Lighted SPST Rocker Switch

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

As other reviewers have said, the load side is grounded when switched off. This means the switch functions like a SPDT instead of an SPST as advertised. But that can be changed if you are willing to modify the switch on the inside.

I planned on using this switch in my car to turn on/off footwell lights that I am installing. I wanted the switch to be illuminated at all times so it would be easy to see in the dark regardless of it being on or off. After my initial testing and being dissatisfied, I popped off the rocker to look at the insides. Fortunately I was able to fix the problem very easily. I took a very small piece of duct tape and wrapped it around the end of the metal contact the would normally connect the load and ground lines when switched off. Now there is never a connection there and the switch functions like the SPST it should have been.

To get the light to be on all the time, I simply switched the load and power lines from the way they are labeled (which normally would have shorted the battery = bad) and now it works exactly the way I want it to. It works great with this little tweak.

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

It seems some people here do not know how to read the wiring diagram and how to wire a lighted switch. This switch has three connections. Power in, load, and ground. Power in and the load should be used for switching the connected circuit. The ground is to chassis ground the incadescent lamp (not LED) inside the switch so that it will light when the switch is closed. Alternately this switch could be wired in where the power in is connected to the load tab and the load connected to the power in tab and ground to ground. This will allow the indicator lamp to light when the switched circuit is open making it possible to easily find the switch in the dark and the light will go out when the switch is closed. Resistance from load to ground tabs should be about 26 Ohm because of the bulb. I love the light on this but sadly could not use it in my applications since I was switching a ground leg and electricity taking the path of least resistance will naturally flow through the almost zero resistance power in to load terminal path. It sucks that I can not use the light but I really like the way this switch mounts and will some day add in a seperate indicator light in series with my circuit.

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

This switch would work in a normal automotive application but I wanted to use it to disconnect a battery and have a charger downstream. Soon as I connected it and turned off the battery, the charger got shorted. That's when I found out that the load side of this switch is shorted to ground when it is off. That is not expected operation of a switch. It should have been stated in very large letters that this is how it works.

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

Have to agree with MadMechanic... Switch works very well. I do not see how anyone using a Relay could be pulling more than 2... maybe 3 Amps tops. Unless they aren't paying attention to their wiring. Check the ratings on the relays you are using. Running a Load directly through a switch is ok for small items and must be properly fused or you WILL get heat damage and almost any switch will eventually fail... or worse, especially ones that are made out of PLASTIC. And as far as Soldering to the terminals... DUH... these are not Terminals to be soldered to... they are Spade Terminals... so use the correct connectors. This switch IS VERY BRIGHT so I am using for Lights that I MUST KNOW are ON. ( 1988 GMC Sierra 2500 4x4 - rear utility lights )Bright enough to where you will NOT forget to shut them down. For Lighting Systems that run for long periods of time, I use a rocker switch that does not have it's own illumination and run a small LED either above or to the side. This way I can regulate the brightness as well as the color. This also opens up mounting possibilities and some additional fun if you are so inclined. Will continue to use these switches where their brightness becomes an asset.

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

Works good. Don't know how those other guys are hooking it up, but if you hook up the power to the power tab and ground to the ground tab, and the load to the load tab, everything works amazingly. It's too bright for interior use though. I used it to make an independent A/C switch for my Contour. Also, it is bulky. The tabs are too tight together, limiting mounting room in the back. Should maybe have wires instead of tabs....

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

I have used 3 of these or similar now and have had no problems with any of them (when I had the packaging to hook them up right). I primarily use these to control the remote power wire from stereo headunits to car audio subwoofer amplifiers. The reason I gave it the con of being bulky is that I like to have this switch mounted inside the center console of my car, where I can flip it on and know it's on but not have to see it full time, but the rather large size of this switch prohibits some mounting locations.
Do these bad reviewers even KNOW how to read a simple electrical schematic? If they did, they would know that the schematic on the back of the package tells them EXACTLY how to hook this guy up so that it lights up and DOES NOT short out what they are powering the intended device from.
As for the 8.6 amp relay... I have never heard of a 12V relay (as a mechanic, I use and work with a LOT of them) coil that pulls more than possibly 2 amps, and that includes the huge relay aka solenoid on most engine starting systems.

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

I used this to create a Hazard Flasher for my mortorcycle. Still works great after three years!

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

Put two of these in my rack-mount to switch power to my DSL modem and my wireless access point. They work fine! I suspect "cockpit error" on some of these reviews. For instance, you DON'T solder to the switch! You solder to a female spade connector, (three, actually) and push them onto the switch. And over 6 amps for a relay?!? NO WAY. Maybe directly to a headlight, but not a relay. Super easy to mount: drill a 1/2 inch hole. It's just that easy.

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

I used this as a power switch for a PC power supply I converted for benchtop use (powering RC battery chargers etc) and it works great. The overall length is a little bit long but other than that, it works beautifully.

Comments about RadioShack Lighted SPST Rocker Switch:

I use the switch to control a relay for fog lamps. The first switch was well made, lasting 2 years. Recently, the bulb vibrated downward, close to the spring-loaded center pin mounted in the translucent plastic rocker, which softened and stretched when I attempted to shut the switch off(I could not). The switch was passing 8.60 amps.

I bought a new switch and removed the bulb to prevent the same problem. It lasted one day before failing in the same way, without a bulb and passing 8.60 amps.

Perhaps they have a vendor in China making these things now from more thermally sensitive plastic.