Posted: 12/6/2006 4:29:04 AM EDT
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Anyone have any info or ideas about one of these? --or-- Has anyone ever seen an aftermarket one.... or fabricated one yourself? What I'm talking about is an external, push-button, momentary switch to activate the dot.... preferably mounted on the side of the forearm under your offhand thumb, or maybe on the tang under the thumb of your "trigger hand". I don't know anything about laser sights, but I get the impression a lot (most?) of them either come with an external switch or offer it as an option?? I have a Tasco PDP5 reddot.... it has four dot sizes and 11 brightness settings, and since it's an el cheapo anyway, I wouldn't mind modding it some. For awhile now, I've mulled around the idea that it would be a lot more convenient to have an external switch.... just pre-set your dot size and brightness, then push the button to activate the dot. I'm thinking that something the same diameter and thickness as the battery (2032), but (electrically) separated into a top and bottom half. One small wire connected to each half, the two wires lead out to an external battery, which is then connected to your push button switch. Anyone else ever wanted one of these? Any thoughts or ideas much appreciated!! Thanks in advance, CSOGA |
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Conserving battery life, maybe? You could leave the sight on all the time and just hit the switch when you need the dot, like a laser or a flashlight with a pressure pad. OKO used to make one, not sure if they still do. The "military" version of their red-dot sight had that pressure pad switch. |
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You are thinking, but this is stupid for many reasons, Will good optics, the batts last forever, 1100 hours for EOtech 512 552 10 years for Aimpoint Comp M Tape switches are unreliable In combat you will forget about the switch, or you will think too much about it and throw off your shots, take focus off enemy. Also, you need to be able to shoot from any position, even when you cannot grasp the grip.   |
Thanks for all the replies, but.....
DING DING DING..... the "why" contest is over folks, and we have a TIE for first place! had.... and the battery don't like to be left on for as long at one time as I like to play with the rifle, most every morning and evening. This is just for a .22LR backyard plinker (duck).... I won't be depending on it in combat, just chasing cans around the yard and popping a few squirrels/rabbits/whatever in my woods behind the house. Here's the setup so far: http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/Rhineland/Rhineland02.JPG ...and I plan to put Picatinny rails down the bottom and both sides.... bottom rails -may- have a vertical grip and a bipod mount, but the sides will have the rubber rail covers (for that quasi-AR-forend-lookhe I don't have an Eotech or other high-end long-battery-life sight, I shoot my AR using the irons mostly. Also, I'm an incurable tinkerer, and this is the road I'm on right now.... |
| When I worked for Aimpoint we had a sight come in one day for repair that someone had put a mercury switch on, when the rifle was at the ready position the sight was off but when the rifle was brought up to fire the mercury switch was activated and the sight came on. |
WTF? I guess if you just used the rig at the range it would be ok, but if you had to shoot up or down a hill no dice.
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How did he shoot at elevated or depressed targets? ETA beat by 6 seconds. |
I dont know, I never spoke with the owner, it was very creative but not very practical. When the box was opend and someone first noticed the mercury switch it got very quiet in the building and we were trying to remember who we had pissed off, luckily the switch only activated the dot 
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Here would be the easiest way of doing what you want to do with that sight: -See if you can get a spare battery cap. (or just use the one you have, it's a cheap sight right?) -Drill the cap to pass some wires through. -Make an insert to insulate the cap battery contacts from the battery. Small piece of sheet plastic/rubber perhaps. The plastic off the card the batt comes on would be perfect. -Make make a metal insert to contact the battery. -Solder 1 wire to the battery contacts on the cap and another to the metal insert you made. -Glue the metal insert to the plastic insert you made and attach that to the battery cap. What you want here is the plastic insert sandwiched in-between insulating the metal. -Run the wires out the cap. -Attach wires to a momentary switch and voila. You still retain the intensity function switch but the sight will only be on when you are pressing the switch. Depending on how thick you make the assembly you may have to use a thinner battery. Using a CR2032? Try a CR2025 instead. You can make your own tape switch with one of the pad type micro switches from radio-snatch or scavenge one. Is this more or less what you were trying for? ETA: Next on SHIPSNIPE1 TV... How to wire up a pedometer so you can have a digital display round counter. |
I hate to tell you this, but while you weren't looking someone Tapco-fucked that rifle.
...and it looks like the fucking's not over yet... |
Good on ya! You reeled in some big ones! Nice rifle if that's what floats yer boat. Looks like a fun project and a neat little backtard 
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), and I've seen some of the covers that have a switch housing incorporated into them.
Heheheh, maybe so.... but when I get REALLY pissed, I reach for "Old Faithful": http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/Rhineland/ARfullyTricked.jpg |
I love that pic. |
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Well, I got this thing figured out, and it actually works!! ht, As an aside, this whole project took a giant leap forward when my daughter, who had been shopping with my wife, after work 2 days ago, came to me that night and said "Daddy, I found this in the bottom of my shopping bag"..... keep in mind this was only a day or two after I started this thread, and had already decided to get started figuring this out! Below is a picture of what she handed me. Well, lo and behold, it was some kind of "switch" consisting of a "circuit board" with batteries mounted to it, and a "sandwich" of two thin peices of aluminum separated by a non-conductive layer of tape or something. I didn't think to take a picture of it until after I had disconnected the wires from the "circuit board" and starting cutting on it with a pair of carpet shears (heavy duty scissors): http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/reddotswitch/gizmo01.JPG Here it is after I cut it to the right size to fit into the battery compartment of the reddot: http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/reddotswitch/gizmo02.JPG Here is a labeled picture of all the parts, after I removed the O-ring seal glued to the inside of the cap and drilled a small hole in the middle, soldered the other wire to the other side of the "sandwich", and put a dap of solder in the middle for good contact to the negative post. I took a small jewelers file and flattened out the other solder blobs as much as possible and dressed the cut edge of the larger alum. disk. http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/reddotswitch/reddotremoteswitch01.JPG Here is a picture of the reddot with the little "sandwich" gizmo sitting in the battery compartment: http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/reddotswitch/reddotremoteswitch03.JPG This is with the battery in the sight and the wires bent, ready for the cap: http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/reddotswitch/reddotremoteswitch04.JPG And here's a close-up of same: http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/reddotswitch/reddotremoteswitch05.JPG And finally (drum roll please :) )..... here's the finished product!!: http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/reddotswitch/reddotremoteswitch06.JPG Of course, it's not completely "waterproof" now, but I'm not waterproof either, so I don't bother going out plinking in the rain! :D The two wires are soldered together for now so that: 1) I could test it to make sure it works. 2) So it would function as normal until I can find a remote switch to attach to the left side (under my thumb) of the forearm of this: http://users.pstel.net/pcsolutions/shooting/Rhineland/Rhineland03.JPG When I get just the right remote switch (push-button, momentary), I'll replace the short white wires with solid black ones. Also, I may try replacing the CR2032 battery (3v) with a 2025, which is also 3v, but thinner (my THANKS to SHIPSNIPE1 for that suggestion, and other ideas). This will let me screw the cap completey down so that the O-ring will seal as it's supposed to, then I could maybe put a dab of silicone caulk or something else waterproof around the wire hole I drilled into the cap. .... more later.... CSOGA |
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Glad I could help. That item you used looks like it is a speaker or buzzer out of a cellphone or some other gadget. ETA: Have you tried it without the two wires connected, just to verify thet the two parts are insulated? That's pretty much what I had in mind. Make sure you post this as a DIY in the optics forum. |
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SHIPSNIPE1, it's just two thin alum. discs, separated by some kind of insulation layer... I ohmed it with a multimeter before I started.... the two layers are definitely electrically separated.... and without the two wires soldered together, the dot is not on! FishKepr, Thanks! |