RCO Sales - Frequently Asked Quesitons

A Specialty Distributor Call our knowledgable Staff with your application questions.		Frequently Asked Questions General Rotary Switch Questions What is a Pole? A Pole is an isolated circuit (or input). What is a section? A section (or deck or wafer) is what the contacts are mounted on. What is the difference in shorting and non-shorting? A shorting contact is also known as "make before break" and describes the action of the contact as you select your switch positions. The switch will momentarily "short" position 1 and 2 together when you rotate from 1 over to position 2. A non-shorting contact is also known as "break before make". The connection is momentarily broken when you rotate from position 1 over to position 2. What is an Index Angle? An index angle is the number of degrees between each position. Are your switches waterproof? No, but we do offer panel and shaft water seals. What is the difference between current capacity and current and voltage rating? Current carrying capacity, measured in amps, is the maximum load that this switch will carry with the contacts in a closed position. Current and voltage rating is the tested amperage and voltage capacity when you switch between positions, an electrical arc occurs. Over a period of time, this arc causes contact wear. A switch with the contacts closed has no arc, and the carrying capacity is higher. What questions usually need to be answered to specify a switch? Number of poles Amperage Voltage Number of positions MBB or BBM (shorting or non-shorting) OFF position required? Environment concerns (does it need to be waterproof, dust-proof, explosion-proof, etc.) Electroswitch Rotary Switch Questions What is a "detent" switch? Detent switches are very versatile & heavy duty (5-30A @ 600V) switches which use double sided blades to wipe both sides of the terminals. They are shock proof & virtually bounce free. They have "detent" (indexing) angles of 22 1/2, 30 & 45 degrees. What is a "snap-acting" switch? Snap-action switches are excellent for DC as well as AC applications. The mechanical system is designed to provide uniform high-speed operation (approximately 10 millisecond contact transfer time) regardless of how fast or slow the operating handle is turned. Turning he handle through about 120 degrees winds a coil spring. When the spring is fully wound, the energy is released to move the contacts to the next position. What is a "Cam" Switch? A cam switch has two independent sets of contacts in each deck. A notch on a "cam" attached to the operating shaft allows a contact to spring closed & complete the circuit. See the CAM-1 catalog for an illustration of this. Do you provide knobs or Dial Plates? Yes, we offer a variety of knobs and dial plates which can customize the look of your panel. However, you must purchase them separately from your switch. Do you provide handles & nameplates for your switches? Yes, all of our Electroswitch (Weymouth) switches come with handles. Blank nameplates are furnished with the series 24 & Cam switches. Engraved nameplates are furnished with standard instrument & control switches as shown in Technical Publication 24-1. Nameplates for other switches are available but must be purchased separately. How many positions do you supply? Depending on the series (detent, snap-action or cm) we offer 1 to 16 positions.

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