Buckpuck switch question

[Arm on Fire]

I am planning on a 2 700ma buckpuck setup driving a red-o III in my next saber. is there any load (amps) on the on /off switch? the ratings on the switchs i wanted to use are 0.2 amps @50 vdc and 0.1 amp @ 40 vdc..... please help o electrical guru's.

[Arm on Fire]

I had hoped that someone would know this, i got to thinking that maybe i should rephrase the question in hopes some one will respond....

Is there any load (Ma or amps) requirements on a on/off switch when using buck pucks?
i know the buckpucks (2@700Ma) will be puting out 1400ma to the LED but does that load travel thru the switch or is the switch just a contact that opens another circuit like a relay inside the Buck puck?

[Ghostbat]

While I have no useful math to give here, I am pretty sure that it would take you actual effort to find a switch that -couldn't- handle the amps you are moving here. Likely you could cook some tiny surface mount switches but if it's big enough to mount in a saber you are probably fine.

Anyone who knows better please feel free to correct me here.

[Dregan]

Any current going to the LED via the puck is going through the switch first, although it may not always be expressed the same way. The only exception to this is if you use a relay controlled by a switch, in which case the switch only carries the relay activation current. It does not sound like that's what you're doing here, though.

Try thinking of your components in similar terms. Your switch is good for about 10 watts of throughput, your LED going to pull slightly more than half that (5.18 watts @ 1400 mAh) and add about 15% to make up for what's dissipated in the puck, and you're up to 5.957 watts. You're still good.

(I know, pucks are very efficient, but depending on input voltage, there *could* be signifigant dissipation, so I padded that 15% arbitrarily as a general precaution)

[Novastar]

Dregan, great comment...

In other words, Arm... you should be just fine. MOST switches can handle what we're doing current-wise and heat-wise.

I'd only begin to worry once we start throwing around 2 to 5 amps... if we ever cross that bridge so-to-speak. It's doubtful any LED will go that route until 2010 or further along the "technological" line though.

[Arm on Fire]

Thanks guys

[Wu-Li Ruwashii]

Good question AOF. I had wondered this myself when browsing through switches at the local RadioShack. I definitely want to go smaller and less obtrusive switches on the next saber. Thanks for the great info once again guys!