PC Mount Toggle Switches

[Beo]

Search did not bring up many threads on mounting toggle switches to pcbs. Plenty of discussions on board mounted pots, jacks and 3pdt stomp switches.

I have a few eagle layouts in work where I have both pots and toggle switches (spdt/dpdt) board mounted. Height-wise, the pots and switches look like they'll work together. Has anyone done this, or are toggle switches a bad idea for board mounting?

[spargo]

I think they work fine.  There might be a slight difference in height based on how you mount them, and since they need to be exact I would mount the pots and switches in your enclosure FIRST, then slide the filled board over them and solder.  This way the switches and pots will all be even and there won't be any twisting stress put on the board.

Now if you happen to come across some PC mount switches of a similar height to the long pin Alpha PC mount pots...let me know. 

[ACS]

Used them in a recent FKR build - see http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=36392.msg778548#msg778548

Very pleased with how they turned out - especially as I discovered that the ones I used fitted PERFECTLY into those plastic LED bezels.  This means that the PCB is held in place by the LED bezels clipping tightly onto the switches - there's zero movement in there (but then, there's five switches!).  I'll DEFINITELY be using this again - I love the flush look, and the super-mini toggles are too cool for words 

[Beo]

I guess one concern I have is that I want component side up. It's easy to solder short pin alpha pots on the underside, but toggle switches might be harder to get a good solder joint on that side. It looks like on your FKR build you have a separate board for the switches, with solder side up.

[spargo]

I just spaced - you're probably homemaking a single sided board, right?  That would be more difficult.  I've had some double sided PCBs made and I would put the switches and pots on the opposite side of the rest of the components.  This would allow you to have the components side up for switching out socketed ICs, etc.  But being double sided you can solder easily to either side.

[Processaurus]

With panel mount parts, it seems to be the least of a headache to panel mount them in the box and then solder them in to the board.

It is often more work to do pc mounted stuff for one offs than hand wiring, because the drilling has to be perfect, the heights have to be perfect, or there has to be a good way to have slop in one of the two ends, the box or the pc board... otherwise it is a filing nightmare.