External On off switch

[Chris S.]

Where do you guys get the push/pull on off switch I see on so many of your boats? is it for the radio or main power?

[Steven Vaccaro]

I havent found those type of switches but, at radio shack they sell a rubber cover for a toggle switch. Its pretty neat, it has a oring at the base to help keep water out.

[toyboy4145]

I believe the push/pull switches are homemade. I saw a pic on here of one on a boat, but cant remember where. I think it is just a regular receiver switch with a hole drilled in it for a peice of pushrod. Could be wrong though, wouldnt be the first time.

[j.Rendon]

My Super Hawaii came with one. I tried looking for spare parts
for the boat on the internet and haven't found a place that sells
them yet. Maybe someone else knows of a place that does. The
push pull switch that came with the SH is nice. Good luck!

[AndyKunz]

DuBro makes a great switch holder.

I don't use switches as they tend to be a failure point.

Andy

[Jeff Wohlt]

Called a Switch Extension - made by Dubro but you can order from DPI.. or dubro online. The have them for around $4. I am now using them in all my boats. You can mount Vert or Horizontal.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Here you go. They make one wiht a rechargable jack as well.

http://www.dubro.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/scstore/p-203.html?L+scstore+htqa5279+1018654263

[Chris S.]

thanks for all the great replies. I alwayst thought that those switches were for the battery to the motor power. Also how come some of the Euro boat racers have that loop of wire sticking out of the hull, Is that a main power disconnect?

[Doug Forrester]

Chris
You raise a very interesting point. I'm sure 99% of all the external switches you see on boats in North America are radio on/off switches. These obviously control the radio's operation and theoretically the esc's operation of the motor/battery circuit. If, however the fets in the esc should short and burn out they could cause the motor to stay on no matter what the radio does.

The loop of external wire and gold bullet connector that you are referring to on some European boats is, indeed an arming device for just the motor/battery circuit, independant of the radio. When the plug is disconnected, the circuit is dead, no matter what. I'm sure that this arming feature is required on all raceboats in some countries. Here is an example of one of Miha Holc's boats from Slovenia.
http://www.microhydros.com/miha_holc/miha3.htm

This external disconnect makes handling recovered boats much safer and adds very little potential resistance to the circuit. We would do well, on this side of the Atlantic, to consider requiring such a safety measure.

Just a thought.

[Paul]

Hello Doug,

We would do well, on this side of the Atlantic, to consider requiring such a safety measure.

I'm with you there, I do put external switches on my boats now but have yet to come up with an acceptable looking battery switch. One thought was to use a large 100 amp spade fuse on the transom, mount the jack thru hull and plug the fuse in.

Paul.

[redster]

Look at the Hobby Lobby website on their boat section.They have a Graupner rubber switch cover that goes over a regular RX on off switch.Item # GR3940,See if this work for any of you fellas.
Redster

[Miha Holc]

Doug thanks for mentioning me and my model.

I looked on the emergency switch as a power robbing, weight adding thing some years ago when NAVIGA got this in the rule. Furthermore it is of no use if the boat runs out of control and speeding towards the shore or other solid and massive object. You won't catch the boat by any means and pull the plug out.
For these season we made some changes on all our hulls so we have now plug (or key alike devices) system which is what the rules really call for.

I made a small fiberglass mold so I can make little hatches which just fit over female Deans Ultra Plug. After making all the neccessary things with wires installing and slodering them to the female connector I CA the connector to the hull and then glue the hatch (cap) over the connector with 5 minute epoxy.
»Key« is just shorted male connector with soldered thin loop wire. Relatively tight holes are needed where the wires come through the hull (or flood chamber plate) and little CA'd around provides good seal yet wires are still flexible.

[Miha Holc]

As for receiver »switch« I use MC1 gold connectors plug. Female connectors are epoxied in the hull. If the hull is carbonfiber I epoxy them in fiberglass sockets. After several years of racing in 9 boats I got two failures – both with corroded soldering on the wire-male connector contact.

[Miha Holc]

On the smaller (mini/microhulls) MC2 plugs I made it this way. 2 mm gold plated MC2 banana plugs. Female connectors are CA'd in drilled fiberglass piece and the piece is CA'd to the wing.

[Miha Holc]

I forgot to write that emergency switches are really helpful when the boat has taped down hatch. OK, the batteries are getting cooler but you can run anytime you want without having turned on the Tx and the whole electricity in the boat.