"I wish I had a tact with a longer actuator" solution

[Altitude]

MEC Switches!

You want the 3FTH9 tact, this takes TH LEDs and you can even modify it to use 3 pin ones (for the sequencer).

The extenders are 2S09-5.0 (5.0 being the length in increments of 1 from 5.0 to 10.0)

 

Edited September 17, 2015 by Altitude

[Shuriken]

MEC switches right?

[Altitude]

Yup

 

[Altitude]

and the results

[Shuriken]

So no separate led anymore, but using the one inside the button looks nice.

[Altitude]

yep. that was the plan

[Hawkeye]

looking good! (+ less drilling on the frontpanel :))

[Rowan]

Very nice!

[Macotronic]

Wich cap you use ? I want them who wants some?.?   

It is this one ?

http://www.soselectronic.com/?str=371&artnum=59523&name=mec-3fth9

 

 

Edited September 25, 2015 by Macotronic

[Altitude]

That's the switch and that's an insanely good price.  They are $2.7 in the US

I used 1Q096 for the clear windowed ones and 1P09 for the solid (both black)

Documentation is really bad for the 3F switches for some reason and the site you linked has the best one: http://www.soselectronic.com/a_info/resource/h/MEC/3F.pdf . You need to be careful when choosing those since they make the same style cap for all the various switches they make and you need to make sure that you have one for the 3F or 4F switch

 

 

Edited September 25, 2015 by Altitude

[Marxon]

Yes they look very nice!
The same button are also used in my Quasimidi 309.
But they are so expensive :(
This is my low-cost variant:
http://midibox.org/forums/topic/17186-yaib-yet-another-illuminated-button/

Best regards
Marxon

Edited October 2, 2015 by Marxon

[florian]

so if i understand well, you need those 5mm "spacers" to be able to use a panel with the encoder pcb monuted that's it??

By the way these new electronic site has really good price for sure

for example the alps encoders are at 1,87e at reichelt and 1,20 at this one!!!

[Altitude]

well not necessarily, the standard height with the tact and rectangular cap i show above is about the same as the TL1100 the the stock switch cap but if you need more (say you want to put a standard LCD under the panel, you need at least 14mm between PCB and panel for it to fit) you just add the spacer between the cap and the switch.  There is a hole down the middle so the light still works fine.

It's always been a struggle to find buttons tall enough for a control surface where the LCD and all the controls are on one board and not have the bezel of the display poking out since the buttons are too short (i.e. Shruthi, P6, PreenFM etc).  Personally, I cant stand the way that looks but there really weren't any options since everyone used the same tact switches

[mongrol]

Hi Altitude,

I have a question on these tacts. I've just ordered my kits from Smashtv and am gathering the CS bom I need. I like these switches (would prefer round ones though) but does the Wilba PCB switch pads support LED's in that position? Or is there some mad wire bending mods needing done?

From what I gather the long actuator is so you can have a higher front panel that covers the LCD's right? (I'm going for oled myself)

Ninja edit: I meant to ask do they have the LED in them or do you put it in yourself? Looks like there are models with the LED already in place, of various colours. Quite pricey though in Aus at $7 a kick.

Edited January 20, 2016 by mongrol

[Altitude]

I put the LEDs in myself, you could get the ones with the LEDs but they are very expensive (there are 58 of them). They MUST be the 3F version, the 5F with the integrated LED are wired differently and wont work in this application.

 There are holes in the PCB for the LED leads but they are not connected to anything so you have to air wire them to the existing LED holes.  I just used the legs of the leds and manhandled them into position.  This is brutal and tedious work, you have been warned.  It's also tricky to get the LEDs to sit right so make sure you make some sort of jig to bend the leads correctly otherwise the switches wont activate correctly.  Finally, if you want bicolor LEDs, you need to cut a slot in the switch for the 3rd leg.  That sounds worse than it is, I used a rotary tool with a cutting disc (you can see one in the pic above).  I thought I took some pics of how I wired everything, ill post them here is I track them down.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Altitude

[mongrol]

Thanks Altitude. That does sound tedious. I suddenly want ordinary buttons. :)

Edited January 20, 2016 by mongrol
ninja

[latigid on]

@Altitude

How do you find the feel of these switches? I've heard they're a bit weird, but I have an idea to use them in an alternative SEQ panel.

Note that you can buy long, round caps:

http://www.conrad.com/ce/en/product/705191/Switch-cap-Transparent-MEC-1S11-190-1-pcs?ref=searchDetail

 

[Altitude]

less clicky than the TL1100 everyone uses and a softer action with a bit more force needed.  I like them better than any thing else I've used personally.  I have  some of the long round caps (bought a bunch of different ones), they look cool for sure.  They wont really get you more space but its something different