch the images as i go.

first up, the base materials.
--- latching switch
--- momentary switch
--- cyanoacrylate glue (for tack bonding) and good strong adhesive (for me i used marine grade epoxy- that thing is notoriously tough)
--- wires and soldering paraphernalia and some heat shrink


step 1 - get your stuff ready.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/Roberto_Angelo_Cordoba/SWITCH%201_zpszsp9xgbj.jpg

step 2 - pry off the cap of the latching switch so you would see the peg that pushes down inside to activate the switch.

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/Roberto_Angelo_Cordoba/SWITCH%202_zpsldnytax9.jpg

step 3A - depending on the orientation of the switch on your lightsaber, it's best to accommodate the wires going off of the momentary by cutting grooves in both the switch mounting hole and the latching switch itself. i'll explain later why.

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/Roberto_Angelo_Cordoba/SWITCH%203_zpsim2irxgi.jpg

step 3B - solder the wires and fix them with heatshrink. (i used short jumper wires because the idea behind this build was to create a lightsaber that was easy to take apart when something needs fixing)

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/Roberto_Angelo_Cordoba/SWITCH%204_zpsytus6hav.jpg

step 4 - mount the momentary switch on top of the latching peg and fix it temporarily with CA glue. once the CA is dry you can proceed to mount the switch permanently with epoxy. be VERY CAREFUL. the momentary switch can have holes and stuff underneath that need to move to get proper function - luckily the momentary i had had a flat solid underside.

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/Roberto_Angelo_Cordoba/SWITCH%205_zpsjnbotczj.jpg

step 5 - test to see if the wires on the momentary switch are moving. this is the function of the grooves: the wires going to the momentary switch need to have free movement or else the latching will have a hard time unlatching/ latching or the leads on the momentary will snap off due to metal fatigue - this was from experience.

step 6 - add the ornate decorations but be careful where it is bonded to: the momentary's contact pad may be rendered useless by a stray drop of glue.

step 7 - fit it in the mounting hole and you're done.

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/Roberto_Angelo_Cordoba/SWITCH%206_zpsdyjdqnls.jpg

i have successfully used this in two lightsabers now: one, a personal lightsaber and a friend's who wanted his to have sound. i'm running a 12 volt led strip in the kirito and it now has a hasbro mace windu card inside... mine has a hybrid led string - led emitter build using a 6 volt battery (hasbro darth vader sound card is "buffered" from 6 volts with a 1N4001 diode on the red lead) but will probably go back to the 12 volt led strip after the conclusion of these builds. important thing with running high voltage leds is to have electrical isolation from the card - a mistake in the wiring can lead to the great god of grey smoke appearing in your face. =P