Illuminated buttons

[Timstuff]

I've noticed that a lot of people use translucent leaf-switch buttons when they want them to be illuminated. Is there a particular reason for this, other than preference for leaf switches? Are translucent microswitch buttons more difficult to illuminate? Where can you get translucent leafswitch buttons from, anyway?

[mccoy178]

I like leafswitch buttons better than microswitches.  At first I didn't care, but now that I've played on them some, now I'm a big fan.  Also, I like blinky lights.  You should do a search on where to pick these up at.  Wico makes them.

[Patent Doc]

The reason why most projects you see with illuminated buttons use leafswitch buttons is that until recently all translucent buttons were leafswitch style.  Only last year did microswitch buttons become widely available largely through the efforts of Shawnzilla from this board (Fx Buttons) and more recently RandyT. However, if you search you will see that tons of projects are utilizing the new microswitch buttons.  Another reason could be the lefswitch holder if drilled allowed for great illumination (can't remember who started this NeonMame was the cab), but people have emulated this approach with microswitches.  Please note that there were convex microswitch buttons that were translucent, but since they were convex few if anyone used them.  Thats the end of the story.

[Timstuff]

So, it shouldn't be difficult to illuminate a translucent microswitch button then. That's good to know.

[mccoy178]

It is very easy depending on what you want to do.  If you can wire buttons, you can wire led's.  You can buy everything already to go.