New Style Swtich

Just put in one of those new style light switchs<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve"> Man are they slick<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up"> Everything lights up yellow and when you select the mode you want it turns to blue,no fumbling around in the dark with this baby<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/da_sgt/1969%20Kaiser%20M35A2/NewSwitch.jpg" border="0">

They are some what pricey<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_shock.gif" alt="Shock"> but to me it was worth it. I paid $130.00 brand new in da box<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">
One thing does concern me though,
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/da_sgt/1969%20Kaiser%20M35A2/Static.jpg" border="0">

I live in a semi-arrid climate, single digit humidity at times, so static is a fact of life<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_warn.gif" alt="Warning!"> So I will always keep my spare mechanical switch in the glove box<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">

That is badass!! Does it just plug in? Easy retrofit?

From what I understand you just plug it in and add a ground wire! Da Sgt, where'd you get that thing?

Thats the best part, this baby fits everything<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve"> It uses the standard tweleve pin screw on harness(MIL-C-28-51). It goes right into my M37, although I won't put it in her(keeping her true for the era). But you can see this popping up on MV's in use today<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink"> Its built under a government contract from a place in Idaho (Advanced Input Devices).
They usually start at around 200.00 and go for over 250.00 on ebay. I saw mine on ebay with a buy it now for 130.00 of course the seller is "private" so if he found it on the ground "outside" of the base thats fine with me<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">

R4x4 (Kenny)

Yea thats right with the ground wire, I think it's just to cover their butts cause it's a eletronic switch. The ground goes right to the switch housing, which grounds when mounted anyway<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_shrug.gif" alt="Shrug"> When I first tried it I left it "swinging" in free air and it worked like a charm<img src="emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smile"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">

ok. after extensive research, here is what i learned.
the switch has NEVER been legally for sale. ebay ones are US stolen.
they work on 12~36 volts
older vehicles, read m37/m715 are NOT reccomended to use these, as there is some type of electrical problem that WILL ruin them. there has been other issues in retrofitting them, BUT they are being used in NEW vehicles.

O.K Lee;

Where did you get your info? I have seen these on ebay from people I know and trust! As far as older vehicles, its all the same....Just wondering ...extensive research? For a light switch? I think ebay police would catch the wrong doing's

im a cop. first of all. so im not going to knowingly buy anything stolen, i cant afford to, and im held to a higher standard, like it or not.

that being said i called the manufacturer. i spoke to them directly. i called to ask if it would work on 12 volts, since i was looking at buying one. i asked how to get them, as the ebay ones sure seem to fluctuate to wildly in price for them to actually be in any type of retail supply line.

think about it. no one, and i mean no one, offers them at a fixed price. sometimes they are buy it now, mostly they are not. so obviously the person SELLING them has no guaranteed supply, therefore cannot fulfill the demand. the buy it now prices arent even consistant.

anyway the manufacturer told me that they only CHARGE the military 100, iirc, they sell to the military and to GSA(not correct on the acronym), or some similar government supplier. they are aware that they go for over 2 times what the military pays. he even said if they could he would GLADLY sell them to civilians for 2 times what they sell them to the military.

tacom assisted in the development and as a result they feel that the intellectual rights are not thiers to sell. he has had MV parts distributers call and offer to buy 18wheeler loads of them.

he said ebay ones do indeed mostly come from the military bases. they will even buy them on ebay from time to time trying to track down who, and where they are coming from.

anyway i guess he could be lying (as a few have told me before) but tell me the reason.

people lie only for a few major reasons.

to NOT get in trouble.
to make themselves look better... i.e. embellish
pathalogically. this last group lies about everything and even lies about thing that are easily proven to be lies.

im aware of some of the major vendors having them. im not going to say they stole them, or knowingly bought stolen ones. im only relaying what i was told

im not here to judge. thats just what i learned. i guess a few demos could have been given out. maybe a guy or two could get one legally.. i was only explaining thats why you cant readily get them

also i would like to add they reported numerous problems with retrofitting them to older vehicles.

da_sgt!

It is starting to sound like your idea of keeping the old switch in the glove box, might be a good idea!

Keep us posted on how well it works! Sure looks cool! <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up">

I was under the impression these were somehow filtered down through the suprlus market. Like when a HMMWV or M151 makes it into the surplus market, while not TECHNICALLY allowed to be there they made it nonetheless. Just stupidity on the part of the people that released it. I'm sure somewhere some schmoe on a base found a box of these and GovLiq took care of the rest. Though I'm sure there's some joker thinking he'll make a buck or two in which case they deserve to be caught <img src="emoticons/icon_smilie_bitchin.gif" alt="Bitchin">

Wow! That is frickin nice!! I would love to have one of those, legally of course. My current switch works just fine, but the cool factor of the lighted push-button switch is too much! Keep us posted da-sgt<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">

with that being said i have TWO legal ones. one in my m715, the other in my soon-to-be-aquired m35a2

Wait a minute Lee. A few posts ago you said none can be gotten legally but you have 2 legal ones. Me suffers from poor math but that doesn't add up here in the deeper south. Excuse me for a spell while I head out to rotate the wheels on me house!

Kenny<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL"> With that said,
Lee I fail to see how a cop is held to a "higher" standard? So if you say get a ticket for speeding do you have to pay double? The law is the same for me as it is for you. Now on the issue of the switch, I just got off the phone with Advanced Input Devices. Fact: The only buyer is Uncle Sam. Fact:Its no secret or mystery that the switch has filtered into the private sector. Fact: You won't be hauled off in shackles for having one. This comes straight from the supplier<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink"> Fact: Super Cool Factor<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up"> Heres the press release on the switch
www.advanced-input.com/prDefense_11_1_02.html

On the issue of retro fit, its the same as the standard toggle switch, and went right into my M35, I will go and try and put it into my 1953 M37 right now<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink"> I'll be back in a bit with a picture<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up">

OK out with the old and in with the new<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/da_sgt/M37/NewSwitchinM37.jpg" border="0">

Presto Changeo its a breeze four screws and the harness nut and your done<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up">

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/da_sgt/M37/NewSwitchinM372.jpg" border="0">

Thats the dash of my soon to be restored 1953 M37 and its a total swap. But as I stated before I will not be putting one of these in her because it would not be true for the era<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">

Originally posted by da_sgt
Thats the dash of my soon to be restored 1953 M37 and its a total swap. But as I stated before I will not be putting one of these in her because it would not be true for the era<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">

Click to expand...

Kinda like putting OnStar in your T-bucket<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve">

Very cool switch. Did they use those in the M35A3's? I have seen a couple of A3's but never paid any attention to the light switch. Man I thought the LED bulbs would be the coolest thing ever to find its way into a M-series vehicle<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_cool.gif" alt="Cool">

Originally posted by da_sgt

Kenny<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL"><img src="emoticons/icon_smile_rotfl.gif" alt="ROTFL"> With that said,
Lee I fail to see how a cop is held to a "higher" standard? So if you say get a ticket for speeding do you have to pay double? The law is the same for me as it is for you. Now on the issue of the switch, I just got off the phone with Advanced Input Devices. Fact: The only buyer is Uncle Sam. Fact:Its no secret or mystery that the switch has filtered into the private sector. Fact: You won't be hauled off in shackles for having one. This comes straight from the supplier[

Click to expand...

fact. i never said you would be arrested.
fact. uncle sam and another contratcor can buy them. i do not recall the other contractor, but they supply mil veh parts, although NOT to the public
if its only sold to the military then because they are in civilian hands, does that make it less stolen???

fact. i get a ticket, i have to notify my boss in writing and an explanation of what/why. regardless if it was with my family in my car 10,000 miles away. thats IRRIGARDLESS if i drive my own car or city car.

fact. my off duty time is monitored, not saying other jobs arent, just most are not.

fact. i can not put a bush sign on my car, in my yard or donate any money. i cannot publically voice my opinion.

BUT i dont care about all that. im not here to gripe or whine. i was only posting that info about the switch. if i buy one and know its stolen, i can be FIRED. im sorry i brought it up

i never said it wouldnt fit. i said the engineer advised there have been some unresolved electrical issues that cause the switch to fail on the m37, m38a1. put it on, use it. i support that. i was only saying for 130 dollars its an expensive risk when used on an older MV.

Lee, I agree on the higher standard! If the average Joe gets busted speeding he gets a court date and a judge. Every speed measuring device has to be certified and current. If it's not, the ticket gets tossed. If somebody even percieves me as going too fast and blows me in to my boss, I lose my take home car for a week. No body even has to prove I was speeding. Let the average contractor get involved in a bar fight and get arrested. Won't even make the paper. Let a cop do the same thing, off duty of course, it's front page news and an IA investigation. With luck might still be employed. Now, anybody still think we aren't held to a higher standard? I can spew on!

I just went and read the press release. I like the part about how no infrared light escapes the vehicle. Course all the IR from the dash panel may be another story I guess<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif" alt="Wink">

Now let's tone down the rhetoric and get back to having fun with our rusty old MV's. Any other police vs civi discussion belongs in the Conversations forum.<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up"> It's a neat topic so I hate to lock it<img src="emoticons/icon_smile_smashpc.gif" alt="Smash PC">