I want to make the Power, Reset, Interior Lite and TFT display switches light up in the rig I've been building but I think I've worked myself into a corner because I can't find the switches I need.

This is what the frt panel looks like so far....the clear buttons are what I'm trying to lite up


This is what one of the buttons looks like and shows where I'm going to place the LED. (sorry about the pic's....my photoshop skills s*ck)


So here's my problem...I can't find an on/off switch with a low enough profile to be able to fit the button. The top two switches in the pic are tempory swiches and work just fine. The one at the bottom is the lowest profile (for an on/off switch) I've been able to find and sits too high.


Any help would be appreciated...I'm stuck

Check these out.. Momentary contact tact switches.

http://dkc3.digikey.com/PDF/T061/1369-1375.pdf

Thats all you should need.

Something that size would definetly work but do they make them in an ON/OFF?
Momentary won't work as these swithes will be turning the lights and video display on or off.

i think you're going to have to go with electronic latching mate... mechanical latching is probably not available for that small a travel...

example:
http://www.edn.com/article/CA472837.html

the load in the circuit may have to be a relay to switch the lights or display as the current will be somewhat limited... and you'd have a diode in parallel with coil, reverse polarity, to avoid emf from the relay...

you can probably get the whole latching circuit on an 8-pin chip... so you'd just need the chip, relay, and diode for each switch

Ouch I was afraid somebody was going to tell me that...I guess you can only make a mechanical switch so small and still have it work reliably


Back to the drawing board...I'm beginning to think I'll never finish this thing


How's your fan shroud mold coming along?

You can check out this site, it has a LOT o stuff so you could probably find something. If not i'm sure you'll keep the link anyways loll

http://www.packetradio.com/

well i got a MASSIVE delivery today... 10 panaflo fans, sanding blocks, glasses, goggles, dust mask (and TONS more stuff, like 20 packages haha)... man there's so much stuff here lol... anyway i got the fibreglassing kit... i forgot to get some acetone or cellulose thinners, but i got some cheap single-use paint brushes (like 5 for $1) so i'm just gonna use one of those and start on the fibreglassing tonight

i'm at work tomorrow so i might try and find out who makes a simple "black box" latching module... there's got to be loads of manufacturers that make them because it's such an everyday application...

here's a complete circuit with led indication and relay switching:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/circ/alt1.htm

that's like exactly what you want, it's available as a kit, and if you know someone with an etching kit/machine, then you could swipe the pcb pic and scale it to actual size and have a neat pcb... maybe put multiple circuits on a single board...

[quote=hardnrg,Jan 3 2006, 05:01 PM]
well i got a MASSIVE delivery today... 10 panaflo fans, sanding blocks, glasses, goggles, dust mask (and TONS more stuff, like 20 packages haha)... man there's so much stuff here lol... anyway i got the fibreglassing kit... i forgot to get some acetone or cellulose thinners, but i got some cheap single-use paint brushes (like 5 for $1) so i'm just gonna use one of those and start on the fibreglassing tonight

Don't you just love opening all that stuff.....it's just like christmas when you were a kid....well at least until you get the credit card bill

[quote=hardnrg,Jan 3 2006, 05:01 PM]
here's a complete circuit with led indication and relay switching:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/circ/alt1.htm

Wow, I really appreciate that you think I have the electronic skills to do this (I probably don't) but I think with a little help I might be able to work my way through it because I like the possibilities.
Like I said earlier the whole reason I'm having a problem with this is because I want to lite the buttons.....with this little gizmo not only can I lite the buttons but I can have them change color when they are turned on ( I can use a blue LED that's on all the time and when the red LED turns on I'll have another color...violet? maybe?)

Anyway I can get the materials for the circuit board at any Radio Shack but I'm not sure where to get the relay. Also the kit calls for a 9volt battery to power the circuit but in the instructions says you can use 12volts if you replace C2 (I'm assuming this is a disk type capacitor) with a 50volt version.....so I could power the circuit using my PS right?

Edit: I could have told you that those fiberglass kits never come with enough material......It's looking pretty good so far though

Edit: Hey Kobalt I already put that site in my favorites folder when you gave it to me in the other post

yeah the 12v suggestions adjust the value of the led resistor too, so yup, you could power it off the 12v rail...

you should be able to get a 12v coil relay at radio shack unless it really does suck...
here's one:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...rentPage=family

Jezz you're a wonder when it comes to this stuff!

Ahhh, you're not saying that Radio Shack s*cks.....Are you? (because I would probably agree with you but it's all we got)

my secret is i work at this place: http://www.maplin.co.uk

it's like Radio Shack on steroids lol

Nice place....more like an electronics candy store

Maybe you can try These out. Looks like a possibility.

why not try to buy new LEDS in a set with the kit or something? or even try to take them off an old rig if u ahve any... if i kan find somethign that will fit it ryte i will let u know i have tons of rigs...old comps at home we are scraping

He needs something pretty specific though.