Cheap as dirt switches

[ExpAnonColin]

http://www.electronix.com/catalog/default.php/cPath/1_239/page/1/sort/4a

I was randomly googling for cheap SPST mini toggles, and I found this.  Best price I've found-34c for a mini DPDT, normally those go for a dollar at the cheap end, even on ebay.

-Colin

[Peter Snowberg]

Those prices are pretty aweome. Thanks for posting the link!

I just wonder what the quality is. I'm pretty sure they would be perfect for DIY, but I wonder how they would stand up to kicking. I plan to get some for trial use pretty soon. They may be making up for the cheap switches with expensive resistors (at least 5000% markup)

As I babble along... I wonder if wrapping a band of several turns of #14 or #12 copper solid uninsulated wire around cheap switches is in any case enough to make an otherwise failure prone switch info a reliabe one?

Take care,
-Peter

[ExpAnonColin]

Well, some of the ones I ordered from futurlec melted a bit.  That's the biggest horror story I can give.  Otherwise, it's hard to have really bad switches.  I hope these aren't.  C&K are a fav of mine...

-Colin

[petemoore]

SPST applications don't tend to disable the effect, even if they break, well not like where you'd be using DPDT's, just adding cap and resistor values usually won't kill an effect entirely, and there are ways to wire them so their resistance is greater than the path a knob turned a certain way provides.
 I got all that were left of some ckearance cheepo ok plastic pushbutton SPDt's, [pretty sturdy looking so far] they're nice to have, for putting preset volume, frequency or  gain boosts on existing builds that you already really like.
 A preset boost/cut switch like this on the BLackfire makes a really nice stage lead button to hit, altering the gain only marginally, but the volume marginally, or whatever it's preset for !!! All that for 15-20 miuntes work and well less than a buck.
 I have these Teac DPDT [2X DPDT actually] with big toggles on them, and they work quite well, I haven't had to use pulldowns on the pedals they're in...partially a function of the cap, but the switches are smooth,...I have swithes that are noisey when used, and of course ones that failed soon'.
 The little dinkers seem prone to 'overthrow' when pushed just a little too hard, the case comes loose or apart [or the toggle breaks off on one].
 for the adventurous switcher I have a suggestion...wrap the body where the clamp tabs hold it together in epoxy, perhaps add some type of core or fiber wrap first...that'dd probly hold the body together under increased stress...
 You can make a momentary SPST pretty easy [comparitively] and very reliable...wrap the wire ends to the handle of a clothespin...add and adjust materials and construction techniques to taste...perhaps a limited throw plunger through the top of the box pushing/not pushing the dedicated contacts together.

[Chico]

Colin:

Thanks for the great tip.  Much to my suprise and slight embarrasment :oops: , I come to find that Electronix is located about 30 minutes from where I live in Dayton.  I never knew it existed.

I am planning a trip over there next week to pick up some switches.  I will let you all know how they work out.

Thanks again

Tom

[ExpAnonColin]

Tom-
Let me know if you find anything else of audio-DIY-interest as well.  I'm considering buy a few tools from the site, and maybe even that cool as heck nintendo repairs here banner.  Seems like a very odd eclectic collection of stuff, though.

-Colin

[Paul Marossy]

I really hate it when the switch melts when you are soldering it up!  :evil:
I guess the trick is being quick. I've really only melted those 3PDT switches, though. (just once, but that was enough)

Anyhow, that stuff sure is more reasonably priced than the stuff off-the-shelf at RadioShack. They charge like $3.00 for one sub-mini toggle switch!

[petemoore]

Prepare your lead to be soldered to the switch lug by stripping off more insulation than you'll need, exposing about 3/4'' of bare wire.
 Put the tip of the soldering iron near the insulation, with the tip of the wire facing down, and get solder melting all the way down the de-insluated wire end, and see if you can't get a relatively 'fresh' solder [small] blob at the end of the wire. Work with a couple tries it's easy.
 take the blobbed end, hold it against the pretinned switch lug [you should be able to quickly tin the lug withought melting the switch, remembering adding the solder quickly as soon as it beging melting has a cooling effect you can use if you add it quickly, then pull the iron off],
 Anyway touch the two pretinned ends [lug and wire], together and clamp the wire between the iron tip and the lug for a short time, you'll see them merge into one blob real quick, and should only have to add heat for about two seconds for this to occur.
 Another way is wrap the bared end neatly around the sw lug, add heat to the wire only while adding cool solder there to reduce max. temp...pull the iron as soon as the solder 'grabs' the lug. This method is nice because the iron heat is 'padded' by having to go through the wire, also partially negated by the cold solder absorbing the high temps.
 Timing is everything, these methods work well.

[Hal]

OH HAHAHAH

I was wondering how you could melt a switch...DUH SOLDERING!


I was like "How much current did you try to run though it....and why?!"

[ExpAnonColin]

I bought some.  Shipping was $7. Order was 17 bucks shipped, and I bought 20 switches, 8 clips, the pliers, and 2 1/4->1/8" adapters.

-Colin

[zenpeace69]

Those prices are pretty aweome. Thanks for posting the link!

I just wonder what the quality is. I'm pretty sure they would be perfect for DIY, but I wonder how they would stand up to kicking. I plan to get some for trial use pretty soon. They may be making up for the cheap switches with expensive resistors (at least 5000% markup)

As I babble along... I wonder if wrapping a band of several turns of #14 or #12 copper solid uninsulated wire around cheap switches is in any case enough to make an otherwise failure prone switch info a reliabe one?

Take care,
-Peter

Hey Colin,  I think I am going to be putting in an order with you in thenext couple weeks.  When will you be getting pots in?  Will you be getting mini-pots?  How much do you think they will be?

thanks

[zenpeace69]

Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask you.  I forgot the password for my username "zenpeace69" on your Experimentalistsanonymous forums.  How do I go about getting that password?  Is there any way you can reset it?

thanks

[ExpAnonColin]

Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask you.  I forgot the password for my username "zenpeace69" on your Experimentalistsanonymous forums.  How do I go about getting that password?  Is there any way you can reset it?

thanks

E-mail me about this stuff-I'll let you know your password and whatnot.  I have to take the pots stuff of the site, the order fell through, the pots were no good.

-Colin

[ExpAnonColin]

They're out of switches so my order is delayed.  I hope none of you pedalbuilder lurkers stole my newfound stash!   :x

-Colin

[smallbearelec]

The cheap ones I've seen all suffer from that problem of intolerance of soldering heat. I could carry them, and I will not.

The ones I prefer are those that Mouser calls Mountain Switch. I think some of the ones at RS are also this make. It took me awhile to figure out that these are Miyama ("Miyama" = "Mountain" in Japanese?) parts. Good quality, but god-awfully expensive. I found a Japanese distributor who will sell them to me in bulk and have bought a bunch. Can't lower the small quantity prices yet, CAN now offer the same bulk prices that Mouser does. Will update the commercial price list ASAP.

Regards
Steve D

[ExpAnonColin]

I got some of these in the mail a while back and forgot to post.  It's not too bad, they won't melt unless you have your iron on some ungodly temperature.  Certainly worth the price.  Going to order some pushbuttons now...

-Colin

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

("Miyama" = "Mountain" in Japanese?) parts. Good quality, but god-awfully expensive.

Apparently it means "Beautiful Mountain", note that the logo of a pair of 'M's overlapping is like a mountain range, no coincidence??