If you have ever tried searching for Illuminated Toggle Switches Automotive, on the internet, you’ll find a variety of two or three position lever assemblies, with a single color illuminated plastic housing, and a long list of additional equipment to purchase, in order to make them functional. In addition, you will notice that, short of placing masking tape beneath each vehicle auxiliary switch, there is really no way to identify, or label, what each toggle switch controls.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to have one, compact illuminated switch panel, that operates your truck, jeep or utv lights? And how about the ability to customize your switch panel to the specific accessories on your rig?
If your answer is a yes to any of the questions above, then a Switch-Pros brand switch panel power system is your answer. We make two systems, the SP9100 and the RCR-Force®12, both of which are designed to power 12 volt accessories on your vehicle. These two systems are designed to complement factory automotive switches, or, in some cases, allow you to bypass stock switches, and allow full control from our touch panel.
Vehicle Auxiliary Switches
When shopping for vehicle auxiliary switches, typical considerations include illumination and customization, as well as space allocation and additional equipment necessary to make connections between your accessories and your after-market switches. Our Switch-Pros SP9100 and RCR-Force®12 were designed with these criteria in mind.
How would you like to have your auxiliary light switch panel light up AND match your rig’s instrument panel cluster? This is a built-in feature in all Switch-Pros systems. The feature works like this: any time the Ignition wire, of our harness, senses 12 volts, the switch panel backlighting illuminates to a preset level. The standard backlighting settings are 70% brightness and white light. This can be adjusted easily by accessing the LED Backlighting screen in our app. From there, you can select one of the standard colors (white, green, blue or red), or you can touch the color bar to launch the RGB color wheel. The color wheel screen allows you to pick virtually any color of the rainbow, and set your backlighting to it. For example, if your Toyota 4Runner has blue backlighting on the dash, you can set your touch panel to a crisp, ice blue. If your Jeep dash lighting is green, you can select just about any color green from the color wheel, and be color coordinated. Or, if you simply want to rep your favorite color, tap the color wheel and choose it from the vast array of options.
Illuminated Toggle Switches
Aside from the aesthetics of matching your dash light color, you can also set your touch panel to illuminate your switches for better visibility. Let’s just say you’re tearing around the dunes in your Polaris RZR or CanAm X3, and you struggle to determine which light switch button will activate your amber lights, or your whips. You can set our touch panel to a pure red, and you will have no trouble seeing and selecting the proper switch.
On the topic of proper switch selection, let’s talk about a really cool accessory that is offered by Switch-Pros. Known as the RCR-Touch®, this Patented (US Patent# D922,969 S) nylon cover snaps onto the Switch-Pros touch panel, and assists in helping the operator select the proper switch on the first try. Picture this, you’re on a night run in your Jeep or truck, and you’re bouncing along a rough trail. You want to turn on your pillar lights to get a better look at the obstacles that lie ahead. With a RCR-Touch® in place, you can easily select the proper switch, activate your pillar lights, and avoid accidentally honking the train horn at your buddy who’s in line ahead of you. The RCR-Touch® also comes in handy when you’re speeding across the lake bed, and need to sound your siren at the race car ahead of you. Driving gloves often impede your dexterity, and make tactile operations difficult. With a RCR-Touch® cover snapped in place, you can easily run your finger across the touch panel to the Siren switch, blast your warning, and then fly past, en route to the checkered flag.
The RCR-Touch®comes in two sizes: The RCR-Touch®8 fits our SP8100 and SP9100 models, which have a total of eight switches on the touch panel. This is an accessory piece, which is available for an additional fee. The RCR-Touch®12 fits our RCR-Force®12 touch panel (12 switches on the panel), and is included as part of the standard kit.
Uniform Labeling System
I spoke, earlier, about automotive toggle switches that are labeled with masking tape. Legitimately, I have seen race cars, lined up to launch, with dashboards littered with toggle switches and masking tape “labels,” written in marker, to denote which switch does what. We, at Switch-Pros, thought a uniform labeling system, especially one which allowed for illumination to shine through, would be a much better way to go. So, every Switch-Pros system includes 100 polycarbonate legends. The legends cover the most commonly requested accessory names and icons, such as Light Bar, A-pillar, Grille, Compressor and Lockers, as well as a variety of others that make sense to the offroad world. The legend artwork is printed on the back of the polycarbonate material, before the semi-permanent adhesive is applied. This prolongs the lifespan of the legends, and prevents damage from scratches, abrasive gloves, or finger oils. They are also UV resistant for up to 7 years, so there’s no worry about them being affected by the elements. And if you have a sense of humor, we offer a handful of Comical legends, such as Passenger Eject and Beer Dispenser, for a small fee.
When thinking further about wiring your accessories, keep these things in mind. Switch-Pros offers a backlit, programmable, customizable system which is compact, robust, and more than capable of powering your off-road lights and accessories. We are 5 time SEMA award winners for innovation, and make all products in the USA. We offer outstanding customer support, and are happy to answer any questions you may have. You may also visit our website at www.switchpros.com to shop or check out our FAQ page.
