Guarded lever switches

[Galinette]

Hi,

 

I have looked for nice guarded switches for a while, all the models I find are huge, bulky and ugly...   (example)

 

Do you know where I could find some nice ones such as on the Mirage 2000 ? They are super sleek!

 

 

More specifically, where do you find high quality, metal switches?

 

Thanks!

[punk]

I might have some smaller ones, which types are you looking for? on/off, on/off/on, etc.? Do you have switches or do you need them as well? Large toggle actuators will not fit them. PM me and I will try to find where I put them and let you know if I have any you need.

 

Salute,

[molevitch]

I 3d print the guards and use a variety of toggles, mostly from eBay, including Russian Soviet era models.

[PickleMonster]

Those style of switch covers are made by a company called APEM, but they're not cheap (~$60).  Microhelis.de however make a clone (which I think is 3D printed?) for about 1/4 of the price, and even come with a switch built into the cover for toggling a cover in the sim.

[Galinette]

Hi,

 

Thanks for replies!

 

@molevitch

Do you have an example of ebay stuff? I tried looking for "guarded switch" but couldn't find anything interesting besides usual cheap plastic stuff.

 

@PickleMonster Thanks, I'll definitely have a look!

(Edit : ah yes, mouser have them,  51€...)

(Re-edit : thanks for the microhelis tip, I didn't know that website! They seem to have a lot of interesting stuff!)

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by galinette

[Galinette]

By the way, how do you detect cover opening? I have seen the Virpil Approach, it's a good idea for a cheap&quick implementation, but it's not fully convincing as you replace a permanent switch by a temporary switch, and the two springs fighting together seem a not so robust option.

 

I have thought adding a small push button on the rear, but maybe you have some recommendations?

 

Thanks again!

[molevitch]

1 hour ago, galinette said:

By the way, how do you detect cover opening? I have seen the Virpil Approach, it's a good idea for a cheap&quick implementation, but it's not fully convincing as you replace a permanent switch by a temporary switch, and the two springs fighting together seem a not so robust option.

 

I have thought adding a small push button on the rear, but maybe you have some recommendations?

 

Thanks again!

I used a hall sensor mounted discretely behind the guard cover pivot, and a tiny magnet mounted in the back of the guard-cover. Flip up the cover, the Hall sensor signals to the Arduino and on to DCS. Same when the cover is closed.

Also, my guards have no springs in them, but I designed the pivot point to have a notch in the shape of a cross and the cover to have a pin and bar. The springiness of the cover’s sides engage that bar in the notches, when the cover is either horizontal or vertical, closed or open.

 

i bought some of those “missile switch” with covers. Trouble is, the closing cover turns the switch off. Useless. I tried drilling some out to accommodate the toggle lever. Not much better. Threw the covers in the bin, designed my own. Now look like the real things.

Edited December 3, 2020 by molevitch

[CorporalCarrot]

I've not engineered my own solution to this problem yet, as I have not got to the panels in my build which require a sensor on the switch cover.  I've seen Romeo Kilo's solution on his YouTube channel get over this by using a 3-postion toggle switch, using the cover to spring the toggle into the 3rd position when closed.  Some people have used tactile switches to detect the postion of the switch cover.

 

Personally, I'm more likely to go with a hall effect sensor.  This specific model detects the presence of a magnetic field, and works effectively as an on-off switch.  You can get really small Neodymium magnets these days, which could be embedded in the switch cover (if 3D printed) and provide a contactless method of sensing the switch cover position.

[CorporalCarrot]

You beat me to it, Molevitch XD

[molevitch]

Here is a pic of the first prototype. It works, I will probably swap it out when I feel like it! (This was hand made from plastic-card, before I got the 3D printer....)

 

[LASooner]

I use a refrigerator light switch



Not elegant, but it works. It's actually signaling a button press until the guard goes up.  This is used for my Tomcat ACM panel.

[Galinette]

On 12/3/2020 at 12:50 PM, CorporalCarrot said:

I've seen Romeo Kilo's solution on his YouTube channel get over this by using a 3-postion toggle switch, using the cover to spring the toggle into the 3rd position when closed. 

Yes, this is the VIRPIL approach. I'm not a fan of this one, the switch spring fights the cover spring, and it feels wobbly and unrobust.

[Deadman]

use a mil spec switch(MS 27734-23)it works fine. you can find them on eBay on off (on). I gave the solution to Hansolo and he posted it for all in his thread where RK found it 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Deadman