Ive been getting quite a few requests on DIY's for the illuminated
coin holder that i made out of some basic stuff I had at home.

http://www.geocities.com/ken350gt/mini.coin.holder.jpg

The only thing that's holding me back is the availability of
small normally-closed momentary switches. The ones sold at
most electronic stores including RadioShack is too big.

If you know any stores that have small momentary switches, please
post here. basically the switch needs to fit between the ribs inside
the coinholder inorder for it to work properly (well, on my setup).

My switch was fabricated out of a pen and some electronic
parts I had at home from my RC car hobby. it works great,
but takes some time to build.

Im thinking about doing 2 options:
1. FREE: DIY with part numbers, you buy the parts, you build.
2. $65 shipped Have people send me their coinholders, i will
fabricate the light, and ship it back.

Regardless of the 2 options above, i need to have the switch,
otherwise it will just take too much time for me to fabricate the
switch itself.

Let me know your thoughts on this proposal and i will think this
over as an offering starting late summer/early fall this year. Even
if you think the price is too low, let me know. i will not do
it for any less unless I can hire some documented squirrels for
some nuts. I am estimating that the material is going to cost
about $25. Lithum batteries and bright LED's are not cheap,
neither are small momentary switches.

Thanks.

 

Could you run wires to a convenient hot lead inside the dash instead of using a battery? If you used a blade-type connector under the ash tray, it would even be removable...

 

you could, but if you want to remove the coin holder for your other
cups, etc. you will have a wire stuck to it or have an opening in
the connector where water can get into it.

Also, some people prefer to move their cup arrangements from
time to time (for watever reason) and having the portability/flexibility
is actually preferred.

plus, no direct wiring means no affect to warranty... and people can
work on their coinholder at their workbench instead of pulling their
neck or back while doing a formal "mod." or just spend a little
and have me do it for them.

 

Very true... It's a really fun MOD. How hard is the DIY with parts? I assume there's a bit of light drilling and soldering, right? Also, how long, in your experience, does the battery last? The LED draws virtually nothing and its only open for like 10 seconds at a time, mostly...

 

It's not hard to do at all. And there is drilling (for the LED) involved.

I made the light on mine back in 03... still using the same batteries.
i am sure the batteries will last a good 5-6 years or more.

 

Let us know if you find a swich option, then. I'd try it, but I'd probably use a red LED or an orange one to match the rest of the cockpit. I DO love that blue, though...

 

^^ mine is actually amber now... i switched LED's about a month or so
ago.

i will offer blue, white, and amber, i guess.

 

If you find a switch, you can offer up a DIY kit. It evokes that old feeling of a "MOD in a zip-lock baggie" feel from days of yore. Very retro!

 

^^ you know, i was thinking about that too. it'd be about $45 though
if i offered it. you know, the time to buy the parts, stock them, etc.

but if someone handy like you saw a DIY, you'd probably just go out
and buy your parts for cheap and build it yourself, right?

The $65shipped would be for someone that doesn't have time to do
all that. just pay and enjoy, kinda thing.

 

I might buy parts, or I might buy the kit in a baggie... depends on how hard it is to get that switch. If I can drop into Radio Shack for everything, then yeah, but it's worth it for a baggie MOD if you have to order from like 4 different web sites.

 

^^ yeh, i'll have to check out Akihabara when i go to Japan next month
and just buy like 100 of these switches if i can find them.

 

Kenchan.....last year I saw your ash tray light on your gallery and thought it was a great idea.....I made my light switch on and off via a magnetic contact....PM me if you want my info as to where I was able to find a magnetic contact (I had to do a lot of searching...was not easy to locate one)....it fit in neatly within one of the ribs of the ash tray