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kookaburra

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Hi,

A few months ago I bought an RV7a listed here and I'm working through some upgrades, one of which is adding Pitot Heat.

Does anyone what type of switches these are? Any ideas on how I would make this fit an extra switch for pitot heat and still keep the panel looking relatively clean?
 
Im not sure what kind they are but I like them. As for the pitot heat, it isnt something that is used often. Maybe between the carb and cabin heat knobs and use a simple toggle switch? Or at the left of the two mag switches?
 
kookaburra said:
Hi,

A few months ago I bought an RV7a listed here and I'm working through some upgrades, one of which is adding Pitot Heat.

Does anyone what type of switches these are? Any ideas on how I would make this fit an extra switch for pitot heat and still keep the panel looking relatively clean?
Click to expand...

Honeywell AML series switches - with engraving likely by aircraft engravers. They can also carry pitot high current loads.

I'd be tempted to remove the AP switch, since you have a nice breaker on the right. and then just get another cap printed. You may need to change the switch there are identical looking high / low amp versions (21 vs 24) if memory serves.

Otherwise you can cut a hole to the left after checking there is enough service loop to move a few switches left to make a hole for the pitot heat. The switches should just push out from behind.

Derek
 
kookaburra said:
Hi,

A few months ago I bought an RV7a listed here and I'm working through some upgrades, one of which is adding Pitot Heat.

Does anyone what type of switches these are? Any ideas on how I would make this fit an extra switch for pitot heat and still keep the panel looking relatively clean?
Click to expand...
They are Honeywell AML series. Being phased out if not discontinued. Led backlighting a disaster, ask me how I know. Let me know how many you need.
 
Thanks everyone! I think mine are not backlit (or at least not that I know of - haven't taken the plane out at night).

@DerekS I did consider reusing the AP switch but that's a spring loaded toggle and it would be nice to have an AP off button since I have a ray allen stick grip with only PTT, and elevator/aileron trims. At some point I do want to move the smoke, AP, and flaps to a Tosten military style grip, but one upgrade at a time. I think you're right that is probably the least useful button I have in the panel.

@dmattmul I think, at the moment, I just need 1.
 
kookaburra said:
Thanks everyone! I think mine are not backlit (or at least not that I know of - haven't taken the plane out at night).

@DerekS I did consider reusing the AP switch but that's a spring loaded toggle and it would be nice to have an AP off button since I have a ray allen stick grip with only PTT, and elevator/aileron trims. At some point I do want to move the smoke, AP, and flaps to a Tosten military style grip, but one upgrade at a time. I think you're right that is probably the least useful button I have in the panel.

@dmattmul I think, at the moment, I just need 1.
Click to expand...

IF the AP is just the spring toggle, then what I would do is put a small 1/4" button for AP disconnect where my index can hit it from the throttle, and put the pitot in the old hole. You can move it to the stick later and a 1/4 hole is either useful or easy to cleanly cap. Such as https://www.steinair.com/product/push-button-switch-dpdt-momentary/

The switches are available in the same format in most all electrical configuration, so the spring toggle won't be a limitation - e.g. https://www.steinair.com/product/aml-34-series-rocker-switch/ is the one you'd want for a pitot. It has the back light, which I like - if the rest of yours don't just don't put in a bulb.

Digikey / mouser etc will have more variations)- they are not cheap, but they have been around forever and likely will be for quite some time ( my 1st use was in the '90s) . dmattmul may be a cheaper source :)))
 
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dmattmul said:
They are Honeywell AML series. Being phased out if not discontinued. Led backlighting a disaster, ask me how I know. Let me know how many you need.
Click to expand...
OK, I'll bite. Love the look of the rocker switches. Starting to dream about what my panel will look like. What's wrong with them? Is it just the Honeywells in particular?
 
dmattmul said:
They are Honeywell AML series. Being phased out if not discontinued. Led backlighting a disaster, ask me how I know. Let me know how many you need.
Click to expand...
The original backlighting was a white switch cover and black lettering, like for a laboratory use. This was really bright, even at the lowest dimmer setting.
For flying use, aircraft engravers will make them black with white lettering. This is much better because they aren't so bright at night. and with a G3X, they can be dimmed pretty low. But alas, they are discontinued since pandemic.
 
PilotjohnS said:
The original backlighting was a white switch cover and black lettering, like for a laboratory use. This was really bright, even at the lowest dimmer setting.
For flying use, aircraft engravers will make them black with white lettering. This is much better because they aren't so bright at night. and with a G3X, they can be dimmed pretty low. But alas, they are discontinued since pandemic.
Click to expand...
Now I'm curious, I tried to find reference to them being discontinued with the help of Google, but only saw a few specific variations being discontinued. Digikey still shows them as available from the manufacturer and stock, albeit with a long lead time for non-stock. They were hard to find during the pandemic, but they have never been super easy to find... Any chance you remember where you saw that?

I echo the comments about PWM - its really hard to get a LED T5 bulb to dim with voltage alone - it shuts off before it gets dim enough, but even the white ones (which I have in the glasair) get dim enough with PWM, and black with white letters (in my -10) works really well .
 
DerekS said:
Now I'm curious, I tried to find reference to them being discontinued with the help of Google, but only saw a few specific variations being discontinued. Digikey still shows them as available from the manufacturer and stock, albeit with a long lead time for non-stock. They were hard to find during the pandemic, but they have never been super easy to find... Any chance you remember where you saw that?

I echo the comments about PWM - its really hard to get a LED T5 bulb to dim with voltage alone - it shuts off before it gets dim enough, but even the white ones (which I have in the glasair) get dim enough with PWM, and black with white letters (in my -10) works really well .
Click to expand...
All I know is the configurations I needed were no longer available. I guess they are still making a few different configs, but it seems not nearly the large variety of configs they had prior to pandemic. Thats all I was trying to say.
 
FlyGuy65 said:
OK, I'll bite. Love the look of the rocker switches. Starting to dream about what my panel will look like. What's wrong with them? Is it just the Honeywells in particular?
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A lot of the nice looking surf and turf or Carling Contoura type rocker switches are large and don't require much pressure to flip on and off. So I find that if they are placed low on the panel or near any other controls it's too easy to accidentally flip one off or on when the pilot moves his hands around the cockpit. Most traditional toggle switches not only take up less panel space they are also a smaller target and they take concerted force to actuate. You can lightly bump a metal toggle switch and it doesn't move. The Contoura-type rocker switches are consumer grade mostly plastic hardware with push-in connections rather than screw terminals for ring connectors. I have used a lot of the Contoura type rocker switches in farm equipment over the years and they won't hold up under vibration. So with that experience plus the frustration of having cockpit panel switches flipping at the lightest touch I am no longer an enthusiast.
 
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