Inertial 'Force Switch'

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

How about an INERTIA switch - with a small weighted plunger set against a light spring that makes contact thus acting as a momentary switch when the wielder makes a quick 'flick of the wrist'/arm

Integrated into the drawing motion it would look almost like a 'Force activated switch' to onlookers.

The limitations would be that it would only work with those types of drivers that use momentary switches.

And it could have a potential downside of shutting OFF the saber during rapid swings UNLESS the driver had some provision against that...

TAAA-DAAA - the new Ultrasabers soundcard/driver requires a 2-second sustained press to deactivate as a 'failsafe' against accidental deactivation when duelling/spinning...this would seem PERFECT for using an inertial switch as described since because of the return spring the acceleration would not hold the momentary switch engaged long enough to deactivate the saber.

And this kind of switch could be mounted seamlessly inside the hilt thus no drilling switch holes required nor protruding buttons.

STREAMLINED sabers!

[Marsupial]

how do you turn off the saber?

I mean, preventing from accidental turn off is one thing, but preventing from turning it off altogether is another.

[Hasid Lafre]

Shake it for 2 seconds?

[Marsupial]

Shake it for 2 seconds?

if this works, then a good saberswing session would as well.

[Hasid Lafre]

Now iam reminded of evil dead.....

strange movie.

[Novastar]

I can only imagine what my storage bag would do when I'm toting around 10+ sabers for a performance or a youth class...

...it'd be igniting sabers left and right with no hope of me shutting them down until I open the bag up, shut them off, and continue on my way... in which case they'd ignite YET AGAIN!! :shock:

Whatever systems are designed, they need to take into account:

1. Easy to turn on/off at an INSTANT'S notice.
2. NOT easy to turn on/off by accident.
3. Tough to damage the switch.

Recessing the switch usually solves all three problems, although the switch type itself is sometimes what makes #3 possible or not.

Another possibility for an "on" is that you must hold down the button AND trigger motion (or a clash?) in order to turn it on... but these kinds of things prevent you from just standing still and powering the sucker on!!

So ultimately, I think we are looking at the Achim's Razor (sp?) thing... all things being equal--the simplest solution is the best.

Recess the switch. Guard it. It worked on Flange v1 (Ryan & Corbin)... and it worked on many sabers that I have constructed alls bys mys lonesomes.

[neophyl]

Occams razor :)

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

This "Ol Canucklehead" must have been having a 'blonde moment' eh? :roll: ...ok y'all can LOL now...I had been trying to figure out how to get an inertia switch to turn a saber ON without turning itself off accidentally every time you swung it and suddenly it struck me Ultras board with its accidental shutoff prevention would 'solve' THAT problem and i just plumb didnt think it ALL the way through :( that that same 'solution' to that one problem brought on another - that you couldnt turn the saber off when you wanted to...DOH!!! :(

So okay Ultra's board isnt the solution for inertial 'force switches' but i'd still like to figure out some way to make a 'streamlined' solution to switches that could be mounted inside the hilt seamlessly...oh well, back to the drawing board eh? :)

[Hasid Lafre]

I still want to give a touch lamp switch a try.

[pockets]

I still want to give a touch lamp switch a try.

thatd be awesome, my friend adrienne has this lamp in her room and if you touch it anywhere metal it turns on /changes brightness / turns off its like a 4 position rotary switch but... no rotary... or switch. it would never work for our application I think but if we could make a small touch switch area as a momentary switch somewhere, somehow, that would be the best solution

[Novastar]

Regarding a saber being able to turn on but also not be easy to shut off... I've given a solid suggestion to Erv for CF which he'll be implementing.

I'll let him reveal it when the time is right. It's not complicated, but will solve the problem very nicely. And no, not the same way Alex has done it, although that is nice too.

The beauty of technology is that there are ALWAYS more ways to do things... more ways to improve.