Is the kroll clickie switch all we've got?

Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

Ive been reading this forum religiously ever since I found it a couple months ago. There for a while I though I was the only person who wanted to make new flashlights on their lathe.
Boy was I wrong. But now that I also have a mill and have gotten fairly decent on the lathe, Ive started working on some of the ideas that have been churning in my head.
So my question is, Is the kroll clickie switch the only commercially availible tailswitch that us "made from scratchers" have in our arsenal? I know Ive seen mention of a ram switch in various threads but it didnt sound too impressive. Dont get me wrong the kroll sounds great, but if we wanted something a little differnt for a project is there anything else availible, or do we have to engineer our own?
Thanks for the help,

Tim

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

I don't know about the availability, but YCLO's switches that he used for "E-series clickie" in the non-lotch tailcap are very good.

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

here's a link to what I think is the RAM switch you mention. It's cheap enough to give it a spin

http://www.zanheadgear.com/Products/ItemDetail.asp?sid=&ItemID=1078

Also occasionally you'll see the surefire clicky endcap for sale and although surefire's are too rich for my blood, they're very popular 'round here.

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

Xpyro,
If you are in the U.S., Fry's Electronics usually sells the Ram for about $5. If you can find any at Fry's..buy two of them. Why? 2 reasons:

1) Their Quality Control isn't always great. (chances good that you will wind up with at least 1 good one).
2) The Ram is a great tailswitch, because of it's sensitivity.
3) Is more compact than the Kroll switch -the red "on" button is recessed slightly to prevent activation in the pocket.
The weak spot of the Ram switch is it's timid spring tension. -Discussed on another thread is a remedy for that problem.

Also, my own Ram switch was causing flickering of my MadMax-which I will NOT tolerate /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif (!!!), so I shot some De-Oxit-under very high pressure -with the thin red tube that comes with most spraycan contact cleaners, and problem cleared up instantly. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

McGizmo put the inner part of SF Z57 clickie switch to his custom body.
Uni-body 1x123 power pak

Silver Legacy put a switch to a tailcap in his MAG mod.
MAGLITE 2D Mini-HID (Japanese web site)

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

Not to hijack the thread, but has anyone come up with a 2 stage clickie for the SF A2?

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

I've been wondering if someone with the skill and tools could put one of the many little tiny electronics switches into the space inside the HEAD of a Mag or other light. There are tiny toggle and DIP switches in the catalogs.

One thing I really like about the large Mag lights and the Dorcy is the rubber-covered button right on ths side where it's easy to turn the thing on and off.

And it's the smaller lights where I most want to be switching it on and off (on to cross the street, off to walk down the block, on to stand at the corner so the nitw, er, drivers notice I'm not a phone pole, on to cross the street ...

Any kind of little button or toggle on the side of the head of a Mag AA sized light would be very welcome.

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

Craftsman makes a Mag AA clone that already has the rubber side button.
I've seen it on other Mag AA clones as well.

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

Whydon't you build a good one we all could use /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

Re: Is the kroll clickie switch all we\'ve got?

i have seen the craftsman version. not a bad looking light.

seems a bit long (even my shorter brinkmann barely fits into my cargo pockets, mag with kroll fits even better).

anyone know the actual length?

Bob