Tactile Switch Questions

[NekoGurrl]

I've seen many the great mods with tactile switches, is there a good source for the buttons to go on top of the switch? Also I've heard a lot of people complain about the durability of these switches, especially the RShack ones. Any other suppliers that would hold up better?

 

[500KV]

The RS switches are fine if you use one that has a sufficient current rating (ie. 1.5 to 3 amp).
The problems occur when folks use 50Ma rated switches on a device that draws 1500 to 2000 Ma.

 

[NekoGurrl]

The RS switches are fine if you use one that has a sufficient current rating (ie. 1.5 to 3 amp).
The problems occur when folks use 50Ma rated switches on a device that draws 1500 to 2000 Ma.

That's exactly the situation, all of the RS tactile switches are rated at 50Ma. Trying to find higher rated switches, that are still small. The 50Ma switches can not handle the job.

For larger mods switches like this
3A 125V SPST Pushbutton Momentary Switch - RadioShack.com
will work fine, but obviously some manufacturers and modders are finding higher capacity small switches somewhere. E-Switch has some interesting products, and I'm looking into them.

 

[warp1900]

NekoGurrl,
As you already know, i have no knowledge of electronics, but i can tell you my own experience after building 30+ different mods,
I have used those RS switches repeatedly and had mixed results with them.
I have several boxes with them and working with no problems for more than 3 months now. (my wife's main and only vape is a nicostick with one of those)
And on others they failed either a few hours after i installed them or right after i finished the whole mod.
I usually super glue them and i blame some little amount of liquid running in the case itself for the failure, but i can't really be sure about it.
My point is, i don't really think that all the Ma. talk about them is true, since i have several working switches on my mods. Maybe the theory says they should fail, but in practice they do work.

That is why i never rely on theory alone in my every day life or job.

 

[warp1900]

This are the switches i am now using in most my mods, same exact shape and look but twice as big 12 x 12 mm.
Still very compact, but feels much better to the touch and some kind of psychological effect that it works great because of the clicking sound it produces.

SparkFun Electronics - Momentary Push Button Switch - 12mm Square

Lots of cool stuff there 2

 

[Carlos49]

This are the switches i am now using in most my mods, same exact shape and look but twice as big 12 x 12 mm.
Still very compact, but feels much better to the touch and some kind of psychological effect that it works great because of the clicking sound it produces.

SparkFun Electronics - Momentary Push Button Switch - 12mm Square

Lots of cool stuff there 2

I wonder if those are the same type switches I saw in RS the other day?
What type of rating are those Warp?

 

[warp1900]

I wonder if those are the same type switches I saw in RS the other day?
What type of rating are those Warp?

No info on website and i have no clue myself, lawl, all i know is they work great.

 

[cddz]

That's exactly the situation, all of the RS tactile switches are rated at 50Ma. Trying to find higher rated switches, that are still small. The 50Ma switches can not handle the job.

For larger mods switches like this
3A 125V SPST Pushbutton Momentary Switch - RadioShack.com
will work fine, but obviously some manufacturers and modders are finding higher capacity small switches somewhere. E-Switch has some interesting products, and I'm looking into them.

Those will handle what you need as far as current draw. But they do wear out and get STICKY. Might get a couple months out of them

 

[Zofryer]

My next design is going to have no traditional switch at all. I swear. I'm just going to make a spring-loaded seesaw that pushes the battery into a contact. Switches suck.

 

[crazyhorse]

This are the switches i am now using in most my mods, same exact shape and look but twice as big 12 x 12 mm.
Still very compact, but feels much better to the touch and some kind of psychological effect that it works great because of the clicking sound it produces.

SparkFun Electronics - Momentary Push Button Switch - 12mm Square

Lots of cool stuff there 2

Thanks for that tip Warp. They're a lot cheaper than the ratshack switches. I think I'll order a dozen.

 

[Cisco]

Thanks for that tip Warp. They're a lot cheaper than the ratshack switches. I think I'll order a dozen.

Almost all tact switches have a max rating of 50mA. Then how are we putting 1+ amps through them and they work?

The switches are being used in burst mod. Your putting all that amperage through the switch in very short intervals. If you ran that much amperage through them continuously they would fail very quickly. Will they last forever? NO, but you will get a pretty reasonable length of time out of them. All my mods use them and some are 3 months old and they all still work. The rat shack switches are cheap and they made cheap so your taking a chance on getting a bad one. The switches inside regular manual batteries don't have the current running through them they only activate the circuit, the power to the atty runs through an IC controlled driver/relay circuit so they will last forever unless there is a mechanical failure

Cisco...

 

[four2109]

That's exactly the situation, all of the RS tactile switches are rated at 50Ma. Trying to find higher rated switches, that are still small. The 50Ma switches can not handle the job.

For larger mods switches like this
3A 125V SPST Pushbutton Momentary Switch - RadioShack.com
will work fine, but obviously some manufacturers and modders are finding higher capacity small switches somewhere. E-Switch has some interesting products, and I'm looking into them.

I have that switch on an 801 nicostick and hate it. It's big, have to press too hard or just right... I have the tactile on another and it works great, nice light touch, but fried a 4 month old atomizer putting it in my pocket without hitting the kill switch. Stupid in a No Stupid Zone! I like the small red and black ones the best, just gotta flip that switch.

 

[Ridewithme38]

started with these....not reliable
Mini SPST 0.5-Amp Momentary Switch (4-Pack) - RadioShack.com

Now use these...no problems Yet

Mini SPST 1.5-Amp Momentary Pushbutton Switch (2-Pack) - RadioShack.com

 

[warp1900]

started with these....not reliable
Mini SPST 0.5-Amp Momentary Switch (4-Pack) - RadioShack.com

Now use these...no problems Yet

Mini SPST 1.5-Amp Momentary Pushbutton Switch (2-Pack) - RadioShack.com

Second one you mention I think, are by far the most reliable and soft to use, unfortunately they don't fit in all mods since they are much bigger/longer.

The small 6 x 6 mm tactile switches Cisco mentioned are pretty good, but hard to hold in place in most cases. 99% of electronic devices DVD, VCR, TV, mp3 players, etc. etc., use this same switches. They are designed to be in a PCB and that makes them solid and very rarely fail, the problem starts when you have to glue them or use whatever other method to hold them in place.

I just can't believe that we are stuck with only a few choices. I see the very same switches used in mods from Australia to Brazil to UK to US, etc.

Or am I missing something?


---

 

[Nuck]

started with these....not reliable
Mini SPST 0.5-Amp Momentary Switch (4-Pack) - RadioShack.com

Now use these...no problems Yet

Mini SPST 1.5-Amp Momentary Pushbutton Switch (2-Pack) - RadioShack.com

Those 1.5 amp ones can be really flaky. I have them on a bunch of mods used in the house and they can start misfiring within just a few days. If I get more than 6 weeks of reliable use out of one I consider it a win.

 

[Technocrat]

I'm rather partial to snap action micro switches.

Micro switch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

These are the same switches used in your mouse, but there are literally thousands of variations. Unlike the radio suck switches any decent supplier will list the force (grams/newtons), actuation range (mm), and form factor (plunger, lever, roller). The ones is a mouse are usually plunger-form/25-65g/.5-2mm @ 8x8x5mm. The 3 Amp versions are just a little bigger.

 

[warp1900]

I have used a few of those in some of my mods (not easy to fit/hold), they REALLY reliable and seem sturdy also, probably the best.

The issue is always space, since we keep trying to make our mods as close to the size of the battery/s as possible.

 

[Nulli]

I've had bad luck using the Radio shack momentary switches. They're also not sealed so dirt and juice can get inside them and that really messes things up. After two failures I switched to the mini switches from an old VCR. I pulled 25 switches out of just one VCR. I have multiple mods for people that are 3+ months old used daily that keep on ticking.

When mounting micro switches try using plumbers epoxy putty. As long as you're careful you can mount these small switches without gumming up the switch, though their placement will be semi permanent.

 

[me5647]

hmmm if only there was some small device that could take the small current from the tiny switch, and up it into enough current to drive the atty. Something like a vaccum tube but smaller

OhYeah! transistors! the basis of all modern electronics!

-there cheap, like some change
-really not that complicated you would prob just have to add a resistor inline with the switch, and the transistor

the internet can explain better than me kpsec.freeuk[dot]com/trancirc.htm grrr

also this is where kinabaloo got the touch sensor schem back in apr. (just 2 transistors inline)

Ill get to riggin one of these up in a couple days (just started college kinda busy). You'll all be like oh thats it?

and you thought silicon was just for boobies

 

[Ralph Hilton]

What I think is needed is a MOSFET. It would need to have a very low on resistance and low level gate voltage.