It’s time to bring your wiring game into the 21st century. Rocker switches, which use antiquated technology, and are giant space hogs on the dash, are no longer the way to go. Just as vehicle manufacturers have moved away from bulky, mechanical switches, and embraced more advanced electronics solutions, so has the automotive after-market industry.
In the early days of off-road enthusiasm, truck and Jeep dashes had far fewer gadgets and buttons, which allowed for the placement of big, clunky mechanical accessory switches. These days, the dash of a typical offroad or overlanding vehicle, looks much like an airplane cockpit, with lights, toggles and labels to tell the operator what each switch does. In addition, the amount and size of equipment required under the hood (e.g. relay and fuse boxes) to power each of the circuits is messy and takes up extensive space in the engine bay.
Switch-Pros Have Created Game Changing Systems
The Engineers at Switch-Pros have created game changing systems, which put an end to the commonly identified short-comings of rocker and toggle switches. The SP9100 and RCR-Force®12 system circuit designs came from our 30+ years in the microelectronics industry. The stealth and minimal dash footprint came from our careful evaluation of the limited available space on current model vehicles. At the time of our original touch panel design, the Jeep JL was the vehicle with the greatest restraints on available dash space. So, we fashioned our tactile, membrane style switch panel to fit within the confines of that dash. Our thought was to design a switch panel that would hold 8 or 12 switches, yet fit in the most minimal space, on one of the most common application vehicles, thereby assuring that other vehicles would have no issue with finding logical and convenient mounting locations. With our SP9100 touch panel measuring a slight 2”H x 4”W, finding space to mount it is rarely a concern.
While we are on the topic of the touch panel, this is a great time to mention some other features that put us out in front of traditional rocker switches. For one, our panel has backlighting illumination, for maximum visibility in both daylight and darkness. This backlighting goes one step further, for those who are particular about the appearance of their dash. With full RGB color adjustability, the backlighting can be set to ANY color on the color wheel, allowing you to set it to the perfect hue and intensity to match your instrument panel cluster. Color and brightness selection are simple, using the RGB Backlighting screen in our app. Simply connect to your system, using a smartphone or similar device, and unlock a multitude of capabilities and logic, to customize our system to your specific needs and desires.
Turnkey Mounting Solutions
The “where to mount” conversation is one that comes up often, so we try to stay one step ahead with turnkey mounting solutions for some of the most popular applications. On our website, we offer mounts for the Jeep JK, Jeep JT, Jeep JL, and are working on one for the Ford Super Duty truck. Other mounts have been engineered by third parties, and are typically advertised via social media and enthusiast forums.
The next, and most significant part of our system, which differentiates us from any other type of auxiliary switches, is our all solid state power module. The footprint of the module is either 3”H x 6”W, for the SP9100, or 3.5”H x 7”W for the RCR-Force®12. That said, it’s a significantly smaller space requirement than the relay and fuse boxes that accompany traditional rocker switch systems. The components, which are the foundation for the sophisticated functionality of the system, are encapsulated in an epoxy material, which makes the module waterproof and unaffected by weather or dust. Given that the components and materials we use are rated from -40 celsius to +125 celsius, concerns about engine compartment heat are unfounded.
Another really awesome thing about our solid state power module is that each circuit has its own microprocessor, and is protected for over-current and over-temperature conditions. A simple explanation is this: if you overload a circuit, instead of blowing a fuse, our system will see the over-current condition, flash the LED indicator above that circuit’s switch, and then shut the circuit and its output accessory down. This prevents any potential damage to the vehicle or the output accessory. The same behavior will happen if a microprocessor (aka MOSFET) sees a dead short in the wiring, or sees that the operating temperature has risen above the tolerance. The individual circuit that is identified by the flash, will be the only circuit requiring attention. It’s simple to trace the output requiring attention, address the short or over-temp/over-current condition, and make the necessary adjustment, before powering the switch and output back on. There are no relays or fuses to be changed, and no searching through a rat’s nest of wiring, testing each one with a multi-meter. Simply identify which LED flashed, and follow the schematic on the power module label, to determine which wire or pair of wires controls that circuit. This isn’t a rocker switch on the market that is self-diagnosing and self-resetting, and that, among other things, sets us apart as a leader in innovation.
Switch Panel Programmability
One last, yet critical thought about the Switch-Pros switch panel power systems is the programmability. Gone are the days of running a separate module, if you want your lights to flash or strobe. You also don’t need to purchase a light bar or pod, which has special capabilities built in. Simply wire it up to a Switch-Pros system, and then program the capability using our app, which is free to all users. This app is designed to allow you to program AND operate your system from a Bluetooth® connected device. Common items that are programmable include On/Off or Momentary response, Battery or Ignition input for operation, Flash, Strobe, Bursting Strobe, Memory, Master Switch, and Output Dimming. A complete list of options is available on the online spec sheet, or by downloading the Installation/Operation Guide under the Downloads Tab on our home page.
So, if you’re looking to improve your wiring game, take a seat in your vehicle, and scan your dash. Take note of the number of cumbersome switches you have on your dash, and figure that, for every four standard rocker switches, you could have eight of our switches. Not only will you save a significant amount of space, you’ll have a wiring solution that will greatly reduce your time and installation costs, provide you with self-diagnosing circuits, and give you an abundance of programmability.
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