AV Bay Rotary Switch

Alot of you rocketeers use this rotary switch on your HPR rockets. It typically is mounted through the wall of the vent coupler if there is one & thru the side of the ebay.
I like them because they are flush to the rocket and can only be armed with a small screwdriver or coin to turn it. My question is because it looks permanently fixed to the
rocket fusilage & AV bay how are they internally wired so you can still slide the electronics sled out of the AV bay without the leads being broken or pinched? Up until now I
always used a screw switch mounted on the sled that was accessed thru the vent ports. But they have broken off the sled on occasion & we sure don't want that to happen on an
L3 attempt. This looks alot more solid.

I mount mine to the sled so comes out wit the sled. I have also used micoconnectors to the charges so that I can quickly disconnect but rarely do that today because is easier to hook them directly to the altimeter.

I use the wiring kits from doghouse rocketry. In my 4" rockets, I use one altimeter and two in my 5.5" rockets. There is room for the sled to slid in and out (carefully), and the wiring kit has quick disconnects for the main, drogue, and switch. Makes it easy!

The doghouse rocketry quick disconnect wiring kit should do the trick! Thanks for the info on that Jeff.

JST connectors, someone else on here put me onto them, now I love them. I used them for a disconnect between the alt and charges, between the alt and switches, and they work as pull apart for staging ignitor or charge setup.

I make my own switches, like the featherweight screw switches and mount them to the altimeter sled. I activate them through the ambient air pressure hole with a small screw driver. I also make my own through the wall terminals so that once I wire the altimeters to these terminals, the only time I open up my altimeter bay is to unplug / charge the batteries, or attach a micro-USB to USB cord to my computer for data/ programming. This makes flights really easy to prepare. If everything is good on the inside, then just keep attaching new charges, secure the altimeter bay and fly the rocket. I try to keep from opening altimeter bay any more than I have to. I do not like wires running though my bulkheads because I think it allows gases into the bays.

neond7 said:

I use the wiring kits from doghouse rocketry. In my 4" rockets, I use one altimeter and two in my 5.5" rockets. There is room for the sled to slid in and out (carefully), and the wiring kit has quick disconnects for the main, drogue, and switch. Makes it easy!

Click to expand...

This is the micro connectors I use. Dog House have the best customer service around.

I have been using the Schurter rotary switch for years, and have not had a problem to date. Like Salvage-1, i also use the JST connectors.

When using the rotary switch, i like to use a switch band. Before i glue the switch band to the coupler, i drill a 1/2 inch hole in the coupler and a 5/8 inch hole in the switch band. This allowes the head of the switch to fit almost flush. With two connectors on the sled, one going to the switch, and one going to the ejection charge, i like to use a male connector for one, and a female for the other. This keeps me from hooking them up wrong.

Here are some photos of a a/v bay i building with dual altimeters for a Wildman 4" Darkstar.

Nice pics, very organized looking ebay. Too bad I just glued my switchband on last night. However it's possible I could countersink the 1/2 in. hole with 5/8 not going farther than the depth of the switchband.

+1 on the JST connectors, cheap and free shipping here if you don't mind waiting 3 weeks for them...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/170652014204