The washing machine panel thing in my apartment has these metal buttons that are perhaps the most satisfying metal buttons I’ve ever pressed in my life. If my neurospicy brain had a swimming pool of these things I would die happily of starvation while flopping around pressing as many as I could. How in the world do I track down a featureless metal button and know I’m getting the right thing without being able to press them before buying? Are there like names for different types of buttons? What kind of rabbit hole am I looking at here? I want to refit my computer to have one of these things as my power button
I’ve added a pic but I have a video too which gives sound feedback. Idk how to post that though
It’s not exactly featureless.
In electronics terms this is a switch.
Pushbutton
Momentary (meaning it doesn’t remain in the pressed state when you stop touching it)
Panel mount
Anti Vandal
Non-illuminated (I’m guessing based on the photo)
Green
There aren’t so many green switches as red or black, so that can help the search.
It’s also probably something readily available since this doesn’t look like a device built in the thousands.
I’ll bet it’s this one or a different size from the same manufacturer:
https://www.buerklin.com/en/p/eao/pushbutton-switches/82-6851-1000/12G0085/
Of course it could just as easily be something sourced in China if I’m wrong and this control panel is mass produced.
34 Euros for one button?!
I had no clue how much buttons cost
Definitely seems like a “Buy Once, Cry Once” situation. I’m sure you could get a button for 1€, but it would probably need replaced every other week or so.
I have more questions about other switches if you’re down with helping me on a quest I never knew I needed.
This is one of my favorite switches I dug out of a really old psu
Do you know what is that extra big red clicking clacking part called that’s feels like I’m activating the go button on a nuclear jet? I’m seeing toggle switch is a thing but those mostly look more like the little metal thingies you flip a bunch of when your spaceship is blaring alarms and you need to get all the lights to stop blinking. Also why does it have 6 wires but only 4 prongs? (Edit to add I think it might be a chilly 3041 or similar? Still don’t know what to call the components or how to find the container it is in so it is in the box and not sticking way out when attached to a thing)
I pulled this out of a thing that I was told converted US power to German power but the box had practically nothing in it so idk how accurate that is
It had two outlets and iirc (been a while) the switches each controlled one outlet. What is going on here why are they connected to each other?
That’s a nice looking switch. Wow. I bet it makes a nice thwack.
It looks like there are two ground/earth wires on one ground post and two hots on the corresponding hot. Two circuits are being powered through the one switch. Would need to see more of the device guts to understand why.
I think that would be classified as a Rocker switch with a Paddle actuator.
From the back it looks like a DPST switch.
Double/Dual Pole means it switches two separate pairs of conductors at once. Many circuits only need to switch the hot or the ground wire and use a Single Pole switch. A SPST switch has 2 terminals on the back. This one has 4 so it can switche both the hot and ground at the same time.
Single Throw means it’s got only off and on. No other position. Dual Throw would have 3 positions, so a SPDT would have 3 terminals on the back, and a DPDT switch has 6 terminals on the back.
Rectangular
Panel mount
Recessed or Inset
Any numbers or markings on the back? I wouldn’t be surprised if this isn’t available any more. To me it looks like something from the 1970s-1990s.
There might be markings on the circuit board that help date it.
It has very few markings on it, I did find “pronic” etched into some of the metal. It was many years ago I pried it out of the rest of the system so I can’t give much info on it unfortunately. I got it from the power supply of the computer that housed the big hard drive from 1990 found here (I also no longer have this hard drive): https://lemmy.zip/post/42867255
I’m not home right now but when I’m back I can try to find more markings.
These are awesome. You make me miss the days of proper physical controls with real haptic feedback. Not this touchscreen with a little vibrator in it bullshit.
I also really wish I could push those buttons now. I want to know what they feel like!
Yeah one of the reasons I even got into computers is because of the crazy satisfying tactile experience. And they all feel so bleh now. I spent good money building a mechanical keyboard that feels like I’m in a duel with a malfunctioning robot when I type just so I can feel something. When I turn a computer on I want it to feel like an event, I turned the machine on with intention
I also got into computers, thinking about it now, the tactile aspect was probably part of it. A power button making fans go whir and hard drives making slight crunchy noises and my keyboard with real springs… I miss a lot about that.
Also that power supply, Honeywell / microswitch used to have a huge market share for those sorts of components and it looks a lot like it could be one of their paddle/lever rocker switches, maybe AML33EBA4AA01. I don’t think microswitch components are easy or cheap to come by anymore but salecom do knock off versions of lots of them that will likely suit your needs
What about this button is anti-vandal? What kind of vandalism does this prevent?
OP’s picture doesn’t show it, but to the left of the buttons there is a field for contactless keys to “log in” to the booking system. This means that residents will bring their key chain up to the panel every time they want to use it, potentially scratching its surface. Additionally, some people will use their keys (which they already have in their hand) to push the buttons to avoid germs, especially after the pandemic. You frequently see small dents in heavily used buttons like this (elevators, booking panels, door buttons…).
And if there are no laundry time slots available when you need one, you might punch the panel… People are people.
The manufacturer’s site even lists “robust design against vandalism” as a feature.
Yeah it’s in a student apartment and the people here are barbarians I’m surprised the laundry room door still has functioning hinges. The control box is built like a tank
It looked anti-vandal to me with it’s low profile, chamfered edges, and all-metal face. It would be difficult to get leverage against these to damage them or rip them out of the hole.
A €1 button is made of plastic and is easily smashed to bits.
Thank you for a list of terms to help with! I feel like this is starting to unlock a whole new special interest for me, pray for my wallet 😭