Mechanical Protege Switch quirky?...

[lotus14]

LOLOLOL ... It is indeed Lotus ... And I double and triple checked your switches ... With your luck, you'll be the first with a fused mechanical switch -- It may not be physically possible, but knowing you lotus, I'm sure you can get it done! Perhaps lotus should be our tester ... putting PV's through the ringer! If it passes the lotus test, it can pass anything !!!!!

Well, I am going to test the loaded voltage like you did on the Prodigy V2 video. I got some wiring all hooked up with one end on a 510 atty adapter and the other to the old plug for my dryer. Gonna see what this thing is really made of.

I really like the lifetime warranty thing!

 

[Ann]

I just saw why the adapter needs to be lose.
I saw that when on tight it pulls the top of the button assembly in. this is worse when using unprotected batteries. Using protected batteries there is not as much room for play. I took the adapter off and took my finger and just pushed the switch down , the top of button goes inward mashing the button in.
When the adapter in on and you turn to loosen it you can here it pop, that is the button coming back out.
Now I can see why the one I'm using with protected can be tighter and the one with the unprotected has to be loose...there is more play in it.

 

[Rezo]

huh.. so i had originally gone whole hog initially and turned both posts. Didn't work any better, so when i got home I read your reply steve and tried just one, then just the other. Still no better. After re-reading i noticed that you said 90 degrees and i had been turning them 180, so i turned one back 90 degrees and it worked much better. Still a hard press but much more reasonable. Got carried away, and turned the other one back a bit to match, and now i can't seem to find the sweet spot again. Foiled by own greed.... this could be a long night... i will beat this switch.

 

[Rezo]

Ann- are the batteries that come with it protected or unprotected? cause i'm still finding that it works better loose, but i'm using the original batteries.

 

[CaSHMeRe]

Well, I am going to test the loaded voltage like you did on the Prodigy V2 video. I got some wiring all hooked up with one end on a 510 atty adapter and the other to the old plug for my dryer. Gonna see what this thing is really made of.

I really like the lifetime warranty thing!

Enjoy Lotus!!!! Load testing is never fun, but a definite necessity

No lifetime warranty for you Mister ... 2 days - that's it!

I just saw why the adapter needs to be lose.
I saw that when on tight it pulls the top of the button assembly in. this is worse when using unprotected batteries. Using protected batteries there is not as much room for play. I took the adapter off and took my finger and just pushed the switch down , the top of button goes inward mashing the button in.
When the adapter in on and you turn to loosen it you can here it pop, that is the button coming back out.
Now I can see why the one I'm using with protected can be tighter and the one with the unprotected has to be loose...there is more play in it.

Hey Anne,

The button housing is supposed to have a bit of *play* to it... Have you tried lengthening the spring on the Unprotected Protege to see if snugging it up down there counters what you are doing up top?

huh.. so i had originally gone whole hog initially and turned both posts. Didn't work any better, so when i got home I read your reply steve and tried just one, then just the other. Still no better. After re-reading i noticed that you said 90 degrees and i had been turning them 180, so i turned one back 90 degrees and it worked much better. Still a hard press but much more reasonable. Got carried away, and turned the other one back a bit to match, and now i can't seem to find the sweet spot again. Foiled by own greed.... this could be a long night... i will beat this switch.

LOL ... Rezo ... Is your switch getting stuck in the housing, or is it freely moving up and down and you are just not getting contact?

 

[CaSHMeRe]

Ann- are the batteries that come with it protected or unprotected? cause i'm still finding that it works better loose, but i'm using the original batteries.

Those are unprotected.

Rezo - Did you adjust your center post on your adapter at all?

Also, Ann -- Forgot to ask you that same question.

 

[YoMike]

Shimming the brass ring lower with some thread got it working. Maybe the center spring tube is to long not allowing the brass ring to travel far enough to make contact?
I still need the adapter unscrewed 3/4 of a turn and it hits like a champ!

 

[Rezo]

nope.. this switch is the only non cart mod i've done to this.. and the button seems to be pressing just fine.. just really have to grind it down to make a contact. seems weird that the contacts would have to be more firmly pressed together to spark. makes me wonder if their not touching at all even though it feels like it won't press any further.

 

[Rezo]

after i eat and shower i'm gonna have to try that dental floss trick too.. i'll post back the results..

 

[CaSHMeRe]

Perhaps your contact disk needs to be dropped down just a bit like Brock and YoMike have done .... Have you tried that Rezo?

 

[Rezo]

yeah, maybe the spring is just slightly too long... fingers crossed. i shall not rest nor sleep, until i have vanquished this switch. vanquished i say! assuming pausing for dinner doesn't count as rest....

 

[YoMike]

It's not the spring it's the tube that houses it!

 

[duke118]

Got mine today,it works like Steve said.All I do is press firmly and it works. I think it will seat itself in a couple of days of pressing. I rather it be firm than an easy press less chance of it going off by mistake.

 

[Rezo]

ok.. so i tried the dental floss. now it works with the adaptor just slightly loose.. this is progress. i'll keep tinkering with it until i can get it to wok while snug. hopefully it will continue to seat like steve said it would.. I have no reason to believe otherwise. Someday, my switch will work perfectly.... just chasin' the dream.

 

[YoMike]

I sort of like the fact that I can lock the switch now with a quick twist!

 

[Ann]

Those are unprotected.

Rezo - Did you adjust your center post on your adapter at all?

Also, Ann -- Forgot to ask you that same question.

I don't know anything about that.

 

[MicciMan]

Many many thanks to Steve and the collected wisdom of this group! I used a piece of extremely thin wire (34 gauge craft wire my wife had) to space down the contact ring; and I turned the posts in the switch, and now this thing is hitting almost every single time w/o having to back the adapter most of the way off. I am still getting some inconsistent/weak hits but at least it's working, and I seem to be one or 2 little tweaks away from consistency.

 

[anim8r]

Well, I got my button broken in enough to get it down to where the adapter cap is only 1/4 of a turn loose for it to "fire".


So I tried the new mods individually and in combinations; the floss trick, moving the center pin in and out, and/or rotating the button pins 90 degrees... I always ended up with still requiring to still have the cap loose or very loose, but now I was getting weaker hits from the atty, or worse, requiring hurculean force to close the switch, even with a loose adapter

The weak hits came from rotating those button pins (either one or both). For me, having them flat is noticeably better.

So I went back to no floss, moved my center pin back to what I think is the original spot, re-rotated my switch posts to have the flat side up and now my baby is back to hitting every single time (and hitting a LOT harder than any of those other fixes). It's also back to being as feathery smooth and consistent as it was before trying any of the mods.

But, I'm still stuck with keeping the adapter loose 1/4 turn. But hey, there's still a benefit to be had. Now I have a hard "Off" switch for when I'm carrying my Protege in my pocket or stuffing it in my brief case. Until it breaks in further, there is simply no way my button is firing with a tightened adapter.

So, it's all good.

 

[markarich159]

I made a tool to help me break in the new switches. My thumb nails were getting sore.
Both switches work now. I had to hold it with my left hand so I could take the pic. I really hold it by the plier handles. Hey, don't laugh, it works!

Oh My God????? I'd send in a ticket.

 

[dmccauliff]

Hmm. I think I should have read these posts before testing the switches. Got three switches yesterday but just started testing them today (thanks Steve). Put one with the 801 adapter....seemed dead. Tried it with the 901 adapter protege...still seemed dead. Unscrewed the adapter and tested voltage at the switch. Then it works. Put adapter back on...dead. With the adapter unscrewed 1/4 turn, it mostly works (for both my 801 and 901). Tried the second switch and got exactly the same results.

I did tear apart the switch and moved the brass ring up figuring it was a contact issue (never though of spacing it with dental floss...great idea). Gonna try that and the idea of rotating the contact points to see if I can get it working with the adapter ring screwed in fully.

Anyway, even if I can't screw in the adapter fully...think of it as a safety off feature It really does require quite a push on the switch to work.

Thanks all,
mm