REFLECTOR: Switches

[Wayne Lanza]

Hi Kurt,
  We have had an unusual amount of lightning this year and it all seems  
to be hitting at the factory.
For the third time they are replacing hubs apparently destroyed by  
lightning strikes... Velocity is
working on the problem - the same issues that have the web site down  
has the factory network
down too!

  Regarding switches - I must comment. You should understand that for a  
DC application you must
select a switch that has a specified DC rating. Many times you will  
find an AC rated switch that has
as DC rating that is only 10% of the rated AC current. The misuse of  
improperly rated switches is
common and invariably has the same outcome - switch failure... I have  
had to select many different
types of switches for both AC an DC applications and caution you when  
making your selections.

Take for example the power panels that I manufacture, the standard  
panel uses a DC rated rocker
that is good for 15A @28VDC. It is an inexpensive switch and I've used  
about 15,000 of them with
no failures (yet...). For the XL power panel over head control I use  
and expensive AC rated switch
(still good for 2A DC), BUT these little switches don't carry any real  
loads because they are used
to control the relays on the lower half of the power system. Why did I  
do this? Because we liked the
look of the small paddle switches and this method allowed the use of a  
small multi conductor
cable to run up the door beam instead of a wad of high current wires.  
This adds to the system
complexity if hand wired but is not a problem with our PCB based  
systems.

  I suggest that if you can't find a good DC rated rocker (good push  
buttons are even harder to find...)
that you consider using toggle switches. They aren't as pretty as  
rockers but are easy to find with
the ratings that you will need. If you do find a good rocker let me  
know, I'm a data sheet junkie and
like to keep up with everything.

Look out for the lightning!

Wayne Lanza
Composite Design
________________________________________________________________________ 
_______



On Aug 26, 2004, at 7:47 PM, NMFlyer1 at aol.com wrote:

>
> Greetings,
>   
> I thought I saw some lighted, labeled, pushbutton switches in one of  
> my thousand publications. Problem is, I can not find the add now. I'm  
> looking for lighted, labeled panel type, pushbutton switches for my  
> overhead panel (173 elite).  Only my lighting switches will go up  
> there.  The second choice is lichted, labeled rockers.
>   
> Any input on suppliers for these?  I can't call the factory since they  
> have gone home for the day, and guess what?  The Velocity Store is  
> still INOP. 
>   
> Thanks in advance....
>   
> Kurt Winker
> _______________________________________________
> To change your email address, visit  
> http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>
> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 3582 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20040827/2ed95701/attachment.bin