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Gauging Interest in Custom Engraved Rocker Switches (similar to Aveo RockRack)

majuro15

majuro15

Well Known Member
Hey Everyone,

I along with others have had a horrible time trying to find and purchase the popular Aveo RockRack switches and covers. I am determined to use them on my project and am a guy that just doesn't know when to give up. I need two of them. And I've looked everywhere. They are gone.

I tracked down and spoke with a contact at the original manufacturer of the switches and got some great information. The actual switches are current products and readily available to order. The covers can be purchased with simple on/off labeling or custom laser engraved symbols, similar to what Aveo had.

I'm trying to gauge interest for these as there will inevitably a minimum order, but it may not be as large as you would expect. Since they are laser engraved, there is no start-up cost and the company can do a small run on them. They are checking now if they still have the aviation symbols on file and if they are available to use (not under a non-disclosure agreement, copyright, etc).

I can't make any guarantees this little endeavor is even possible yet, but I'm willing to put in a sizable order and reselling these to folks individually to recover the cost and postage (I don't want to make money, it's not worth the tax ****).

So what are your thoughts, if these types of switches were available still and priced right, would folks be interested?

I should have some more information on Monday/Tuesday so stay tuned and please let me know.

Thanks,

Tim

Mods, if this violates any rules, please let me know and I'll be happy to modify or remove.
 
I'd be interested if there is the possibility of some customization...

Why do you say you can't get the switches? Spruce seems to have them in stock, according to their website?
 
ACS does have a few left, but I went through today and ordered a few spares and they are already out of the red/green and have less than ten of all the others. Most importantly, they do not have the lighting covers pack available, so no landing, taxi, cockpit, etc lighting covers. The other covers are down to less then 10 as well.
FP26052013A00022.jpg

This is a picture of the most common. You can have different colors to backlight the symbol and the same or different color on the bottom bar. There are a bunch of folks who have used them on VAF.

I'm thinking of using the same symbols, as customizing for each person would be beyond the scope of my project and not something Apem would be able to do on a one off scale. Plus folks could just buy the few they need and match them to their current covers.

I'm also working on getting a copy of the drawings so we could just buy the covers and have local shops do the engraving as another option.
 
OK, we need to be more careful in our terminology and parts lists here, as well as ensure that communications with Aveo are included.

First off...the switch *tops* are not colored...it's the switch *bodies* which include the LEDs which are colored red, green, blue, white...so are you saying that the switch *bodies* are unavailable? Because I believe those are a standard APEM part, but I could be wrong. In any case, I'd like to hear from Aveo themselves about their plans for the switch bodies AND the switch covers.

There are other components, too, which are not Aveo-specific...the terminal plug assembly, etc.

I guess what I'm saying is...why do you think that Aveo or its supplier is terminating the product line? If they are, this is important news for many of us, but we're unaware of it...

But if that's the case, then yes, many of us are interested in procuring spare parts.

Thanks for the heads-up...
 
Aveo basically ordered a large number of switch bodies and custom covers that they then sold under the Aveo name. They are manufacturerd by Apem and are a currently produced item, albeit upon ordering so not many just sitting on a shelf anywhere. I've spoken to Aveo and they have no plans of continuing to produce or further develop the switches. Hence why ACS is out of stock and not getting anymore in.

So what I am trying to do is focus on the aviation themed covers for the switches and hoping Apem can point me to a distributer who may have and or keep the switch bodies in stock.

I am waiting to hear back from Aveo as well regarding using the symbols for a production run vs just printing spares.
 
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Aerosport=Carling Contura

The Aerosport switches are manufactured by Carling under their Contura brand. I have about 15 of them in our plane. We laser etched both the labels and the illuminated box with an appropriate icon. It was a challenge to align them all, so I 3D printed a fixture to hold them. Due to the curvature I had to etch each one twice, once for any text on the top and the icon, and once for any text in the middle and the bottom. They come in a number of available circuits, so we used them for progressive taxi/landing switch, progressive nav nav/strobe, etc. they are illuminated by LEDs, and getting them to work with our VPX was a challenge and included come additional circuitry to make it work.
 
Nobody loves me anymore (but still my favorite)...

SWIT-LT-003_X.jpg

(pic complements of Stein)
 
Bill, I have seen the Aerosport switches and they are a nice alternative. My main motivation for this project was the fact I, along with others, already have an investment in the Aveo switches and now just have a few gaps to finish the project. The Aveo switches are a bit different looking and just in my opinion look a bit better (please, no offense meant).

Yes, toggles switches are still loved, but they are so original! Where's the fun in that? Ha!

So I've got more than a handful of folks that would be interested. I hope to hear back tomorrow on some details and will share them as soon as I can.
 
Hi Tim. Just saw this thread. We've been in touch via email. Thanks for taking the initiative for all of us left hanging by Aveo. I'm definitely interested in the landing & taxi light covers! I'm also waiting for a few switch bodies backordered with ACS. Hope that doesn't turn into too much of a gaggle...

Jim
 
Yes, I'd also be interested in buying a batch of blank Apem switches. I had always planned to buy the custom switches from Aveo, but if they aren't carrying them anymore, I'd buy a batch of blank ones and laser engrave them myself as I need them. :)
 
As someone whom is planning his build, I have to say those RockRack are superb.

So, Aveo is not producing them anymore? I would be interested in buying some now, and just holding on to them until I get my build started.
 
On the laser engraving approach, I had previously taken a blank Apem/Aveo switch to a local engraver (throphy shop with laser engravers) and they had difficulty getting the cover to engrave properly. It could just be a limitation of their equipment, but it should be factored in. Having APEM do it might be worthwhile if they are willing.
 
Thanks for the notes, all.

Yes, to clarify, Aveo is no longer producing the RockRack switches (manufactured by Apem) and they are almost out of stock everywhere.

I have talked to at least 10 vendors of theirs who at one time sold them to try and track down spare caps. I've found a couple but not the ones Jim and I need.

The NE is snowed in, so Apem is closed today. I am working with them on doing the covers, but no guarantees. I'm not willing to get into a copyright infringement situation or anything, but don't mind pushing the boundaries to get what a lot of us would like to have!
 
My plan is this:

1. Determine if I can legally use the symbols that Aveo used on the switch covers.
2. Determine if Apem can make the covers in small quantities (small is relative) or find a local shop who can (thanks for the feedback Mark, good to know!).
3. Determine if Apem can sell me or others the switch bodies or suggest a distributor who can.

I'm thinking of trying to keep this somewhat simple regarding the number of symbols if I can do it. I'll try to get a list together and post it here to see if I'm missing anything or if people want something more. Aveo had a lot of random ones that no one used. Keep in mind, if I pull this off, I'd sell them (at cost) individually, so no buying a pack of 10 and only needing 1.

What color LED in the switch bodies would everyone want? I personally used Red/Red, Red/Blue, Red/White, and Red/Green. But that's a lot of combinations. Depending on availability, do folks have a top two or three color combinations? R/R and R/W?
 
I am in for some switches as long as the cost is decent. I haven't fully planned my panel yet, but I could figure out which switches I needed.

I will say that I like having the multicolored leds for the labels which I would wire to a dimmer. Having red for engine/master switches, green for nav/com/efis, and blue for lighting would really be easy to find at night. I would want the second LED to be green or something similar to light up when the switch was turned on.

The icons Aveo used were really classy looking, hopefully there wont be any issues using them.

Have you been able to speak with Aveo to find out why they are discontinuing them, and if they would mind someone else making them?

Someone else posted these guys on another thread here on VAF: http://www.otrattw.com/

And I did find a PDF of the Aveo (including it here just for information): http://www.aerosuppliesinc.com/PDF/Aveo Rock Rack.pdf

Found some more information as well:

Aveo RockRack Brochure: http://16-207.bluehost.com/Aveo RockRack/AVRR-ebrochure.pdf
Connections Diagram: http://16-207.bluehost.com/Aveo RockRack/RockRack_Connections.pdf
Another e-brochure: http://16-207.bluehost.com/images/brochures/AVRR.pdf
Techincal Drawing: http://16-207.bluehost.com/images/AVRRclassic_drawing.jpg
Switch Icons: http://16-207.bluehost.com/images/10packsIconsOct2009.jpg
Panel Mount info: http://16-207.bluehost.com/images/RockRack_Tech Info Large.jpg
 
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The links all have some good info, but a lot of it is outdated or not accurate. Aveo went through three different iterations of these switches, so some have the bottom "status bar" on the covers (to use with a second LED) and some don't.

Aveo wouldn't say why they are discontinuing them, but it's been known for a while now, just poorly communicated to their distributers and customers. That's one thing everyone I spoke to mentioned was their horrible customer service. And I'll agree as it's been difficult to get a hold of them on this and other products they sell. The stuff is just so cool and good looking, I trudge on.

Let me hear back on the symbols and we'll go from there.
 
New Wire Marine

I found this company on a boating website. They do custom engravings for rocker switches. The switches themselves are about $7 each and the custom actuators were $10. Turned out pretty nice. They came with miniature incandecent bulbs and I switched them out with LED's. They are red and blue although my iphone did not pick up the colors well. They are also pretty crisp, the phone also seemed to blurry them a bit.

The man I emailed with is Eric Steel, he was nice and helped me design the switches exactly how I wanted. his email address is [email protected], website newwiremarine.com

I had mine made a couple months ago. Was going to wait until my panel was installed and glowing before showing you guys but this thread beat me to it.

switches+1.JPG


switches+2.JPG


switches+3.JPG
 
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Rick,
Those switches look good. I couldn't help notice there seems to be a fair bit of "leakage" around them though. Have you had them lit in a dark room to see how much leakage there is going to be on your panel?
 
There definately is leakage, but its not too bad with the led's because they are so directional. I am thinking of making a rubber gasket of some sort to put between the switch and actuator to try to block it out. However its really not that bad, its a very soft glow.

I have also hooked them up to a dimmer and that helps almost rid of all of it. I will try to get out my heavy duty camera tonight and take some long exposure images that may better show the beauty of these things.
 
majuro15 said:
The links all have some good info, but a lot of it is outdated or not accurate. Aveo went through three different iterations of these switches, so some have the bottom "status bar" on the covers (to use with a second LED) and some don't.

Aveo wouldn't say why they are discontinuing them, but it's been known for a while now, just poorly communicated to their distributers and customers. That's one thing everyone I spoke to mentioned was their horrible customer service. And I'll agree as it's been difficult to get a hold of them on this and other products they sell. The stuff is just so cool and good looking, I trudge on.

Let me hear back on the symbols and we'll go from there.
Click to expand...

I have a bunch of Aveo products on my aircraft, including the LED nav/pos lights and all switches, plus the dome light and directional light. They look *really* good, and get a lot of compliments. I have noticed, however, that the switchtops are a little susceptible to scratching (I have one that I've replaced because someone's nail scratched it and exposed the white underneath the black).

I did order extras of about everything when I got the switches, though, because it wasn't clear to me that either the company or the product would be around in the distant future and I didn't want to redo the panel. Fortunately, it seems that so far only switches are being discontinued, as they continue to develop, produce and sell many styles of lighting systems.

But, as you said, their customer service is *terrible*. Tracking down a back-ordered dome light at one point took numerous emails and way too long for a response. That plus their stupid way of selling the switchtops as groups of 10 (many times only 1 or 2 of which is needed) was irritating.

If you can get custom switchtop engraving, I know one I'd like for sure...flaps. Right now, I'm using just an up/down arrow and an (ON)-OFF-(ON) green-green switch bottom, but I'd like one with the word and a symbol for flaps (it's the only unlabeled thing on my panel).
 
RV7A Flyer said:
If you can get custom switchtop engraving, I know one I'd like for sure...flaps. Right now, I'm using just an up/down arrow and an (ON)-OFF-(ON) green-green switch bottom, but I'd like one with the word and a symbol for flaps (it's the only unlabeled thing on my panel).
Click to expand...

The company I used can create pretty much any design you like in a line-art form. That's how I was able to get the RV silouette for the light switches.
 
Rick,those switches look great! I'll shoot you a PM for some more details. Maybe we can get him some more business! Too bad they aren't LED, but it's certainly another good option.

I'm still waiting a response from Apem. If I don't hear anything tomorrow I'll call Monday to get some details.

RV7 flyer, you're exactly right in regards to their customer service. Although the new Florida office has been better to work with, they have a big reputation gap to fill. They are focusing on their lighting products with some amazing products out. Another reason why they are not dabbling in the switch market I guess. I plan on using their new ZipTips on my ten and am on the short list for a set.
 
majuro15 said:
Too bad they aren't LED, but it's certainly another good option.
Click to expand...


The switches I originally purchased were not LED, but the brand is Carling Contura Rocker, and I do beleive they come as an option.

I personally converted them to LED, it was pretty easy, I purchased a batch of 5mm led bulbs with resistors off amazon, took the switch apart and soldered them in there.
 
majuro15 said:
Rick,those switches look great! I'll shoot you a PM for some more details. Maybe we can get him some more business! Too bad they aren't LED, but it's certainly another good option.
Click to expand...
LED-filled switches are available off-the-shelf from Carling Switch. From their brochure: "Multiple Lighting Options: Incandescent lamps & LED lighting. Our LED illumination is offered in a wide array of light intensities, colors, as well as dual level, tri-color, and flashing options."

Rick's switch caps are the Contura V series (near as I can tell, all Contura switches use the same bodies, the differences are in the switch caps).
 
Fresno Rick, I looked at the New Wire Marine site and I really liked their stuff. I didn't think the proces were too bad. The best thing is they do all the cutting and mounting the switches on a panel. It is much easier cutting out one big hole than holes for each switch. Thanks for listing the site.
 
may be a bit messy

The "passenger ejection seat" switch is a nice touch. Never know when that will come in handy. So stylish and functional!
 
Got some aveo switch covers and gang- together housings

Decided not use the aveo switch covers and gang-together switch housings. I did not have enough room for them under my efis. Will sell them all or part. Let me check at the hangar Sunday afternoon. I Do Not have the switches. I bought the housings for sizing my panel. Still in the bag.

RV9a Ron in Oregon
 
ron sterba said:
Decided not use the aveo switch covers and gang-together switch housings. I did not have enough room for them under my efis. Will sell them all or part. Let me check at the hangar Sunday afternoon. I Do Not have the switches. I bought the housings for sizing my panel. Still in the bag.

RV9a Ron in Oregon
Click to expand...

If you have the lighting set I'll take those...I need spares of Cockpit, Panel, Map, Landing, Taxi, Wig-Wag.

Thanks!
 
I spoke with Apem today and got some part numbers on the caps and switches. They are still waiting on the art department to find the drawings. He did send me the specs on their laser engraver so that I can compare that with local shops, who may also be able to do it. I'll be out flying for the next week but hope to have more info when I get home. Stay tuned.
 
I wanted to post this here since you folks were interested in these switches.

To make a long story short, I have purchased a laser engraver that is capable of engraving these APEM switches as well as Carling's, or any other material for the matter. I bought it with the intention of selling custom etched switches for experimental aircraft as welll as my wife will be using it for some of the jewlery she makes and other "crafty" things she sells on etsy.

Tim has been nice enough to share information with me on what he has, and hopefully I can start etching rocker switches and offer them for sale. My laser cutter/engraver was ordered yesterday at about 2pm ET, and the vendor is quoting about a 10 business day lead time for delivery to my door. In the meantime, I am going to contact DR and ask about buying some ad space on VAF, as well as make sure its OK to post them for sale in Classifieds. EVentually, I will have a website spun up and will be able to accept custom orders so you can request just about anything you want on your switches. APEM and Carling sell some really nice bodies with tons of options lighting, colors, SPDT, DPT, etc.

I will keep everyone posted if you are interested, and as long as its OK to do so on the forums.
 
Congrats!

Long overdue we get a VAFer to make these custom switches!

Let me know if you want the artwork I made my switches from, I'll email them to you, might save you a couple hours. I used Corel but can convert them to almost any file type.
 
Props to Lynn who has stepped up to the plate. I'm giving him all the info I've found and contacts so he can run with it. He's also got a ton of info himself and has a great start on getting a little side business going which means we can still put these awesome switches in our planes!

Stay tuned and in touch. I did get a bunch of extras in from all over the world in the past couple of weeks. I will work on getting a list of what I have and post on here so folks can start grabbing what they need until Lynn gets up and running.
 
CubedRoot said:
I wanted to post this here since you folks were interested in these switches.

To make a long story short, I have purchased a laser engraver that is capable of engraving these APEM switches as well as Carling's, or any other material for the matter. I bought it with the intention of selling custom etched switches for experimental aircraft as welll as my wife will be using it for some of the jewlery she makes and other "crafty" things she sells on etsy.
Click to expand...

I can send you my AutoCAD .dwg or .dxf files for my Contura switches if you'd like. I think I ended up with something like 20 etch patterns, but only used maybe 15 of them.

The Contrua switches laser etch just fine, but they are not white underneath. you must paint them to get the contrast.
 
APEM Switches

I too spoke to APEM about buying a bulk order and peddling out a few switches. If memory serves me right... They wanted something like a $10k bulk order per year. The switch tops are pretty easy to reverse laser engrave.

I do like the post showing www.newwiremarine.com Thanks for sharing.



Chuck
 
FresnoR said:
Congrats!

Long overdue we get a VAFer to make these custom switches!

Let me know if you want the artwork I made my switches from, I'll email them to you, might save you a couple hours. I used Corel but can convert them to almost any file type.
Click to expand...

majuro15 said:
Props to Lynn who has stepped up to the plate. I'm giving him all the info I've found and contacts so he can run with it. He's also got a ton of info himself and has a great start on getting a little side business going which means we can still put these awesome switches in our planes!

Stay tuned and in touch. I did get a bunch of extras in from all over the world in the past couple of weeks. I will work on getting a list of what I have and post on here so folks can start grabbing what they need until Lynn gets up and running.
Click to expand...

krwalsh said:
I can send you my AutoCAD .dwg or .dxf files for my Contura switches if you'd like. I think I ended up with something like 20 etch patterns, but only used maybe 15 of them.

The Contrua switches laser etch just fine, but they are not white underneath. you must paint them to get the contrast.
Click to expand...



Thanks for the offers on artwork! They would be very much appreciated. You can email them to my personal email account of [email protected]
I can use pretty much any format, CorelDraw, AutoCAD, Sketchup, etc.

I have been working on the website a little here and there today, but I am covering for several co-workers that were snowed in (I live in the South, and snow causes alot of problems for us) so I haven't had a whole lot of spare time since snow-mageddon 2014 hit yesterday.

To give an update on the laser, I completed the ACH paperwork late Monday, and got confirmation Tuesday from my vendor that I am in que for delivery. They are stating its going to be about a 10 business day lead time from order to delivery, hopefully. I picked up a 45 watt CO2 laser that has a 20"x12" working area. Its a bit overkill for the switches, but I plan on using it for other purposes as well. It does have a removable floor, and I am going to research using it to custom etch/engrave panels as well. While 45w wont cut the metal, it will work beautifully to etch anodizing, paint, or Thermark.

I am hoping to be able to offer custom engraving on the switches as well, for customers whom want something more personal, or geared to their aircraft.

I will keep every posted as things develop....as of right now its looking great, and I am very opimistica and excited to be doing this. Thanks to Tim and everyone in this thread who have helped!
 
For those that are following this thread, I just posted a new thread in classifieds with a listing of all the extra covers I have accumulated through my searching. If you need some now, please check it out and let me know.
 
Update:

I made a mistake on my ACH paperwork to the vendor and transposed two of the dang digits!! My vendor called me on Thursday, and we got it straightened out, and they were able to run the ACH succsefully first thing Friday morning. This delayed my shipment a few days, as they don't start building my laser until payment has verified posted. They confirmed everything was good by 4pm ET Friday, and my laser is scheduled for prodcution first of next week. Hopefully it will ship out by end of next week.

I am in the process of building the website, and I have decided to use Open Source solutions for the e-commerce platform (I am a Linux admin as a day-job, and a FOSS supporter so it was a natural fit hehe). I have been looking at Magento Commerce, Prestoshop, OSCommerce and a few others.

If you are bored and want to give me some suggestions on which you like best, I would appreciate feedback! Here are some test instances of each one that I have on my test domain:

Magento Commerce: http://www.ftfw.net/magento/
PrestaShop: http://www.ftfw.net/prestashop
OSCommerce: http://www.ftfw.net/oscommerce/
TomatoCart: http://www.ftfw.net/tomatocart/

Honest feedback is appreciated :)

Also, as a side note: I found out that I will also be able to laser etch and engrave photos and images onto iPads with this laser! I will be offering that as a service as well.
 
Laser was delivered today! I have taken the day off from my day job to get it setup, software installed, and some test fires done today.
I have a bunch of switch covers that I am going to use to get the power and speed settings correct. Once I feel confident I have the laser "tuned" to the switch material, I will be ready to start making these things for folks.

Website is coming along well, and I will have it ready for orders soon. In the meantime, feel free to PM me here, or email me at [email protected] if you want to get some of these made. I will be happy to share my phone number as well, just shoot me an email or PM for it.

Thanks!
 
CubedRoot said:
Laser was delivered today! I have taken the day off from my day job to get it setup, software installed, and some test fires done today.
I have a bunch of switch covers that I am going to use to get the power and speed settings correct. Once I feel confident I have the laser "tuned" to the switch material, I will be ready to start making these things for folks.

Website is coming along well, and I will have it ready for orders soon. In the meantime, feel free to PM me here, or email me at [email protected] if you want to get some of these made. I will be happy to share my phone number as well, just shoot me an email or PM for it.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Where is the "like" button? Congratulations
 
Hey Russ! Thanks for the interest!
I have made some progress but its been slow. Shortly after receiving my engraver, I came down with some nasty bug. It was either flu or something else, but it had me down for over 2 weeks. I thought I was feeling better at the first of last week, and had planned the entire weekend to get the engraver going, and start making covers.

Then started feeling horrible again. Horrible stuffy sinuses and sore throat and itchy eyes, and overall feeling like poop. I ended up taking a few more days off work, and working from home the rest. Started feeling better around Saturday night, Sunday morning, and hopefully the crud is all gone.

I did however, spend some time on the laser. I actually used my laser to build my jig for the switches, which I thought was kinda neat. Ended up designing the jig in Autocad, and cutting it out of acrylic on my laser. I even managed to try it out on a few covers.

I will admit, my first few covers were....interesting. :) One ended up a molten mess (amazing how fast the laser can do that on too high of power) and another ended up a little to light and fine to be any good. After a few more runs, I think I have found a perfect medium of power and speed on my particular laser, and now I am just tweaking the designs to get them to match Aveo's perfectly. I have a couple of Aveo's on hand that I am using as "gold templates" to compare my work to, and with the help of Tim I have some more Aveo's coming for comparison.

I haven't gotten the website where I want it, but thats low priority right now, as I want to master these covers so I can start getting some out to you folks that are interested in hopes of getting good honest feedback from them. Until I get the website up and running we can work from email, telephone, or PM here on VAF.

I will get some photos snapped of the covers I ran so far (even the melted ones for fun!) and post them for you folks to review and feedback on.

My wife has actually spent more time using the laser than I have due to me being sick and she has turned out some pretty cool wood and stone engravings. She engraved a photo of her niece and grand-neice onto a piece of marble and it look really cool.
 
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