Carling Contura Lighted Switches and VPX

I recently purchased some Carling Contura switches to use with my VPX. The VPX requires a ground signal and the contura switch wiring diagram shows positive going to the switched side. I thought, "no problem, I'll just run the current for the lighting in the other direction". I had a moment of panic when I was testing the lighting prior to wiring them up and I remembered that the D in LED is diode. I took one switch apart thinking that I would just reverse the LEDs, but one try at that convinced me that it was not going to be an easy task. However, when I had it apart I realized that all I had to do was rotate the top portion of the switch body 180 degrees and that would put the switch portion on the negative side instead of the positive side. The LEDs now work correctly with a negative signal on the switched side

I found this http://www.thehulltruth.com/marine-electronics-forum/346417-replace-bulb-led-contura-switch.html, but the new switch internals are slightly different so be very careful when taking it apart and make sure you have the terminal side down to avoid spilling out all the springs, resistors and contacts.

A Lot of work

I spent a lot of time trying to get the Contura switches to work properly (both LEDs) with the VPX. As of now, mine do not, but I know how to make it work.

In short you need to buy the specific configuration of lighting and switch positions from Contura to make it easy. Generally you want double pole, double throw switches with independent LED lighting. Most supplies will not stock that configuration but as you discovered you can take them apart and make that configuration.

Finally, if you take them apart realize that some of the parts in there are resistors to make the LEDs work properly with 12V. If you omit them you'll be pushing too much current through your LEDs.

Contura switches

I have all Contura switches in my -6. I was tempted at first to use the diode fix, but wasn't comfortable with it. What I did was use the two parts of the switch separately. The ground from the lower portion goes to the proper location of the device on the VPX, and the LED is controlled by a spare output that comes on with the switch. Works like a charm, and has no chance of damaging the VPX. The switches I bought are separate already.

krwalsh said:

I spent a lot of time trying to get the Contura switches to work properly (both LEDs) with the VPX. As of now, mine do not, but I know how to make it work.

In short you need to buy the specific configuration of lighting and switch positions from Contura to make it easy. Generally you want double pole, double throw switches with independent LED lighting. Most supplies will not stock that configuration but as you discovered you can take them apart and make that configuration.

Finally, if you take them apart realize that some of the parts in there are resistors to make the LEDs work properly with 12V. If you omit them you'll be pushing too much current through your LEDs.

Click to expand...

I found that finding the exact configuration that I wanted was very difficult, but I learned a few very important things along the way.

First, the resistors in the new switches are inline with the springs so they are very easy to move around without messing with the actual led. This made taking the front off and rotating it very easy to do.

Second, all the switch tops are identical so if you can't find the switch type with the color you want, you can buy the right switch type and then just swap out the front with another switch type that has the color leds you want. I only had to do this for the flap switch because I wanted (on)-off-on and I could only find it with white incandescent bulbs

Rotating the front works great for the SPST switches if you want the negative side to be switched and still have the LEDs work and saves you from having to find DPDT switches

Totally Custom

I ended up re-wiring all of the internals of mine. That way, all the LEDs are the colors I wanted, and I had NewWire do custom switch tops. They came out sweet!

Some switches had to be wired to pull to ground for the VP-X, and others drive devices directly (downstream of a VP-X circuit).

So, it can absolutely be done, but based on the effort (I custom drew all of my graphics), and the price of the switches, actuators, LEDs, etc. I would not do it again. But for now, I really like the results.

I should be clear that for rotating one half to work with SPST switches you need top and bottom LEDs. Otherwise the LED will end up on the end with only one terminal