Latching Switch degradation?
My saber uses an SPST Latching TCSS button.
Lately, it's been getting faulty. It doesn't turn on every time I press it, and if I rub my finger across the button, the light flickers about, not always at the brightest.
Just a few minutes ago, the LED turned off completely while rubbing the button.
I'm just wondering if my bezel nut guard has anything to do with this.
"You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing."
-Benjamin Franklin
Standard switch?
Well how long have you had it on the saber, and how much do you use it?
The standard switch is all plastic housed so it shouldn't be grounding.
Take the bezel off and check for stress cracking of the housing around the threaded area. Sometimes if you get the nut a little too tight it can crack the housing and allow a lot of slop into the switch.
It may be that the black button top is coming loose too, I have ran into that a few times with those switches, especially if the saber is used a lot or is subjected to a drop or two.
You may just need to replace the switch.
I've only had the saber for about three months, but I turn it on and off; A LOT.
I mean, a lot. Probably at least 15 times a night. (I think it's very pretty. XD)
I'm not seeing any kinds of cracks in it, but the plastic button on top kind of wiggles around inside the switch housing.
The bezel nut requires me to press the button pretty far and pretty hard, and sometimes at an odd angle.
That's probably the culprit.
Would a switch boot help to prevent this in the future?
"You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing."
-Benjamin Franklin
Not really, It's just the nature of how those switches are constructed. I'm not knocking them, but from time to time they do fail.
Still good general purpose switches.
Personally I don't like the switch boots. but that's just me. They won't really help or hinder either way though.
Oh, yeah. I'm sure the switch itself isn't the problem, it's more on my end.
Do you think I should remove the original switch nut from the switch? I'm using it as a spacer on the interior of my saber.
"You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing."
-Benjamin Franklin
It might help, but more of the shaft will be exposed.
If you're using Tim's aluminum bezel nut on your hilt, you're going to need to keep the original switch nut as a spacer on the interior to prevent the stalk from sticking out past the aluminum bezel.
Maybe you just got a bad switch. I've got one of Tim's latching switches on my saber and it's still working like a charm, and I've had the saber for about a year and a half and put it through all sorts of @$^! (bangs, drops, tosses, having some inconsiderate jerk smacking the hilt against objects to trigger the clash sound...).
I understand your sentiment though about turning on your saber because it's so pretty. I do that with my sabers all the time. Oooooooooo pretty lights and shiny things....haha.
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a Sith gains understanding through power.
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If its the switch iam thinking of then IW ould replace it with this version of the switch.
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/SP...utton-P44.aspx
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. - Albert Einstein
Reaganomics not Obamanomics
I concur. Those switches perform a lot better than just the latching on/off version. They seem to have a better build.Originally Posted by Hasid Lafre
But I have had a couple of each fail on me, and that was just due to the fact that it may have been a QC issue from the manufacturer. thappens from time to time, and is to be expected really. They are mass produced, and they cannot test every single switch that passes through the line thoroughly.
Most manufacturers test batches of the switches after some many run on the line to ensure they work. So it's only natural that a few stragglers may make it out to public sale.
Not much to worry about really, it's not like they cost $100 apiece or anything.
Gundam::
It is Tim's aluminum nut, but I was thinking of removing the switch nut to purposely expose the shaft, so I don't have to apply so much force to the switch.
Pretty, pretty green...
@Hasid/Morbius::
That's a no-go.
I'm not running any kind of sound card, it's a direct drive. I'd rather not have to hold the switch down constantly. XD
"You don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing."
-Benjamin Franklin
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