My son has a "olympiad" event called "Robocross". He has to build a
robot that he would control, that drives around, picks up objects, and
delivers them into a jar.

To that end, I designed a system where the robot is on tracks and
drives using two DPDT momentary switches, turning like a tracked
tank.

It works, but I do not like the switches. One, they have a cheap ****
plastic ring/nut to hold them to the enclosure, and sometimes that
ring slips on the threads.

Two, these switches require significant force to switch (and that is
what affects that ring) and they are just not ergonomic. I want to
find switches that are more feather-light and easy to operate with
minimal force.

Has to be:

* DPDT
* Momentary
* Have quick-connect terminals

Any suggestions?

i

"Ignoramus18425" wrote in
message ...
My son has a "olympiad" event called "Robocross". He has to build a
robot that he would control, that drives around, picks up objects,
and
delivers them into a jar.

To that end, I designed a system where the robot is on tracks and
drives using two DPDT momentary switches, turning like a tracked
tank.

It works, but I do not like the switches. One, they have a cheap
****
plastic ring/nut to hold them to the enclosure, and sometimes that
ring slips on the threads.

Two, these switches require significant force to switch (and that is
what affects that ring) and they are just not ergonomic. I want to
find switches that are more feather-light and easy to operate with
minimal force.

Has to be:

* DPDT
* Momentary
* Have quick-connect terminals

Any suggestions?

i

If you find a switch that's satisfactory except for its operating
force, take it apart and shorten the spring. Pry the retaining prongs
out with a small screwdriver and let it pop open over a dishpan.
See if this helps. Youtube downloads so slowly over my dialup that I
fixed breakfast in its first 12 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcKGbWxLL7s

Or you could mount two pushbuttons between a lever, either a T lever
on a flat panel or a straight lever hinged to the bottom of a U with
the buttons in the sides.
jsw

On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 07:44:30 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Ignoramus18425" wrote in
message ...
My son has a "olympiad" event called "Robocross". He has to build a
robot that he would control, that drives around, picks up objects,
and
delivers them into a jar.

To that end, I designed a system where the robot is on tracks and
drives using two DPDT momentary switches, turning like a tracked
tank.

It works, but I do not like the switches. One, they have a cheap
****
plastic ring/nut to hold them to the enclosure, and sometimes that
ring slips on the threads.

Two, these switches require significant force to switch (and that is
what affects that ring) and they are just not ergonomic. I want to
find switches that are more feather-light and easy to operate with
minimal force.

Has to be:

* DPDT
* Momentary
* Have quick-connect terminals

Any suggestions?

i

If you find a switch that's satisfactory except for its operating
force, take it apart and shorten the spring. Pry the retaining prongs
out with a small screwdriver and let it pop open over a dishpan.
See if this helps. Youtube downloads so slowly over my dialup that I
fixed breakfast in its first 12 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcKGbWxLL7s

Or you could mount two pushbuttons between a lever, either a T lever
on a flat panel or a straight lever hinged to the bottom of a U with
the buttons in the sides.

What about slotting the switches and using E snap-rings?

-
To change one's self is sufficient. It's the idiots who want
to change the world who are causing all the trouble.
--Anonymous

In article ,
Ignoramus18425 wrote:

My son has a "olympiad" event called "Robocross". He has to build a
robot that he would control, that drives around, picks up objects, and
delivers them into a jar.

To that end, I designed a system where the robot is on tracks and
drives using two DPDT momentary switches, turning like a tracked
tank.

It works, but I do not like the switches. One, they have a cheap ****
plastic ring/nut to hold them to the enclosure, and sometimes that
ring slips on the threads.

Two, these switches require significant force to switch (and that is
what affects that ring) and they are just not ergonomic. I want to
find switches that are more feather-light and easy to operate with
minimal force.

Has to be:

* DPDT
* Momentary
* Have quick-connect terminals

Any suggestions?

Yes. What you have described is called a microswitch. This used to be
a trademark (Honeywell), bot the term is now generic in practice if not
yet in law.

...http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine....23038+254119+4
289186805

Joe Gwinn

"Joe Gwinn" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Ignoramus18425 wrote:

To that end, I designed a system where the robot is on tracks and
drives using two DPDT momentary switches, turning like a tracked
tank.

Yes. What you have described is called a microswitch. This used to
be
a trademark (Honeywell), bot the term is now generic in practice if
not
yet in law.

..http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine....23038+254119+4
289186805

Joe Gwinn

Electrically that's a very good suggestion, if you can find them
easily.

Mechanically you might want to leave room for another spring to center
the control lever because the microswitch springs are very weak.

DPDT Mom-Off-Mom(entary):
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/sto...01& CID=MERCH

jsw

On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 00:50:01 -0600, Ignoramus18425 wrote:

My son has a "olympiad" event called "Robocross". He has to build a
robot that he would control, that drives around, picks up objects, and
delivers them into a jar.

To that end, I designed a system where the robot is on tracks and drives
using two DPDT momentary switches, turning like a tracked tank.

It works, but I do not like the switches. One, they have a cheap ****
plastic ring/nut to hold them to the enclosure, and sometimes that ring
slips on the threads.

Two, these switches require significant force to switch (and that is
what affects that ring) and they are just not ergonomic. I want to find
switches that are more feather-light and easy to operate with minimal
force.

Has to be:

* DPDT * Momentary * Have quick-connect terminals

Any suggestions?

Really good switches are getting harder and harder to find, because the
world is going over to solving all those problems electronically.

The usual suspects here are DigiKey, Mouser, and Newark. All will sell
in small quantities. It used to be that Mouser was my go-to place for
switches and resistors, DigiKey for semiconductors, and Newark for
anything that smacked of industrial. That was 30 years ago, so things
have changed a bit.

I think, though, that I'd look at Newark first, then Mouser, then
Digikey. Figure that you may have to order multiple different switches
and try them out for touchy-feely.

--
Tim Wescott
Control system and signal processing consulting
www.wescottdesign.com

Could you go with a proximity switch?

"Ignoramus18425" wrote in message
...
My son has a "olympiad" event called "Robocross". He has to build a
robot that he would control, that drives around, picks up objects, and
delivers them into a jar.

To that end, I designed a system where the robot is on tracks and
drives using two DPDT momentary switches, turning like a tracked
tank.

It works, but I do not like the switches. One, they have a cheap ****
plastic ring/nut to hold them to the enclosure, and sometimes that
ring slips on the threads.

Two, these switches require significant force to switch (and that is
what affects that ring) and they are just not ergonomic. I want to
find switches that are more feather-light and easy to operate with
minimal force.

Has to be:

* DPDT
* Momentary
* Have quick-connect terminals

Any suggestions?

i


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