Solid state isolation/ kill switches

mx5002 · Postby **mx5002** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 11:53 am

I have been looking into getting one of these as opposed to the traditional toggle switch and external pull cable setup.

Dues anyone have any experience with these setups

Cartek makes one but at 450 it s on the expensive side.

I have found this for much less. I haven't looked right into it yet but i assume it could do the same

http://www.powerstream.com/battery-isolator-solid-state.htm
Any thoughts
:beer:

madjak · Postby **madjak** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 1:40 pm

I don't think you can control that one... it's automatic for dual battery setups.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 2:26 pm

I have the Cartek installed in my car, to date has not been rejected at scrutineering.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:25 pm

Maybe not necessary, but since these are electronic rather than the usual mechanical method, it would likely be not that much work to integrate a mercury switch (or whatever they use these days) to automatically shutoff the power in the event of a rollover?

Probably not something necessary, but if you're doing decent laptimes it might be nice to know that if the car is upside down nobody needs to find the switch to turn it all off (fuel pumps etc) since the car's already done it.

madjak · Postby **madjak** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:20 pm

my brothers race car has a ball bearing that's held in place with two fairly strong springs. The ball and springs conduct current and if there is an accident or large impact the ball bearing dislodges and breaks the circuit. I've never seen anything around similar but it's very effective. Has anyone seen something similar as a google search finds nothing?

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:52 pm

madjak wrote:my brothers race car has a ball bearing that's held in place with two fairly strong springs. The ball and springs conduct current and if there is an accident or large impact the ball bearing dislodges and breaks the circuit. I've never seen anything around similar but it's very effective. Has anyone seen something similar as a google search finds nothing?

That would be a much more reliable method than a mercury switch (last thing you'd want is to hit a bump or ripple strip flat out and have the mercury splash and cut the power mid corner)

I mean, the ball bearing one wouldn't work for a soft rollover...... but frankly, it's the hard ones that are likely to pop fuel lines or rupture fuel tanks.

edit:

Looks like the term you're looking for is an "inertia switch"
It seems a lot of them are button operated, meaning if they are triggered you can simply press a button on them and reset them (sounds like a bump operated RCD switch sort of)

Cheap too:
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/inertia-switch

madjak · Postby **madjak** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:47 pm

hks_kansei wrote:Looks like the term you're looking for is an "inertia switch"
It seems a lot of them are button operated, meaning if they are triggered you can simply press a button on them and reset them (sounds like a bump operated RCD switch sort of)

That the ones... awesome thanks!

There is something very appealing about a mechanical cut-out like this. Electrical systems just don't quite cut it and I'd be worried about tripping them by accident. A ball bearing held in location that requires a physical knock to cut is a great idea.