Group buy: interior buttons with led

[Chris Mackey]

Ok, I detail my frustrations in this thread:

What are the original buttons?

I want to buy a single latching button for controlling my heater bypass mod. The original buttons in the car are momentary switches, meaning that once undepressed, they go back to "off". The logic behind keeping your lights and A/C and the led in the button is all controlled elsewhere. So getting a used (or new) OEM button won't work for me. Engineering the correct behavior with flip flops is too much effort.

So, I have found a supplier (Relay Specialties Inc) to sell the buttons, but only in bundles of 25. The price will be around $25 each (unless we buy 4000, at which the price is more like $14 ).

If you're interested, please indicate here how many and what color you want.

WE CAN ONLY GET ONE COLOR. I will come back to this thread and negotiate with interested parties and try to make a consensus.

Since I am hooking the button to my heater bypass, I want a blue one. Red also seems appropriate. I'll settle for green or yellow, though.

So you can see what I am doing, here is a pic of the current setup. The blue light does work. I will either replace it with a gel or I will replace the other gels with lights to make them all match, but I'll probably use dim LEDs.

Spec sheet for the switch. (pdf)

[jim-clayton]

I want 4 pcs. First choice blue
second choice any color

[waydui]

Originally Posted by Chris Mackey

So, I have found a supplier (Relay Specialties Inc) to sell the buttons, but only in bundles of 25. The price will be around $25 each (unless we buy 4000, at which the price is more like $14 ).

If you're interested, please indicate here how many and what color you want.

WE CAN ONLY GET ONE COLOR. I will come back to this thread and negotiate with interested parties and try to make a consensus.

Although I don't need one of these switches, I think you can get these switches individually from Digi-Key. I bought several items from them for my Elise and the prices and service were great.

Here is a link to the switch I think you are looking for: Digi-Key - 679-1110-ND (APEM Components - IPC3SAD6)

They sell this item individually as they are willing to break down the 25 quantity packs.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Wayne

[Chris Mackey]

No, that's not it. Digi-Key doesn't stock the button I am after. They can order batches of 25, though.

[Chris Mackey]

Just bringing this back to the top of the list. Please don't vote if you don't actually want to buy a button.

[Chris Mackey]

Come on guys, how are you going to turn on your neon light undertrays?

[rsnookjr]

Count me in for one. I am hoping that they turn out to be BLUE, but I will take one regardless of color.

[Chris Mackey]

Ok, I thought I'd type of some of the uses for this switch in an effort to gin up some interest. We're at 6 now, with 3 more likely to join. I need to move 16 more.

1) Heater bypass, Tonywa28's or your own.
2) Radar detector install
3) NOS activation/bottle opening
4) additional interior lighting switch
5) amplifier/satellite radio/navigation power switch
6) fuel pump kill (yeah, right in the open, maybe that doesn't make any sense.)
7) passenger side air bag disable

The switch doesn't have to go into the panel that I bought, either. You can make a new hole in the dash or in the console, kind of like I did this one:



(That is a momentary button that controls my garage remote.)

[Chris Mackey]

Another idea for those interested, albeit more expensive. The hard part is finding the switch with an LED and a chrome bezel. Maybe I'll order a black/blue switch and a cheaper switch with a chrome bezel and try to mix and match.

In the meantime, maybe putting this at the top of the page will generate some interest.

[jim-clayton]

We can add a latching relay to a momentary. Is the momentary easier to get?

[Chris Mackey]

Originally Posted by jim-clayton

We can add a latching relay to a momentary. Is the momentary easier to get?

Hmmm....I never knew such a thing existed! One requirement for the project would be that it "remembers" state between activations. So, if I turn on the heater bypass (or whatever) while driving, it stays on until I kill the car. Then, I turn the car on, and the bypass remains activated. (Sorry to seem pedantic, I just want to be sure.)

The switches from Elise Shop are 15 euros plus shipping. It gets close to $50, IIRC.

Pushbutton with integrated LED light (Elise, Exige, 340R, VX220 all models) [LSS2] - 14.95*EUR : Elise-Shop :: Innovative products :: Worldwide delivery :: Fast service

They don't mention which color the switch is, so I'd assume yellow or your choice.

Will this one do the trick:

vsm129 Latching Universal Relay 12 volt

[Chris Mackey]

FWIW, I sent them an email asking about color choices.

I'm kind of excited now. I just hope the light at the end of the tunnel is an LED, not a train :P

[Chris Mackey]

Maybe we ought to make a WTB thread for the switches. Fred Zust gave me one a while back after I posted such a thread. I'm guessing A/C delete option will make blue switches available.

[jim-clayton]

The relay can be configured numerous ways. It can stay in each position until you press the button again. Or turn off when you shut the car off. We use them at work. We got a guy who knows how to hook them up in 6 dozen configs.

[Chris Mackey]

The Elise Shop buttons are red LEDs.

[Chris Mackey]

Due to lack of interest, I'm not going forward with this. I went ahead and ordered a red LED button from Elise Shop.