Will the Real New Protege Switch Please...

[CJsKee]

I apologize for the length of this post, but here’s the deal…I bought 2 Proteges and one of the older replacement mech switches (after I had two tach switches fail); so when PS offered the free replacement new mech switches I jumped on it and got 3 of them. I gave one to my Sis and put one in my Protégé.

I posted Saturday in the “Got my replacement switch and…” thread that I was totally disgusted because my new improved marvelous replacement mech switch would not work worth a damn and if it didn’t get any better I was gonna chunk it. And I meant it, too

This morning the dang thing is no better—still taking two hands to get it to hit…still a 50/50, maybe it will/maybe it won’t deal.

OK, I figure the other switch is probably just as bad (negative Nellie, I know), but I’ll try it. Got it out of the bag, pulled the @#*$% switch out of the Protégé and got to looking at them. The switch I pulled out of the Protégé is completely different from the other switch. I’m gonna try and post pics, but…the one switch is a complete cylinder of black delrin with steel posts. The other switch is open in the back where I can see a couple of soldered places and a couple of itty bitty wires and the posts are brass (at least they look like brass). Both switches have the “new” steel button and housing.

Well…the “open back” switch works like a dream!!! I can push it with one finger and not a misfire yet. It has a definite “feel” when it connects, where the other does not.

So my questions…what’s up with this? How come I got 2 different switches? How come one works well and the other doesn’t work worth a flip? Which of the switches is the new improved model? Has this happened with any others? Huh, huh??

Needless to say I’m very happy the one switch works and I’m glad to have my Protégé back! But what about the others who have complaints about the new new switches not working? I’ve got to commend PS for the way they have dealt with the switch problems, but we’ve all spent good money with PS and we should absolutely not have to fiddle-fart around with switches or whatever. I know PS tries it damdest to keep us happy, but it’s very frustrating for a lot of us. The Protégé is an excellent device…when it works! All we want is a product that works.

This is in no way a flame of PS…Steve, Casey, et al, are the best. And I know a lot of you have had no problems with the switches. These are just, IMO, legitimate concerns.

Couldn't figure out how to post pics, but here's a link if you want to seewhat I'm talking about...

Protege Switch Full Delrin picture by CJsKee - Photobucket

 

[Jimi Mack]

If I am looking at your photos right, the one you called the "open" switch looks to be a Tact switch. It seems to have solder on it and the Mechanical switch should not have any solder points. This is from what I understand about the Protege switches.

 

[CJsKee]

Jimi...I wondered the same thing! Why in the world would PS send me a tact switch as a "mechanical"

Well, all I can say is the dam thing works and I'm really liking it. If it winds up blown like my other tact switches I will have to put the Protege up cause I can't use the mech switch I have.

But I still would like to hear from PS on this. Why did I get a tact switch? Why can't I get the mech to work?

 

[mace bewley]

CJ, Ihave to say my mech switch did require a break in period of about a day, also a little noloax helps to. After the break in period it is working like a dream now. As far as the other switch you will have to get an answer from PS on it, interested myself in hearing what they have to say!

 

[Casey@PS]

CJ- When you take the button housing off, is there a spring inside?

 

[BrockJ]

Here's the picture he was trying to post Casey. Looks like a tact switch..

 

[Casey@PS]

Totally weird! Sorry about that- not sure how the hell that happened! Shoot me a ticket at info@puresmoker.com, and I'll get you all straightened out. Looks like a spare tact might've jumped into the box at the shop!

 

[lotus14]

Totally weird! Sorry about that- not sure how the hell that happened! Shoot me a ticket at info@puresmoker.com, and I'll get you all straightened out. Looks like a spare tact might've jumped into the box at the shop!

Umm...but that's the one that's working

Like myself and others, his *real* replacement switch is a dud

 

[CJsKee]

Thanks for posting that pic for me, Brock...how'd you do that? (I'm a she )

And yes, the tact switch is the one that works, Lotus, and I've worked on the mech switch for two days and can't get it to work without using both hands. I'm going to try the Noalox like Mace suggested and maybe fiddle fart around with it, but I still don't think we should have to do much more than maybe a little cleaning.

I'll put in a ticket, Casey, but I'm not sending back the only switch I have that works. All told, I've been able to use my Protege for maybe 2 weeks since I first got it in November due to faulty switches.

Now what?

 

[Casey@PS]

I'll take care of you via tickets from here on- just makes it easier to get you the pieces you need! Sorry again for the trouble!

 

[spivey]

We had the same problem with one of the upgrades we got. I received two switches (both upgrades). One worked fine, the other not at all. So I totally disassembled the non-working switch; even removing the contact disks from the switch housing. Then I took a #2 pencil eraser to all the metal parts - rubbed it all over the contact disks (all 3 - including the one in the adapter even though I didn't remove it). Take the copper disk off the switch post and 'erased' that also; both sides. From some reason the portion of the switch post that fits up into the stainless steel switch cap looked wet, so I wiped that off with a tissue. I wiped all the pieces down to remove and left over eraser bits, and put it all back together.

After re-assembling it it works great. I 'erased' the problem away.