Does this type of switch exist?

Have you tried an SPDT push button with both outputs wired together (shorted)?
Never done this myself, but the time between disconnecting output one and connecting output two may be long enough to change modes.

A quick Google brings up products such as below.
Middle pin to driver, outer two shorted then to power.

That might work as the two contacts aren’t always in perfect synch, but it would be an individual switch doing this well enough selected from a batch so you might need to try dozens of switches to get the right one. Or you could disassemble one and try to rework one side to ‘click’ earlier or later. Otherwise it will take an electronically delayed switching circuit to achieve this. Or maybe running one side through a relay would give enough delay?

Phil

That’s what I was thinking - also known as a break-before-make single pole changeover (SPCO) switch. The break in power will be very short, though. Switch debouncing in the driver might cause it to be ignored.

That’s a good idea, I might buy one and test it out.
Problem is that if it is momentary, pressing it will actuate once but releasing will actuate it a second time.
If it is not momentary, then it might work the way I need :slight_smile:

That will briefly disconnect on releasing the button too, unless you get a latching one.

[edit] Yes, what he said. :slight_smile:

Some small DC manually re-settable circuit breakers do just what described you needed when u push the little round reset button.
Probably too big for your application though

In the (likely) event such a switch doesn’t exist have you considered replacing the driver? Fast off time switching is usually a desirable feature but there are drivers that have very slow mode switching. For example Armytek uses very slow off time mode switching in many of their lights. The DIY drivers I’m most familiar with all have fast off time switching but some of them could be programmed for much slower mode switching.

Thanks, I´ll look into it :slight_smile:
Size is not an issue, this isn´t a regular sized flashlight.

The driver is new, from mtn electronics and works great, so I´m not planning to replace it.

I ran into a similar need once. I was building an mot spotwelder and wanted a button that would engage and immediately disengage no matter how long the button was pressed.

I ended up using a two stage drill trigger and a capacitor on the relay. It kinda works;)

Will probably do what you need then, the ones I had look like these, although the body was white and they looked slightly better constructed

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=12v+dc+circuit+breaker&client=ms-android-orange-gb&source=univ&prmd=sivn&tbm=isch&tbo=u&fir=abbac_PO3MCdyM%253A%252CgmX678r_jSg-XM%252C*%253ByvmjkLVr5nk7eM%253A%252CcCNyjg0LZwpprM%252C*%253BiHMM85cLzJfeHM%253A%252C-w4Zs3Z_WWvMqM%252C*%253BF4zXtNk4-rLisM%253A%252CE5P0lcDZ1mDwvM%252C*%253BHt-sh5m9yNziOM%253A%252CE3VEdIzen1FFjM%252C*%253BhBudE-SYqUlV2M%253A%252C20dNotcMHJtccM%252C*%253BmxGjsMarJjTZPM%253A%252CDAedlWFrJ3zWhM%252C*%253BcIgP_v1yUtPR1M%253A%252ClwicNEdxwiaPaM%252C*%253BA3ltYwm0P9RZeM%253A%252CcwhsxHi-8l-ULM%252C*%253BVLSjZI9_rp_XMM%253A%252CGXq10qDG2E3VIM%252C*&usg=\_\_Mj30BoQvg-AXya4kD7L5SqruJJ4%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia0qCXpZLRAhUXMlAKHWwNDkwQ7AkISQ&biw=360&bih=615&dpr=3#imgrc=CwiKviwvyTJlqM%3A

The ones I had worked like you described, obviously can’t say for sure if they all do or just certain makes :slight_smile:

Don’t you mean a latching switch? You push it once and let go and it turns on, push it once and let go and it turns back off.

I been thinking about this, if such a switch existed, how would you ever turn it off ?
Even what I linked will do what you want but won’t ever turn off, will only turn of if you short circuited it and it will pop out and wait to be reset.
Only thing that might work is one like I listed, but for a plane - you can twist to make it pop out to break the circuit/switch of the circuit - expensive though as most plane or marine stuff is.

Anyway as you got lots of space on what your building , why not just use a normal on/off switch then a N/C push button switch in series to activate the modes by momentarily pushing it as required ?

Flashlights only change mode like this to avoid needing to run a third wire to the tailcap. How do you plan to turn off a light like this?

No, push down = disconnect and reconnect, release = do nothing

There would be a separate on/off switch in line with this switch. Total two switches, one simple on/off and one mode-changing switch.

Isn’t this the functionality of any light with an e-switch?

Yes, exactly, but for a driver that does not have an e-switch.

So how do you change the press length? If the driver needs a short press to scroll through the different brightness levels, and a medium press to reverse into the hidden features, like strobe or battery check, how would you ever get into strobe?

Uh, it only has 4 regular modes, nothing special.

Maybe yours has functionality you haven’t discovered :smiley:
But mostly I was pointing out it’s not something anyone would buy. Well, maybe one person.

Haha no, that’s the way I ordered the driver :stuck_out_tongue:
I would think a switch like this would be used in other places, not specifically made for flashlights.