Push to Talk Switch

Bill Denton wrote:
But how much is a reliable switch worth when you're truckin' through
a Class
B and all hell breaks lose?

I agree. However, a more expensive switch is not necessary more
reliable than a cheaper one. Last year, we paid something like $10 for
a PTT for the copilot side. It did not work with the intercom. I
learned from the newsgroup that it needed to be rewired. Since we could
not figure out a way to crack the plastic box opened, we took it to our
avionic guy. He convinced us to pay for a $75 PTT switch. Since it was
a newer switch, we put it in the pilot's side. Later on, I decided to
modify the cheap switch myself to keep as a backup. Anyway, few weeks
later, the spanking new switch malfunctioned and created an
embarrassment incidence where the ATC could hear everything which we
said in the cockpit. At least, we were not in a B space. It turned out
to be a bad solder joint of one of the ground wires. We resoldered it
then another solder joint broke (all within a month or two). We could
have returned it, but I decided to resolder all the wiring and added a
strain reliever (which should have been part of the design in the first
place!!). BTW, we has been using the cheap $10 PTT in the pilot's side
for the last 9 months or so and it has been working fine.

David Clark PTT's are built with two switches in the housing.
I have yet to have one go bad.

wrote:


Bill Denton wrote:
But how much is a reliable switch worth when you're truckin' through
a Class
B and all hell breaks lose?

I agree. However, a more expensive switch is not necessary more
reliable than a cheaper one....

Very true. I called up one supplier who had one PTT for $16 and one for $79.
I asked what the difference was and he said, not much. I said I'd pay for
the more expensive one if it bought me something and he said it wouldn't.

So I bought the $16 and used it a lot in our 152's as their yokes have no
PTT. Held up pretty well.

Gregg

While a $16 switch and a $79 switch may be of equal quality, there certainly
can be a tremendous difference in the quality of similar-type switches.

"gregg" wrote in message
news:jFpyd.226905$5K2.143982@attbi_s03...
wrote:


Bill Denton wrote:
But how much is a reliable switch worth when you're truckin' through
a Class
B and all hell breaks lose?

I agree. However, a more expensive switch is not necessary more
reliable than a cheaper one....

Very true. I called up one supplier who had one PTT for $16 and one for
$79.
I asked what the difference was and he said, not much. I said I'd pay for
the more expensive one if it bought me something and he said it wouldn't.

So I bought the $16 and used it a lot in our 152's as their yokes have no
PTT. Held up pretty well.

Gregg

Jon Woellhaf wrote:

Hi Jon,

You mean in switches from Radio Shack?

Gregg

While a $16 switch and a $79 switch may be of equal quality, there
certainly can be a tremendous difference in the quality of similar-type
switches.

"gregg" wrote in message
news:jFpyd.226905$5K2.143982@attbi_s03...
wrote:


Bill Denton wrote:
But how much is a reliable switch worth when you're truckin' through
a Class
B and all hell breaks lose?

I agree. However, a more expensive switch is not necessary more
reliable than a cheaper one....

Very true. I called up one supplier who had one PTT for $16 and one for
$79.
I asked what the difference was and he said, not much. I said I'd pay for
the more expensive one if it bought me something and he said it wouldn't.

So I bought the $16 and used it a lot in our 152's as their yokes have no
PTT. Held up pretty well.

Gregg

I asserted, "... there certainly can be a tremendous difference in the
quality of similar-type switches."

And Gregg asked, "You mean in switches from Radio Shack?"

I mean among all switches, not just those from Radio shack. Radio shack
doesn't have any good switches.

Besides, you can't pay $16 for a Radio Shack switch, can you? Let's see ...
According to their web site, pushbutton switches (SPST momentary -- suitable
for PTT) range from $2.79 to $3.49.

A really good switch, the Newark 61F1210, is $19.57, according to their web
site.

Of course, we're talking about just the switch itself, not a complete PPT
switch assembly.

Jon