Switch question

[james3]

Red button to go on your switch, and please no more banging of your head on the wall, my pictures fell and one of the frames broke.





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[Do-Clo]

Hey James where is that knob in Lowes, I haven't seen that one and I thought I have been through everthing at Lowes.[]

Do-Clo
Brotherhood of the Sith

Don't make me destroy you...

[Zhi-don]

On Sunday's Lightsaber training class, Jedi Loreen and I discussed this switch situation. Both of us have used the switch I described above and prefer it over all the others. There is nothing more distracting than dueling and having your saber blade wink out when you accidently brush across the button. Once we had replaced these switches with ones that do just the opposite we were much happier. We are going to see if we can make a deal with the company that makes them, so we can offer them to Tim and others who make sabers. The problem is that we probably have to make a minimum order to get them. We think it's worth it. Most of you use the standard latching switches. If you touch the button with the saber off, nothing happens. If you do that with switch latched down and the saber on, the blade goes out. These new switches do just the opposite. Touch the button lightly and the blade lights up. Latch down the switch and the blade is on, touch it lightly and nothing happens. The only drawback I can find is if you lay your saber down on the switch. The saber blades lights up and could drain the battery. Solution. Use the rubber button covers that Tim sells. Then just touching it won't turn on the saber, you would have to press harder to get it to turn on.
More updates on this soon.

Zhi-don Aquintas
XO RL Sunrider Base
Treasurer/Head Instructor
Lightsaber training OCSWS

[james3]

Do-Clo sorry I missed your question. I get these in the drawers of small parts and screws. This last batch I got from Home Depot but I am pretty sure I have picked them up at Lowes as well, if not Home Depot does have them in red, black, and white.

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[SilentBob501]

Well heres a full on noob question, I think I generally understand the difference between momentary and latching/on,off. But correct me if im wrong. A momentary switch needs to be held down in order to make it work right?

[james3]

If you are using a momentary switch as a dead mans switch then yes it would need to be kept down as long as you wanted it activated. Most of the time it is just used to activate/deactivate the board it is attached too ala hasbro lightsabers.


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[SilentBob501]

dead mans switch??

[xwingband]

dead man's switch = when you pull your hand off of the switch it turns off. Hence if you died or dropped the saber it wouldn't stay on.

Otherwise James is correct. If all it needs is a momentary then it only takes one push. If you are using a momentary in a latching situation it gives the above "dead man's".

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[Novastar]

I know this post is old, but I'm finally getting used to posting on TCSS...

A momentary button can come in many forms, as does a latching... but... in general:

* Latching is you must press and LOCK the switch into position--it does not "touch" on or off. Further, any sudden loss in battery voltage/connection will obviously shut it off... BUT IF THE CONNECTION RETURNS IT'S BACK ON AGAIN! (important)

* Momentary is you depress the switch slightly or a lot... and it comes on. Depress the switch slightly or alot again... and off it goes. Further, any sudden loss in battery voltage/connection will obviously shut it off... BUT IF THE CONNECTION RETURNS IT WILL NOT COME BACK ON AGAIN!

Now how would this be applicable to sabers? Battery packs often have springs. The radio shack ones have WEAK springs...

If you bang your saber into something--at a level your eyes cannot even witness... the battery springs can (briefly) pull away from any battery in a pack. Especially the Radio Hack ones.

This will COMPLETELY kill a momentary saber.
This will BRIEFLY kill/cycle a latching saber.

If you think about it--it makes sense... a basic basic clash sensor (like the Yusan digital one in an MR)... is just a spring surrounded by a metal cylinder. When vibration occurs, the spring "whips" back and forth... and completes a connection for a second or so. Then it returns to position.

This is how the MR detects collision. It's either on or off. Much like the springs in a battery pack.

So, the moral is... know WHY your saber blinks out--if you're using a spring batt pack... if you're using momentary... latching, etc.

*WHEW*

[elrond.406]

dead mans switch??

Example: Deadman's Detonator. we use them as a last resort.