Switch Specifications Where to Start?

[Blaze]

Sorry as I am sure this has been asked a lot in the past but trying to use the search function with anything about switch selections yields about a billion hits. I'm a new user so I hope you have a little patience with me...

I don’t have much of an electrical, or design background but I do ave a lot of model making experience mostly R/C and scale models. I have been flight simming for many years but until now have never had the desire to build a pit.

I have a Saitek Yoke and a pair of their throttle units an X-52, a set of rudder pedals and a Go Flight MCP Advanced autopilot. I have a registered version of FSUPIC.

I would like to build a pit around the PMDG J41 even though I understand that they did not release their keyboard commands and may not, I am hoping they will. I sort of figured I could build the panel in sort of a generic fashion keeping it based loosely based on the J41 and if they never release they're control inputs then perhaps I could adapt it to another twin turboprop aircraft as time progresses.

With that said and little or no experience in these matters I was hoping to make some basic switchesand mount them on a MDF test panel to gain some experience on how to do that sort of thing.

I had an old logitech usb joystick that I was able to take apart and study. I read on this forum where somebody suggested that you could solder your switch to the wires that were previously operating buttons on the joystick and test them via windows control panel. So I went to Radio Shack to find some rocker switches but the problem is I don't know what I am looking for/at? Some were 12VDC 25-30amp switches and some were 6A at 125VAC. I am assuming that neither of these will work? How do I know what to look for in a switch spec?

I guess the end state I am trying to achieve in this first step is a panel like a Go Flight T8 or P8 unit but being able to select the switch type I want to use and mount them into a panel where I would like to have them rather than in a straight bank of eight switches.

Sorry if this is so long winded but I want to start someplace, I realize I am a total noob.

Thanks for any suggestions in advance,
Robert

[mkitch]

wire is wire man, just extend the lead wires to the switches, it wont cause enough voltage drop to worry about. Atleast I dont think.

[HoustonFirefox]

Robert,

Insofar as the switches at Radio Shack, you could probably use ANY of them.

The specifications (15A at 120VAC for example) are the absolute MAXIMUM that the switch can handle. Since joystick pushbuttons, etc are only passing ~ 5V at milli or micro amps, then 99.99% of the switches at RS are easily capable of switching those very small currents/voltages.

Good luck with your project!

[autocadplease]

FYI - At least here in Canada, I can buy ten switches on Ebay for the price of one switch at Radio Shack (The Source CC).

[blufke03]

At Madison, they will tell you the exact switch specifications that you need to use!
I think that this will really help