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Switching Switch/Button
Scuzzle - 1/1/14 at 10:53 PM

Does anyone know where to get one. I have both a mechanical and a GPS speedo sender unit and I'm looking for a switch that I can connect both sender wires to with one output to the speedo so I can just toggle between the two. Struggling to find one even though it's something I thought would be easily got, just something to toggle 2 inputs to one output.

Cheers

RickRick - 2/1/14 at 07:23 AM

you just need double pole double throw switch so as one set of wires connects the other set is disconnected. it'll have 6 contacts on the back

snowy2 - 2/1/14 at 08:50 AM

DPST...double pole single throw......DPDT double pole double throw
DPST has 6 terminals DPDT has 8........

renetom - 2/1/14 at 09:06 AM

Hi
Not good with electrics, but would an indicator switch do the job
dash mounted one or toggle switch on-off-on ?
Car builders have them.
Good luck

Andy S - 2/1/14 at 09:21 AM

Or a single on/off switch to a 5 pin switching relay.

gremlin1234 - 2/1/14 at 11:16 AM

quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
DPST...double pole single throw......DPDT double pole double throw
DPST has 6 terminals DPDT has 8........

a dpdt switch has six terminals,
a dpdt relay would have 8

DW100 - 2/1/14 at 12:07 PM

Sounds like you are all making it very complicated.

Assuming they are both digital outputs the you just need a Single pole double throw switch like this

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/ultra-miniature-toggle-switch-spdt-fh98g

Connect the center pin to the dash and the other two pins to the signal wires

Scuzzle - 2/1/14 at 01:30 PM

Thanks guys, that SPTD switch is what I need, I knew they should be easy enough to find but I simply could not find what I was after.

gremlin1234 - 2/1/14 at 02:30 PM

they also do a push button
http://www.maplin.co.uk/search?text=push+button+spdt&x=-466&y=-46

snowy2 - 2/1/14 at 02:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by gremlin1234
quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
DPST...double pole single throw......DPDT double pole double throw
DPST has 6 terminals DPDT has 8........

a dpdt switch has six terminals,
a dpdt relay would have 8


i dont want to be a pedant about this but most of my 6 terminal switches are a single action to change states, as are some of my 8 pin switches (haz switches are a good example which are also single pole.....) but most of the switches i have which have a double action (off,on,on OR on,off,on) have 8 or more pins. that are also double throw single pole switches which have 4 pins......but the term double pole double throw (DPDT) indicates a switch that has two additional switch-able positions from "rest", with two poles (i.e. two separate switched circuits) it does not help that even Maplins get the terminologies mixed up and when highlighted to them they are aware of the error but claim only nerds know the difference and are capable of correcting the mistake for them selves......i ask you.
to recap, a switch that has only one switch position is a ST a switch with two actions is DT (i.e. off,on, momentary....as used for wash/wiper on some cars)
anyway a switch will do the job as will the relay that Andy S suggested.

DW100 - 2/1/14 at 04:24 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switch

MikeRJ - 2/1/14 at 08:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
quote:
Originally posted by gremlin1234
quote:
Originally posted by snowy2
DPST...double pole single throw......DPDT double pole double throw
DPST has 6 terminals DPDT has 8........

a dpdt switch has six terminals,
a dpdt relay would have 8


i dont want to be a pedant about this but most of my 6 terminal switches are a single action to change states, as are some of my 8 pin switches (haz switches are a good example which are also single pole.....) but most of the switches i have which have a double action (off,on,on OR on,off,on) have 8 or more pins. that are also double throw single pole switches which have 4 pins......but the term double pole double throw (DPDT) indicates a switch that has two additional switch-able positions from "rest", with two poles


If we are being pedants then that isn't quite correct. The number of poles is the number of separate (isolated) switches ganged together i.e. a single pole will switch one circuit, a double pole two circuits etc. The "throw" is the number of electrical positions for each switch, a single pole is either on or off so the switch has only two positions (one of which could be momentary). A double pole is a changeover switch and could have two or three physical positions. This means some additional description is required to remove ambiguity, and the switch you are describing would would be called something like "Double pole, Double Throw, Centre Off".