Reccommendation for mini toggle switches?

[Charlie Wilson]

Hello, I have been using the little red mini toggle switches(Carling?) and have had two of them go bad on me. One was a bit of a nightmare because it is the clean/overdrive switch and it took me forever to figure out that the sound of my clean and overdrive was being corrupted by that switch not completely grounding out the relay. I would like to get some switches that are a bit more heavy duty. I was hoping some of the guys that build amps for a living would know the ones that seem to hold up.
CW

[Colossal]

Charlie,

I like and use NKK M series toggles.

http://www.nkkswitches.com/pdf/MtogglesBushing.pdf

[Charlie Wilson]

Thanks Colossal.
CW

[Guy77]

I also use the NKK switches, they are great. I have one underneath my 50 watt ODS chassis connected to zener diodes to switch between a high and low B+ value. I only switch it when the amp is turned off. It has been working great!

Cheers
Keep the iron hot.

Guy

[Charlie Wilson]

All right then. I need to do a Mouser order so I am going to give those switches a try. Thanks.
CW

[UltraHookedOnPhonix]

I second Colossal's suggestion. The M series are some nice switches!

Here are some toggles that consistently made their way into Dumbles:

Mountain/Miyama 10TC2XX series (blue mini-toggles)
http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/221/MS-100353-200653.pdf

Mountain/Miyama MS550X series (green mini-toggles)
http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/221/MS-200272-200731.pdf

TE/Alco MTA "Green" series (very, very nice toggle switch, used in ODS #84 for example)
Catalog pages: http://www2.mouser.com/catalog/English/103/1707.pdf
Datasheet: http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/418/NG_CD_1- ... 645911.pdf

[David Root]

I have been using the mini toggles from Parts Connexion for several years now. They are not NKK but I have never had one go bad on me. I will look up those NKK switches. MIJ means quality!

[Chris333]

Never had any trouble with Mountains from Mouser with new builds, but they can get a little soft if you do any rework. It'd be nice to find a source for Teflon-bodied mini-switches...

[Structo]

Yep, soldering these tiny switches can be a challenge not to melt them.

Best practice is to use a pretty hot iron, so you can get on and off the solder joint quickly.

[Colossal]

Yep, soldering these tiny switches can be a challenge not to melt them.

Best practice is to use a pretty hot iron, so you can get on and off the solder joint quickly.

Also, use a very fine solder tip. I have one for my Weller which is like a freshly sharpened #2 pencil. It makes surgery in hard to reach places and the tabs on a toggle switch manageable. For difficult access, I too set the temperature just a little hotter so once the part is set and ready to solder, I can cook it off quickly and without any nonsense. Get in and get out.

[UltraHookedOnPhonix]

This is the tip I use for those pesky tight spots. If you're going to do something, then do it right!

[vibratoking]

add solder paste and wave that wand over the chassis...done

[Structo]

Heehee!

My dad actually had a big electric iron like that when I was a kid, 1960's.
I think I have it around here somewhere.

In the 70's I worked for an old man that had a sheet metal shop.
We did everything from gutters to chimney caps. Any type of sheetmetal.
Being 75 at the time, he was old school.
Now he is ancient (dead) school!

We used furnace fired irons ( on the truck) that an 'assistant' would toss onto the roof when hot,
so you could lead solder the miter joints, sleeve joints and down spouts.
All galvanized steel.
Even did copper if the customer wanted the up-charge.

so long ago now....

[dorrisant]

add solder paste and wave that wand over the chassis...done

Great picture... Great caption for it!! Lol!

[deiseldave]

Thanks UltraHookedOnPhonix. I just spewed some decent Malbec on the screen, laughing at that pic.