[lenmiller]

I'm working on a 41-290 that has a bad on/off switch. I found a switch at Lowe's that was recommended as a replacement (p/n 1884U), but cannot get it to function properly due to the plunger being longer. Is there any info about repairing the old switch or does someone have a recommendation for a replacement?

Thanks!!

[Ron Ramirez]

You should follow the procedure outlined here:

http://www.philcoradio.com/notebook/41226.htm
(scroll about 1/3 of the way down the page)

Note that you have to remove the plunger and associated hardware from the switch; the photos in the link above will illustrate what needs to be done.

[lenmiller]

I had looked at this awhile back, but the bad switch on the radio is not riveted together so the back of the new switch can't be attached to the old plunger assembly. The old switch is crimped together.

Was a good thought though!

[Ron Ramirez]

Can you take a photo and show us the switch on your set? The setup should be basically the same.

[lenmiller]

    I'll try.

[Electrothaumaturgist]

Might be wrong, but looks like you should be able to pop that spring clip right off with a thin blade screwdriver...

[Ron Ramirez]

That isn't the original switch, the original was riveted to the back of the switch assembly. Unfortunately, this means the original actuator is gone as well.

You can do a workaround by using that bracket someone fabricated for the replacement switch, and installing a small switch from Radio Shack in its place. I do not remember the part number and don't have time to look it up, sorry.

[lenmiller]

Thanks for the help. If I can't find anything on Radio Shack, there's always Mouser.

[Ron Ramirez]

This switch is similar to the switch I used a couple times before I discovered the Lowe's switch:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index....Id=2062542

At the time (a few years ago), this was the only push-on, push-off switch I could find at Rat Shack. Now, they also list an SPST switch which is what you really need:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index....Id=2049717

I thought I had written a post on using that switch, but I can't find it now. Hopefully you'll be able to improvise something that will work.

[lenmiller]

Thanks!! I'll try the second one. I think they stock it here in town. I'll Let you know if it works. Give me a few days.

[Raleigh]

The switch I used for my 41-280 was almost identical internally to the original. I got it at Ace Hardware, but I imagine that style of switch is commonly available, at least for now. The Ace stock number is 33494 or 33495. The only difference is the color of the push button, brass vs. chrome. You'll throw that part away, anyhow.

You may need to use the spiral plunger and spring from the new switch, since yours probably doesn't have the original, having been fitted with a different style of switch. It took me a bit of tinkering, but I got it to work reasonably easily.

I wrote a post on it years ago, in this thread. http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=7296

[lenmiller]

            The fix was easier than I first thought. Given the construction of the push button switch assembly, it would have required some major disassembly to install a switch that was held in place by a nut. Also, I didn’t just want to epoxy a new switch in place as that can be a mess to deal with if the switch would ever need to be replaced in the future.

I used the Radio Shack 275-0011 switch recommended by Ron. I started by pulling the red pushbutton off and unscrewing the small white spring retainer and spring from the plunger. The black switch body had sort of a collar around the plunger, I guess to provide some protection for the plunger. Anyway, I cut this off with a razor saw as shown in the second picture. This made it possible for the plunger to fit into the hole in the back of the push button assembly. The length of the plunger was just the right length for the metal actuator to operate the switch properly.

As I mentioned, I didn’t want to simply epoxy the switch in place, so I positioned the switch retaining nut at the end of the threaded portion of the switch and used that as a stop that the original bracket could contact to keep the switch in place. This is shown in the third photo.

The whole thing took less time to do than it’s taken to describe it. Hope my description makes sense.

I haven’t powered it up yet as I have a bunch of work left to do. I will put just a bit of epoxy on the nut and the bracket to make sure they don’t come loose.

As an aside, the original bracket and switch (shown in a previous post) certainly looks like a “factory” job. The bracket wasn’t handmade, it was obviously stamped out on a machine. Also, there was no adjustment for how far the plunger protruded into the push button assembly – the depth was determined by the dimensions of the bracket. The only adjustment was from side to side. The hole for the switch was elongated to allow lateral adjustment to insure that the plunger was centered in the hole. Given how hard it would have been to replace a stock switch that might go bad, I wonder if Philco came up with this as a quicker, lower cost alternative?

Thanks for everyone’s input!!