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03-13-2009, 01:32 PM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Tuttle, Oklahoma
Posts: 2,563
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sticky1
Actually the rock switches are not certified!!
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Yes, I am aware they are not certified. I was just making the point that the company is pricing them as if they were.
Cost of components is a primary reason why I am building an experimental instead of buying a certified aircraft. This is really for a totally different thread, but the ultimate problem with aviation (and I might add, anything else today) is the producers of products want to become "solvent" the second they start selling their product. Consequently they price their goods so high that few can afford to buy them. This creates financial problems because the income stream does not develop.
Well, no point in going on like this. As I said, this is for another thread. I need to get back to figuring out what switches to use.
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03-13-2009, 08:00 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NY
Posts: 323
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhammer
Give me a link if you please for the $40 one. One thing you must realize is these and their LED smart switches have to have a driver circuit board attached to work the display and a $300 piece of software to program the board. You can either develop your own board, or buy one from NKK. I think when when all is said and done you are going to be over $100ea for them. Cool switches, but certainly not cheap.
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I have the programming kit #7 which test drives 2 of the OLEDS. The $ was 270. for the kit. The OLEDS cost about 30-40. each. The board you are talking about is an intergral part of the switch. The interface pcb has the relays that the switches turn on.
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03-13-2009, 10:22 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sticky1
I have the programming kit #7 which test drives 2 of the OLEDS. The $ was 270. for the kit. The OLEDS cost about 30-40. each. The board you are talking about is an intergral part of the switch. The interface pcb has the relays that the switches turn on.
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Out of curiosity, I have a couple of quick questions...with an interface board and solid state switches, will these switches work if you lose power to them? Will you still see the labeling on the switches with no power to the switches? What is the rating of the switches? Have they been tested in high vibration environments? Is the lighting/dimming circuit separate from the line/load circuit of the switch?
Just curious...I haven't played with these but have used/tried about every kind/brand of switch made and in the past they were not a good fit in an aircraft for a large variety of reasons. Maybe these are hence my asking.
Cheers,
Stein
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03-14-2009, 01:25 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Estacada, OR
Posts: 787
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Don't use AC rated switches
From what I found on the Spemco website, it appears their switches are meant for alternating current. Maybe I missed some.
According to "Lectric Bob, they will not hold up to DC loads. My elementary level understanding is that with AC, since the current is alternating, the arc breaks much quicker than with DC, so the AC rated switches don't have to be as robust as DC switches.
__________________
Richard Scott
RV-9A Fuselage
1941 Interstate Cadet
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03-14-2009, 02:06 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sonoma County
Posts: 3,821
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RScott
From what I found on the Spemco website, it appears their switches are meant for alternating current. Maybe I missed some.
According to "Lectric Bob, they will not hold up to DC loads. My elementary level understanding is that with AC, since the current is alternating, the arc breaks much quicker than with DC, so the AC rated switches don't have to be as robust as DC switches.
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This is true, an AC switch used for DC will not make it to the 1,000,000 plus cycles that the switch failed at with AC current. If used for DC, you might need to replace them once or twice during the life of the aircraft............... 
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03-15-2009, 02:27 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NY
Posts: 323
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteinAir
Out of curiosity, I have a couple of quick questions...with an interface board and solid state switches, will these switches work if you lose power to them? Will you still see the labeling on the switches with no power to the switches? What is the rating of the switches? Have they been tested in high vibration environments? Is the lighting/dimming circuit separate from the line/load circuit of the switch?
Just curious...I haven't played with these but have used/tried about every kind/brand of switch made and in the past they were not a good fit in an aircraft for a large variety of reasons. Maybe these are hence my asking.
Cheers,
Stein
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The switches and the interface PCB will work since they are 9-12vdc. If you loose power it would be the same as loosing power elsewhere. I have 2 batteries in my plane so I dont consider it an issue. The switch ratings are next to nothing, this is why I am designing the interface pcb. As far as the vibration issue.....time will tell.
The dimmer I mentioned is a seperate dimmer already on the market. Complete small package.
I fully understand why and appriciate the questions. The simple answer is.....I have used and played with just about all that is out there and when something new comes on the market....well i'll play with that to. I use to do a lot of design and service work in the semiconductor industry. Been there.
For the other posts:
As for the AC/DC issue...ok. I really don't consider it a major issue. Rock advertises 150,000 cycles. They don't actually mention the ratings. So...once a day for ...How many years..? Replace once or twice....?? UGH...?
Carling.....L@@K closer at there site....
http://rocker-switches.carlingtech.c...switch__19.asp
12vdc @20Amps
Last edited by Sticky1 : 03-15-2009 at 02:39 PM.
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03-15-2009, 03:21 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 2,473
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I guess my question was more along the lines of if you loose power to the switches will the switches work at all? I'm not forming an opinion on these switches either way, but since I don't have first hand knowledge of this particular series I'm stealing information from you.
If the switches entirely cease to function if they themselves loose power, then I'd be a bit leery about installation in an aircraft...is your installation making each switch pull power from it's specific circuit, or are all of the switches powered from one circuit? Is the dimming circuit separate from the power circuit? If you loose power to your interface board, do you loose all switching functionality in the plane?
Like I said, I don't have a horse in the race other than to try and gain some information. Thanks for feeding it to us!
Cheers,
Stein
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03-16-2009, 03:15 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NY
Posts: 323
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteinAir
I guess my question was more along the lines of if you loose power to the switches will the switches work at all? I'm not forming an opinion on these switches either way, but since I don't have first hand knowledge of this particular series I'm stealing information from you.
If the switches entirely cease to function if they themselves loose power, then I'd be a bit leery about installation in an aircraft...is your installation making each switch pull power from it's specific circuit, or are all of the switches powered from one circuit? Is the dimming circuit separate from the power circuit? If you loose power to your interface board, do you loose all switching functionality in the plane?
Like I said, I don't have a horse in the race other than to try and gain some information. Thanks for feeding it to us!
Cheers,
Stein
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Good Question. Yes all the switches will work. Unless a device string is out. A device string would be the Power Source, Breaker, Switch, Latching Relay, Feedback, and the flaps or the gear........
The switch is SPST. The contact rating is next nothing, 100ma. This is the reason for the interface PCB. If the string was powered from one source then a power failure would knock out the lot. So each switch is powered by the breaker that supplies the string. A second supply has also been added to the Interface and data strings. The switches will work if the "LED" goes out. With a life of 1,000,000 operations minimum and a operating force of 2.0 ± 0.5 Newtons, I won't have much finger strain.
The simple way of doing this is to just purchase the old run of the mill toggle switch. For most this is ok however, I wanted something different.
It's not any different then all the manuf's out there going glass.
The dimmer is "NOT" part of what I am designing. It is already on the market and working. Take a L@@K at: http://www.carlingtech.com/pdf/ld_series.pdf
PS - I don't use Andair either. I have electric rotary ball valves with position led markers. I can draw from both wing tanks at the "same rate". Just something different. Turn a valve  .....naaaa to much work....
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10-25-2010, 02:08 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 351
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Are the Aveo and Carling Contura Switches the same?
Are the Aveo RockRack and Carling Technology Contura switches the same? By that I mean, are the two sets of parts interchangeable? The Carling switches themselves are half the price of the Aveo switches. If I could get the switches from Carling and use the fancy Aveo rockers, seems like I'd have the best of both worlds. I have a Carling switch on hand. I suppose I could purchase one Aveo rocker and see if those parts were compatible. Has anyone already done this?
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10-25-2010, 02:39 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: SoCal
Posts: 626
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Could cause problems
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sticky1
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I would carefully test any LCD switch product out there due to the vibration of the airframe. I tested two different types on ground based equipment and had problems with missing lines/pixels after just a few months of operation. From what I understand the LCD's have a fragile connection with their base connector as this is a glass to PCB connection.
I have heard of some new types where the LCD is mounted in the back of the switch instead of the action (like these) and use optics to bring the visual up.
In all cases, you lose power, you lose your legend even if the switch continues to work.
__________________
JD
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RV-7 N314SY (KWHP)
IO-360-B1B
CANbus based trim/flaps and electrical
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