Power switch for sidewinder3

[Espo]

So was out crawling last weekend. Lost power and found a lead came out of the power switch for the sidewinder3. To get thru the day I twisted the wires together. Do they make a replacement waterproof switch or should I just solder these wires together?

[Capwn]

Solder it man.. Who uses power switches anyways?

[micro racer]

Just solder the wires together. All of my rigs have the switch cut off and I can't see any benefits of replacing the switch over removing the failure point (the switch and attending wires)...

[Espo]

Ok, I'm new to the hobby and it just feels right to have to have a switch. But like you said, it bit me on a nice trail run, kept cutting off till we figured out it was the wire pulling out of the switch.

[JohnRobHolmes]

That is typically the first problem a new rig has. I don't have switches on anything, plug it in and it's on.

[Soldat Vaillant]

Originally Posted by Capwn

Solder it man.. Who uses power switches anyways?

A lot of us, everything I have still has the switch attached to it and I won't buy an ESC without one.

[JohnRobHolmes]

Originally Posted by Soldat Vaillant

A lot of us, everything I have still has the switch attached to it and I won't buy an ESC without one.

And I will never make an esc with one, lol. You must never get wet, or maybe you are OK with the occasional replacement of the switch?

Seems if they don't fail from corrosion , they rattle apart in my rigs. 100% failure rate for me in crawlers.

[QuesoDelDiablo]

Yup, I've never had a switch last more then a couple of runs before I have to bypass it. Now they just get cut offer before that rig even leaves the bench.

[Soldat Vaillant]

Water proof switches are available or you can waterproof the one's that come with the ESC. I would think heyok could come up with something too. If you mount a switch to a solid object that's subjected to a lot of vibration/shock or let the switch bounce around unsecured they will "rattle apart". What you're doing amounts to abuse, not really the fault of the switches.

"a couple of runs"

And I thought "100% failure rate" was a stretch.

I've never had much trouble with RC switches, but I've been around while and had electronics experience before entering the RC hobby in the early 90's. So anything RC that was going to get wet got protected. This was mainly nitro powered cars, trucks and boats due to fuel spillage, exhaust oils and obviously water exposure with the boats.

[Natedog]

Cut the wires off, carefully open the case, solder it together at the circuit board.

[JohnRobHolmes]

I always mount switches solidly to the chassis or ESC. No stretch about 100% failure rate of on/off switches in my crawlers, I wouldn't forgo the switches on a production ESC if it wasn't a very common problem. Every single ESC would fail that way until I started cutting them off ahead of time to avoid it. I've had a few switches fail in my go-fast rigs too.


Crawling IS abusive to parts. Anything that can rattle apart, will rattle apart. You have basically described any rock crawler with this statement: "If you mount a switch to a solid object that's subjected to a lot of vibration/shock or let the switch bounce around unsecured they will "rattle apart". What you're doing amounts to abuse, not really the fault of the switches." I agree it isn't the fault of the switches. My job is to fix the problem that crawling creates, which is done with highest success by complete removal of the first failure point.



I would also point out that everybody else in this thread has probably experienced the same issue and has recommended the same thing. It is not a rare problem, it is THE problem everybody runs into.

[WHITE-TRASH]

B!tches run switches makes perfect sense in this company.

[Soldat Vaillant]

it is THE problem everybody runs into

Then you should congratulate me on being the one, and only, person on this entire planet to avoid "THE problem everyone/everybody" else is plagued by.

[Capwn]

Originally Posted by Soldat Vaillant

Then you should congratulate me on being the one, and only, person on this entire planet to avoid "THE problem everyone/everybody" else is plagued by.

Or shame you for having a rig that's never seen so much as a speck of dust..

Can RC trucks be Mall Rated?

[cabron]

arguing opinions is nothing but a waste of time and emotions.
as in all life there are drawbacks to just about everything but doing nothing is even worse.

soldat, you obviously believe in switches and are willing to spend the effort in maintaining them.
more power to you

others are comfortable not using the switch and are satisfied with that, more power to them

but right and wrong? that is judgmental and a waste of time

the only important thing is to have the transmitter powered up before the receiver gets any juice.

I can send you 4 switches I took of some sidewinders so you can have some spares.

[Soldat Vaillant]

Originally Posted by Capwn

Or shame you for having a rig that's never seen so much as a speck of dust..

I'm not kind to my vehicles, but I'm also not going run them over with a tank then bitch about a "failure" at any percentage.

[Soldat Vaillant]

Originally Posted by cabron

soldat, you obviously prefer to use switches and are willing to spend the effort in maintaining them.

I spend very little time/effort "maintaining" switches because, as mentioned earlier, "I've never had much trouble with RC switches".

Originally Posted by cabron

I can send you 4 switches I took of some sidewinders so you can have some spares.

There are reasons I won't own Castle or Castle based ESC's, their switches is one of those reasons. So I'll be declining your patronizing offer.

For the record, I'm not arguing anything is good/bad or right/wrong. I simply stated another point of view on a subject that's debated all over the RC related web then fielded a little sarcastic rambling from john and cap.

[JohnRobHolmes]

Originally Posted by Soldat Vaillant

Then you should congratulate me on being the one, and only, person on this entire planet to avoid "THE problem everyone/everybody" else is plagued by.

I would honestly say it is a well deserved congratulations too!

New switches on castle mamba x line is much better. Probably wouldn't have as much trouble.

[Capwn]

Originally Posted by JohnRobHolmes

I would honestly say it is a well deserved congratulations too!

New switches on castle mamba x line is much better. Probably wouldn't have as much trouble.

Even my monster x got the axe.. A switch is just something that does exactly nothing, sitting there ready to fail at the worst possible time.

[cabron]

Originally Posted by Soldat Vaillant

...So I'll be declining your patronizing offer.

"To assume a tone of unjustified superiority; to talk down to; to treat condescendingly"

I talk opinion and you talk patronizing?
pot calling the kettle burnt?