4 pole 3 throw toggle switch

[tarrasque]

Hi all.

For a wiring project I'm commencing, I need some 4 pole 3 throw switches.

Looking around in the internet I've only found them as rotary type or cursor type switches.

I'd like them to be toggle/lever, but the only 4P3T I found are in reality 4PDT of the on/off/on or on/on/on type, while I need "real" 4P4T

Do they exist?

[reTrEaD]

Aug 3, 2021 11:45:56 GMT -5 tarrasque said:

Hi all.

For a wiring project I'm commencing, I need some 4 pole 3 throw switches.

Looking around in the internet I've only found them as rotary type or cursor type switches.

I'd like them to be toggle/lever, but the only 4P3T I found are in reality 4PDT of the on/off/on or on/on/on type, while I need "real" 4P4T

Do they exist?

Hi tarrasque and to Guitarnuts2.

I'll assume you mean 4P3T as in your thread title and the 4P4T in the post was a typo.


To the best of my knowledge, a 'true' 4P3T is not available in a minitoggle or lever switch. The 4PDT on-on-on minitoggle switches function as shown in the left side of the image below. You can connect them as shown on the right, to emulate a 2P3T switch.




But if you need 4 poles and 3 throws, I don't think you can get there with a minitoggle or lever. Fingers crossed, someone will be able to prove me wrong about that.

[col]

I looked at this earlier, reTrEaD, and arrived at the same point as you. I even searched for an 8-pole version which could be substituted for tarrasque desired 4-pole switch. I just tried again - no joy.

Of course, there are true 4p3t slide switches available.

[newey]

Fingers crossed, someone will be able to prove me wrong about that.

I think this On-Off-On 4P3T fills the bill, but define "available". IOW, how bad do you want it?

www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Carling-Technologies/2M1-4P3-T8-B0-M1QE?qs=9t37pWCijWEwX0URQRTi2g%3D%3D

These are $13.78 apiece, and the minimum order is 100, so $1378 smackers! Plus, there's a 12-week lead time to get them. So, a switch exists, but not really a realistic solution.

[col]

Aug 3, 2021 13:13:09 GMT -5 newey said:

Fingers crossed, someone will be able to prove me wrong about that.

I think this On-Off-On 4P3T fills the bill, but define "available". IOW, how bad do you want it?

www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Carling-Technologies/2M1-4P3-T8-B0-M1QE?qs=9t37pWCijWEwX0URQRTi2g%3D%3D

These are #13.78 apiece, and the minimum order is 100, so $1378 smackers! Plus, there's a 12-week lead time to get them. So, a switch exists, but not really a realistic solution.

Isn't that just a 4p2t switch, but when an extra centre position, all contacts open? I thought that OP ruled that out (or, at least, that's how I read it).

[newey]

The manufacturer calls it 3 throws, but I misread tarrasque's query, I thought he said On-Off-On was ok. He needs an On-On-On, then, but not a DP On-On-On, he needs the center position to be independently wire-able, apparently.

Tarrasque, maybe we ought to ask what you are trying to do with this switch, there may be a workaround we could come up with.

[tarrasque]

Aug 3, 2021 13:30:58 GMT -5 newey said:

The manufacturer calls it 3 throws, but I misread tarrasque's query, I thought he said On-Off-On was ok. He needs an On-On-On, then, but not a DP On-On-On, he needs the center position to be independently wire-able, apparently.

Tarrasque, maybe we ought to ask what you are trying to do with this switch, there may be a workaround we could come up with.

Yes, that's my need. For the project I have in mind I think I need all throws to be independently wire-able.

From what I know this kind of liberty is usually achievable with rotary or slide switches, but since I need only 3 positions I hoped some manufacturer made it in toggle factor, which I much prefer.

I don't have any schematics yet of the project, so I don't kknow if it could be worked around to use a 4PDT on/on/on or on/off/on. When I have a clearer idea I'll post a diagram maybe. 

[Yogi B]

Aug 3, 2021 11:45:56 GMT -5 tarrasque said:

Looking around in the internet I've only found them as rotary type or cursor type switches.

I'm not sure what you mean by "cursor" but I assume you mean slide, since that's what mostly comes up when searching for 4P3T.

I'd like them to be toggle/lever

The term "lever" is ambiguous. To some people it means the same as toggle switch (as the previous replies have seemingly interpreted it), however to others it can mean the same as a Strat/Tele style rotary blade switch. So which does it mean to you?

---

If it's the latter (Strat/Tele style switch), then you might have better luck searching for a 3-way super switch.

Göldo make a version of this which simply doubles up the regular wafers of a regular 2P3T Tele switch, though I currently can't find anywhere selling these.

Another, often sold under the name Guyker (Amazon link, currently unavailable), cleverly fits all four poles on a single wafer by utilizing both sides — A current Ebay listing for a similar (if not identical) switch.

[tarrasque]

Aug 3, 2021 23:50:04 GMT -5 Yogi B said:

Aug 3, 2021 11:45:56 GMT -5 tarrasque said:

Looking around in the internet I've only found them as rotary type or cursor type switches.

I'm not sure what you mean by "cursor" but I assume you mean slide, since that's what mostly comes up when searching for 4P3T.

I'd like them to be toggle/lever

The term "lever" is ambiguous. To some people it means the same as toggle switch (as the previous replies have seemingly interpreted it), however to others it can mean the same as a Strat/Tele style rotary blade switch. So which does it mean to you?

---

If it's the latter (Strat/Tele style switch), then you might have better luck searching for a 3-way super switch.

Göldo make a version of this which simply doubles up the regular wafers of a regular 2P3T Tele switch, though I currently can't find anywhere selling these.

Another, often sold under the name Guyker (Amazon link, currently unavailable), cleverly fits all four poles on a single wafer by utilizing both sides — A current Ebay listing for a similar (if not identical) switch.

Sorry, English is not my native language so I sometimes don't use the correct term.

With "cursor" I mean the same thing you say with "slide". A little protruding plastic thing that you slide to the left or right.

With "toggle" I mean the little switch, usually metal, that looks most as what people think as a switch. The one commonly found on control panels and guitars that have individually on/off pickups instead of a 3-way / 5-way selector.

If with "lever" you mean the classic selector found on most guitars to select pickups, usually 3 or 5 way, I thought about them. A 4 pole a 3-way lever switch is functionally identical to a 4P3T toggle, but those are usually way bigger and I need more than one.