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Replacing Magnet for door switch

Plummit

Well Known Member
I have started getting false "Door open" indications on my PFD. The problem was traced to the reed switch magnets which are very weak. I had already purchased a new door switch kit from Vans which came with new, much stronger magnets, magnets. Has anyone changed the magnets in the door pins and how did you remove the old magnets?

-Marc
 
May be a pain to dig them out of the pins.. maybe consider making a mechanical switch instead. Probably a couple of bucks at digikey. Just need to make an adjustable holder.
 
Yes Larry, that (the mechanical switch) is what we plan to do. I was hoping to not have to reinvent the wheel, but those magnets are epoxied in. You can't drill them (at least not easily).

-Marc
 
Thanks Carl, I'll check to see if I already have those installed. The strike plates are there, so maybe the builder installed the kit. Otherwise, I doubt I'll try to install them on my finished door.

-Marc
 
We ended up replacing the magnetic switches with mechanical switches and so far they are working great! Bruce Hill found them on Mouser and he used some double-sided mounting tape to install them. I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff as "servo tape" that I used to use on RC aircraft.

Thanks Bruce!

-Marc
 
We ended up replacing the magnetic switches with mechanical switches and so far they are working great! Bruce Hill found them on Mouser and he used some double-sided mounting tape to install them. I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff as "servo tape" that I used to use on RC aircraft.

Thanks Bruce!

-Marc

Do you have a specific make and model of the mechanical switch you used?
 
Do you have a specific make and model of the mechanical switch you used?

Sorry I don't have that on hand but I will get it for you. I'll also take a pic of the front switch. I do know that Bruce bought a "left" and "right" (or fore and aft) switch for the different positions. Stand by.

-Marc
 
I wish I had taken a photo...
The microswitches are just standard size. They have both Normally Open and Normally Closed connections. I got the ones with the .25" connectors and the long lever. There is no right/left. They are all the same, but are mounted differently. I made some 1/4" aluminum spacers to sit under the switches so they would stand off from the side skin enough to hit the door pins. I drilled and tapped the spacers for some AN515 5/8" 4-40 thread screws to mount the microswitches. The spacers are attached to the side skins with 3M VHB tape.
I mounted a left side lever and a right side lever for the front/back pins. The long lever on the switch can be bent/adjusted by hand to make sure it gets switched closed when the pins touch. The switches can be easily removed if they ever break by just unscrewing them from the mounts. The mounts can be removed if needed by just slicing the mounts off of the VHB tape.
 
Photos

Here are the pics of the switches Bruce installed. These photos are from the starboard door, both front and back.

-Marc

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20210620_112156.jpg

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Having repaired the switches I changed the pre-takeoff check list. Now in addition to "Doors locked, buttons out" (referring to the buttons you have to push to unlock the doors), I first verify the warning annunciation work on the panel and extinguishes when the doors are locked:

-Marc
20210620_101128.jpg
 
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