[Land-speed] Inertia Switch Specs...

[James Tone]

You have given the reasons to read about what you are buying. Most of the toggles I buy are rated at 40/50 amps and are rated for DC. Toggles for the most part can not taken aart for servicing. The older equipment I currently repair was built when you could. High current items like big fule pumps, horns, extra lighting, etc: should always use a relay....Thanks for your input.

Like I stated this is a good reason for this thread. If you have some knowledge it can only make your racing better because you are making the correct decisions...............JD

 My point is that overloaded contacts-- whether a relay or switch--
>will eventually fail and "welded shut" is a common failure mechanism.
>
>Switches & relays in automotive applications require DC rated contacts. AC
>rated only contacts will fail in DC applications because of erosion of one
>of the contacts caused by the current being in only one direction. AC rated
>switches depend on the erosion to average out since the current reverses
>itself every cycle. There are different contact materials that are optimized
>for the switch ratings-- some are silver, others are a silver alloy.
>
>Some switches and relays use small gold- plated contacts because they are
>intended for switching only very low current (typically below 0.1A); these
>are called "dry contact" switches. If these are used in high current DC
>applications they will fail after only a few cycles.
>
>Automotive and aircraft switches and relays (if you can find 12V ones, most
>are 28V) are DC rated; appliance switches may be rated AC/DC or AC only.