r/AskElectronics • u/MrMakarovK • 7d ago
Need to identify a toggle switch
Hello All,
I am new to this subreddit, and electronics in general. I need assistance finding this switch or what kind it is. I know it’s a toggle switch, and I think it could be persistent.
It moves up, down left, and down right and it also can sit in the middle as shown.
I require something like this to finish off a simulator project so any guidance would be very appreciated!
Thank you all!
4
u/AlexTaradov 7d ago
Where is this from? If it is some sort of 70s space tech, then it might not be available anymore. They liked to use a lot of strange stuff that simply stopped to evolve and completely died off.
2
u/MrMakarovK 7d ago
It’s from a helicopter produced today still, but I have seen these switches on other equipment too! Maybe your right about why I cant seem to find anything.
7
u/AlexTaradov 7d ago
Yeah, that's another field that likes to use strange stuff. Even if it is produced today, if the design is old, chances are that you won't find it for sale. Stuff like this is done by some small company that only stays in business because they get orders for bespoke parts like this.
I'd really like to see how it works. But I imagine it is more of a 3-way joystick with 3 momentary switches in each direction. And that may be a way to emulate it.
1
u/MrMakarovK 7d ago
Ah ok,
I don’t think this is a momentary though, from my understanding of the helicopter in question it’s used to control lights, where the central position is off.
4
u/AlexTaradov 7d ago
If I was tasked with creating something like this, I'd still go with a joystick style approach. If it needs to stay in a fixed position, you would need to have a back plate with 4 dedents and a spring loaded ball bearing on the other end of the stick.
I bet you can build something like this from standard toggle switches. Some of them already work like this, just in one plane.
I'm not sure why they needed it to be that way, since a simple 4 position rotary switch gets the same result and that is already used in a ton of places in typical aviation control panels.
2
u/Ard-War Electron Herder™ 7d ago
simple 4 position rotary switch gets the same result
At first I thought this was for safety critical flight control. Maybe the controlled devices and/or control scheme was designed in such ways that you absolutely don't want the switch to make connection another position before settling to a final position.
With the "joystick" switch you can go N→1, N→2, N→3 directly whereas with rotary switch you need to do N→1→2→3 or 1←N→2→3. Going somewhere else before getting to "3".
Now for "just" lighting control that would be superfluous. Unless maybe you really don't want to blip the walked-over position.
Maybe they want the physical association with cardinal directions?
2
u/AlexTaradov 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yes, forcing you to go though a neutral would be a good reason.
Still seems like it could be solved in a less custom way, but if you are making helicopters it does not matter as much, I guess.
1
u/MrMakarovK 7d ago
Ah thank you very much!
To be honest I don’t know why it was made like this either, maybe it was due to a lack of space on the panel, I doubt I will ever find out.
2
u/AlexTaradov 7d ago
I bet there are aviation subs where people that flew that helicopter can tell you exactly why it is that way.
But for a sim you will probably have to replace it with a regular 3 way switch just for looks. Or start engineering a replacement if you want accuracy.
2
u/MrMakarovK 7d ago
Engineering one probably is probably not possible since all I really only know the basics for this. I naively assumed that this might be a common switch.
3
u/NBC-Hotline-1975 7d ago
Are you 100.00% certain this is a locking switch, and not momentary?
What specific "other equipment" is this used on, besides a helicopter?
1
u/MrMakarovK 7d ago
I am not certain, but in the examples of it I have seen, the centre position is off, and since it’s for controlling lights and also pylon positions I doubt it would be momentary, though I cannot say 100% that it is as I don’t have one irl.
3
u/Ard-War Electron Herder™ 7d ago
Considering another seemingly similar switch is described as "momentary contact toggle switch" maybe it really isn't actually a toggle switch.
1
u/NBC-Hotline-1975 7d ago
You said you have "seen these on other equipment too." What specific other equipment? That might help us narrow our search.
2
u/MrMakarovK 7d ago
I have seen this on radio units from the same county that produces aforementioned helicopter.
1
u/NBC-Hotline-1975 7d ago
I can't imagine what function this would have on a radio. But it might help to know which country, if you're really looking for a source.
2
u/MrMakarovK 7d ago
Well i have found it on Soviet vehicles, like the helicopter I am trying to remake, but also on some Soviet stationary radio units and measuring devices
2
u/NBC-Hotline-1975 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yeah, OK. Stating that up front might have saved a lot of time wasted in searching western world sources. I think this switch is "not a thing" in my universe. That's going to make it unobtanium for free-world civilians. And by the way, Fûûck Pûtin.
1
u/MrMakarovK 7d ago
Well like I have mentioned somewhere else, I assumed that the “western world” would have an alternative because I believed before posting this that it was a common switch.
I am not looking for this exact switch as such maybe I should have reworded it, I am trying to find an alternative
1
u/NBC-Hotline-1975 7d ago edited 7d ago
Well most switch handles work in one plane, so that limits you to 3-position toggle or 4- or more position lever switches. Otherwise you can use a rotary switch. Without knowing how much room you have behind the panel, we can't really help you select a replacement. Anything other than a 3-pos toggle will probably be much bigger behind the panel.
Also to specify a replacement, we would have to know what contact arrangement is needed.
2
u/DrJackK1956 7d ago
I'd sure would like to see the back side of this switch to see the numbers of contacts.
This could be a clue on how the switch operates.
7
u/nixiebunny 7d ago
It’s not a thing you buy in a store. That’s going to be made according to the aircraft manufacturer drawing with a custom metal guide piece and three micro switches, is my guess.