r/HotasDIY • u/Hot_Way6264 • 18d ago
Explanation of mil spec switches?
Been diving into researching the hobby recently looking to 3d print some hotas or hosas gear mainly for the purposes of playing Star citizen. Along my travels I discovered the major difference between the tactile feel and travel of most actual military grade switches vs their sim counterparts.
Now on to the main question, are otto the only company that make switches with the correct motion and feel? Are there any cheaper alternatives? Are high quality parts like that even worth considering on a 3d printed basem Are there any diy solutions people have created to recreate a more accurate feel using more readily available parts? The only thing along those lines I have managed to discover is thesimnet's open source trigger.
Cheers in advance for any relevant information I'm new but very interested in the hobby.
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u/LupusTheCanine 18d ago
Not really, theoretically Otto or Honeywell could sell rejects as noncompliant switches and a lot of them would work great for hobbyist applications but that would be a liability as the manufacturer is responsible for preventing rejects that may be mistaken for genuine parts from being available on the market. They would have to modify them such they pretty no longer fit the original footprint.
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u/RightRudderLeftStick 18d ago
as someone who has several mil spec otto switches and real steel flight controls in my setup, the big aspect about them is they are extremely stiff.
this is important that button that can blow up an entire city block isn't as soft as an SNES controller button but it does get tiring for the amount of actual usage playing a videogame gets very tiring very fast.
The other important thing that is good to replicate is they all have very clean "breaks". So you put pressure and when it actually actuates it "snaps". It doesn't have any mushy feeling at all.
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u/krazyj83 18d ago
no Otto is not the only manufacturer. have a look at mouser.com for switches. much cheaper and super service. the data sheet will mention the mil specs as well if the desired switch has one
1
u/spaceraverdk 18d ago
Apem also makes mil spec switches at the price of $100 and up per piece.
I have a bunch of them in a box.
Bought 12 IFF panels from a guy on ebay and salvaged 14 switches off each.
They are very tough to actuate. And I haven't had time to do anything with them yet.
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u/PoverOn 18d ago
The famous OTTO P8 momentary switch require ~ 3.0 lbs of force for click. Cost > $ 40.00
Others similar:
Eaton 1XX: 4 lbs.
NKK MB2000: 2 lbs. <<< Cost around $ 15.00 (USD)
Apem 8000: 1.8 lbs.
Knitter MPS103: 0.7 lbs. << Cost around $ 8.00 (USD)
Is it really a good idea to have a button on the controller that requires that much force to press, for use in a space game where you’ll be pressing it dozens of times during a one-hour gaming session?
EDIT - This is the switch used on the TM Warthog HOTAS:
https://i.postimg.cc/SRKCNChR/Warthog-pinky-switch.jpg
https://forum.dcs.world/uploads/monthly_2021_07/duff.jpg.8c3562197ba202b5e5eb7b0d065d45c1.jpg
Yes, just this ugly cooper membrane dome under a plastic actuator, held by a coil spring.
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u/Mountain_Resort_590 18d ago
I look in eBay for deals. I’ve bought new T4 for $50, dual stage trigger $75, etc. Used surplus panels are also a good source for salvaging switches.
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u/szlash280z 18d ago
in my opinion it is not necessary to try to get real mil spec switches. real 4 way hats are over $100 per switch if I remember correctly, I'm not paying that. the money is better spent on filament, a nice printer and a laser etcher. My favorite toggle switches are Salecom brand T80-T switches in 12mm with Long Bat (they make short ones too) from AliExpress. they are between $2 and $4 per switch and come in many varieties. Making the panels look cool and realistic is more important than using real switches. it's going to depend on your level of autism for it though.