1/4 inch Rocker switches to replace 2003 Journey switches

[Rodger]

Does anyone know where you can get some ST3P rocker arm switches. They need to be ON/OFF switches. You have 3 male blades on the switch. The bottom blade has power in, the other two blades have power when you turn the switch on. I want to change the toggle switches in my MH to rocker arms so that the switch does not accidently get turned on or maybe the toggle gets broken.
Thanks.

[Morich]

Not getting what you are wanting to do and not at all sure about a ST3P rocker switch?
Sounds like you want to turn power on from one connection to two items?
That would sound like a simple on/off rocker switch??/
One lug for power in and two wires on the other lug to carry power out?

I'm missing the big picture!

[be happy]

I had to replace the lighted rocker switch for the water heater. I went to all sorts of stores to try and find the switch that would work. Non that I found would do the job, finally had to call Lichtsinn RV for the switch.

https://www.lichtsinn.com/

You would think a switch is pretty much a switch but seems some of this winnebago stuff is winnebago specific.

[Rodger]

Morich, you have it right. The switch (rocker arm) is used to turn on two different lights. I have about 4 of them in my motor home. The switch has 3 male blades on the bottom of the switch. Power comes in on the bottom blade. When you turn it on it provide power to two wires connected to the other two blades. It is a simple on/off switch but it has 3 blades on it instead of 2. Sorry the picture is blurry but you can still see it. Hope you get the pics.

[bigb]

Is it possible to use a SPST switch and just pigtail the two loads?

You might browse around here: https://www.elliottelectronicsupply.com/

They show the dimensions for all their switches.

[Morich]

I have found many of the switches on my RV have been made by Carling, so I go to their online catalog first as a way to get pictures and confirm the correct name before ordering.
Often other sources are better for price/shipping combo but I like to confirm what I think on the name and pinout first.

The name/label of the switch ispretty simple but I always like to review to make sure I'm not confusing the minor points. But that leaves me scratching my head on how we would build or use a ST3P switch?

That is where I got the feeling we are not speaking the same way?

[Rodger]

bib: I can do that I just did not want to.

[Rodger]

Found them from Digi-key, I hope. I will let you know. Thanks everybody. If you look at the pictures I sent Morich you will see what I am talking about.

[Rodger]

A ST3P is a single throw 3 pin switch. At least that is what some companies call them. Some say SPDT.

[bigb]

Originally Posted by Rodger

A ST3P is a single throw 3 pin switch. At least that is what some companies call them. Some say SPDT.

A SPDT will not accomplish what you are describing. A SPDT has the common in the center and a load terminal on each end and it is an ON-ON switch, if you connect two loads one or the other of the two loads will always be on. It can only energize one terminal at a time. It is commonly used as a 3 way switch.

I don't see a need for the switch you describe, multiple loads can be switched from a SPST by merely splicing the loads together.

If you don't want to splice the loads together just use a SPST and one of these.

I am a bit leery though of your switches, have you actually disconnected one and tested with a continuity tester to verify it operates as you stated? It's just that I've never heard of one and I don't fully understand why you would ever need one since a SPST would accomplish the same thing.

Is there any chance these are 3 way switches? Doubtful though as they have ON/OFF labels. What about pilot switches, do they light up?

[Morich]

I see part of the confusion! That is not a "switch", but a set of three switches mounted together on one faceplate!
That may quite likely put in into a custom RV item!
This drawing will give you a diagram of where the switches are located with numbers to referr to the part number and actuall description of that eswitches.
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...00/0wkp36g.pdf

If you run down to near page 60-65 , you will find the info needed to get the part number as used by Winnebago. That gives you parts numbers as well as decribes the basic functions.
Then it gets into finding that type of switch but in a form you want. But with problems being quite likely! I'm not sure about the center as I can't see it well, but the outer two appear to be rocker switches now?

There "may" be some somewhere to replace these but I'm still missing what issue is to be solved. These seem to be meant to reduce the total space needed for the three switch. To move away from rocker switches and reduce size, one migh tlook at push button switches but moving to a smaller size seems to get into a size that is hard to manage with the end of a finger and not what I would want.

Example of what parts info may give?
Click these snips to see better!


Note? We may be getting into a time when info is not verified and it sometimes comes from places where we should questions if they are given us good info!
I have not run across any US use of them speaking of the "pins" when naming the switch. This is more in line with what I consider "standard for "US" speak!

https://www.arrow.com/en/research-an...les-and-throws

[bigb]

Richard I got the impression that the rocker switches in the picture are an example of what he wants to use in replacing some toggle switches which he didn't show. I don't think he wants to replace the existing rocker switches.

[Rodger]

Morich I found these at Digi-key, Digi-Key Part Number
2057-SW-R2-2B-F-1-0-ND. These seem like they will do what I want. I don't particularly care for the toggle switches, plus whoever used the stove before I got the MH must have liked greasy foods because the switches at the bathroom and on the side where the sink is are greasy and sticky. On the pics that I sent you the bottom is always hot and when you toggle the switch the top two connect to the bottom and are hot. I am hoping the ones from Digi-key are what I want. They are on-on switches.

[Rodger]

These are the toggle switches I am replacing. The one on the left is the one I am trying to find. The one on the right is the one I have replaced.

[Morich]

Okay, that is what I am used to calling SPDT. There is a single power point and that switch can be thrown two ways. When it is thrown up way, one of the outer lugs is connected to the center and power is sent to whatever is connected there.

I drew this as example of a light and a fan that are turned on/off by the single switch thrown two different ways.



Power holds hands with the light or it holds hands with the fan??

SORRY!
I spent some time with folks who had trouble with thinking about contacts. But they did understand holding hands better!
You gotta meet 'em where their mind is and it's not always what the rest of the world understands!

BUT!
If you use this switch, either the light or the fan will always be on! Not likely what you want!
To get the choice of none or one of the other, you need a center off.
ON-OFF-ON so that there is a center position where neither fan nor light are connected!

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by Rodger

Morich, you have it right. The switch (rocker arm) is used to turn on two different lights. I have about 4 of them in my motor home. The switch has 3 male blades on the bottom of the switch. Power comes in on the bottom blade. When you turn it on it provide power to two wires connected to the other two blades. It is a simple on/off switch but it has 3 blades on it instead of 2. Sorry the picture is blurry but you can still see it. Hope you get the pics.

I have the on/off toggle switches too.I bought replacements from a local electrical supply store, they had to order them though.

[Morich]

I tend to do things as simple as I find practical to do it and get what I want.
One way to avoid working to figure out the design and engineer things is to use what has already been done, if it does what I want.

In this case, if the switches all turn on/off what I want in the way I want, I would not try to engineer from scratch a new solution. We are already provided with what type of switch was OEM. If that works and I want to have a different handle on it as the only change, I don't need to figure out which contacts meets which contact and how to wire it on the back.
That info is already in the drawings as posted in the example above. That leaves me thinking it okay to go to the drawing, find the switch I want to change, look at the description of that switch and go!
If a rocker switch is wanted to replace a toogle switch, change that part of the name and use the rest of the info as given to us!

That still leaves plenty of mental to get the details right. Things like whether three of the new switches will fit side by side and what type faceplate to use, will be plenty of mental exercise for me!

[Rodger]

Originally Posted by Morich

Okay, that is what I am used to calling SPDT. There is a single power point and that switch can be thrown two ways. When it is thrown up way, one of the outer lugs is connected to the center and power is sent to whatever is connected there.

I drew this as example of a light and a fan that are turned on/off by the single switch thrown two different ways.
Attachment 189807
Attachment 189808

Power holds hands with the light or it holds hands with the fan??

SORRY!
I spent some time with folks who had trouble with thinking about contacts. But they did understand holding hands better!
You gotta meet 'em where their mind is and it's not always what the rest of the world understands!

BUT!
If you use this switch, either the light or the fan will always be on! Not likely what you want!
To get the choice of none or one of the other, you need a center off.
ON-OFF-ON so that there is a center position where neither fan nor light are connected!

Morich, The switch I showed in the picture is what I have. Power comes in on the bottom blade. When you toggle the switch up it provides power to the other two blades. The rocker switch that I want will do the same thing. When you toggle the switch down there will be no power to the top two blades. The bottom will still have power but it doesn't do anything with it, it is just there to power the other two blades.

[Morich]

That's a strange one to me.

But then if the power is coming in on the bottom and going out on two upper, the question would be why would we want it going out two places instead of just putting both load wires on one lug and making the switch simple?

Digging deeper in the catalogs and going to the old paper copy, I might see a problem to confuse us?
You've not pointed out on the drawings where this set of switches is located so we are left guessing but when looking at the parts as listed and then going to the paper catalog where they give a picture as well as description, I see a mismatch in the info!
What they list in one place is not what they list in the other, leaving us to sort which is true!

On the current drawings and parts list, we get this:


This looks like a definite error in listing or certainly different than I think of. If the options for switching are on or off, that seems to be what the part above lists as SPST, NOT SPDT!

If you can only throw from ON to OFF or OFF to ON, that is only a single throw!

So when I go to the paper copy, we get a different story but still some questions on how they are listing things???

This seems closer to what I would expect to find on a SPDT, as they give us two options, making it a double throw!
But is this what they really mean and no matter which way we throw the switch something is left ON? Or did they mean to include a center OFF position for ON-OFF-ON, not ON-ON?

This would be a time for me to get the switch in hand and use a meter to sort what it actually does as there seem to be listing errors!

[Rodger]

Morich, I have one just to the left of the entrance to the toilet. It doesn't seem to do anything. There are 2 on the right as you enter the bedroom. I don't know what it is used for as no lights light up. I have one by the GFI just to the left of the sink in the kitchen. Not sure what it does either. All I know is power comes in on the bottom and when you toggle it that power on the bottom blade connects to the top two blades. It is an on/off switch. So yes they are ST's but they have 3 blades. They are not on/off/on switches.