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What is the best PTT switch for original M20D yokes (no Yoking)

M20D6607U

By M20D6607U
in Vintage Mooneys (pre-J models)

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M20D6607U Enthusiast

M20D6607U

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Hello gang. I'm having an audio panel installed in the stack (PS Engineering 6000). I have been using a portable for the last year. The previous owner used a hand held microphone and listened on the speaker. The avionics tech said he could drill a hole and mount a micro switch PTT to a plate. I currently have a velcro switch that go around the left yoke arm, but you hit the switch in the wrong place and sometimes it wont transmit.  I want it to look and function as best as possible. I also have seem the foam cover with the switch on top. One of my friends sent that back not happy with the quality. Do I dill a hole and mount the switch to a plate or not? Thanks for the advise in advance. Ron 

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Andy95W Grand Master

Andy95W

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Tough call. I had the cover with the switch on top and although I didn't hate it, I always saw it as a temporary solution.

There aren't many options with the old yokes except the plate idea. Take a look at gsxrpilot 's gallery. He has a picture of his instrument panel and yokes with a plate that has his PTT and autopilot's switches for an idea of what it could look like.

Hopefully others here can give you some more ideas and pictures of theirs.

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Mooneymite Grand Master

Mooneymite

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I've been using a velcroed PTT switch for years.  I figured if it (like all switches) eventually died, it would be a simple, non-logbook fix.

 

So far, it's been reliable for about 8 years.

 

Maybe I ought to consider a permanent replacement!

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M20F Grand Master

M20F

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I don't have a good picture of mine but SWTA built a little box for PTT and Autopilot controls when they redid my yokes. It is screwed I to the old yoke and works really great. The yokes were $750 to recover both but no idea exactly what it cost to pull them off and put them back on as it was part of a large group of things I had done two years ago.

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rakesb Enthusiast

rakesb

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When I took my 1966 M20C to Don Maxwell last year for its annual inspection, after rebuilding the PC pneumatic wings leveling system, he found that it wouldn't hold pressure. He tracked the problem down to hole(s) bored in the pilot's yoke to install PTT switch. Don replaced the yoke for me. Both yokes have a PTT microswitch mounted on a plate that is attached to the yoke with two metal screws. All was well until a few weeks ago when the pilot's PTT microswitch seemed to stop working. I sprayed both switches with contact cleaner yesterday, as a possible easy fix. I'll replace the inoperative pilot's PTT microswitch, if the contact cleaner doesn't do the trick.

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  • 1 month later...
knute Enthusiast

knute

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I don't know what the prior owners of mine used, but those switches were cheap and unreliable.  When they died (5 years ago?), I replaced them with David Clark PTT switches, and they've been great.

 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/av/headsetx_switches/ptt_switch2.php

 

LASAR did the wiring for me to connect them up as appropriate to my audio panel- it was a short job.  (Did it during an annual)

 

Hope that helps!

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dcrogers11 Rising Star

dcrogers11

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I got lucky and found some Mooney yokes on Ebay cheap.  They were in bad shape but had the PTT switch built in.  I put new PTT and A/P switch and had them covered.  You might call a few of the most notable aviation salvage yards before you go the route of a small plate and PTT switch which is also fairly easy to fabricate and mount to the top left yoke handle.  

 

Don

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Chimpanzee Contributor

Chimpanzee

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FIrst get a good quality switch. That rules out Radio Shack ! Mine came with Radio Shack on it and they constantly broke. I switched to the Sigtronics Microswitch offered by Spruce. It is actually an Otto Switch, so you could get it from a different source, but depending on the distributor the prices are around the same as Spruce. Drill a whole size of the  switch in top of yoke, then a smaller canal through the yoke handle to the bottom and another 90 degree offset hole. Solder sufficient cable AWG 22 to the switch, and pull the cable through the conduit. A little tricky (pulling through with safety wire (fishing line) helps. However, before you pull the cable and set the switch put a heatshrink around the bottom of the switch, otherwise on of the tags will make contact with the yoke and you have interesting radio effects.
 

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RLCarter Grand Master

RLCarter

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I’m in the process of replacing the PTT switches, which were mounted in little plates that had been screwed to the yokes (in several different locations). As far as switches, the biggest problem is when the wires are soldered on to the terminals with way too much heat and the internals of the switch is damaged (melted). Tin the terminals and the wire before soldering together. If you opt for drilling the yokes for mounts, drill and tap don’t use sheet metal screws. These are the mounts and switches I'm using.

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  • 6 years later...
cctsurf Proficient

cctsurf

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Seeing as we are majorly necroposting, I have pre-positive control yokes with no provision for a switch of any kind on the thumb...  Anyone overcome this challenge?  I don't love the velcro option, but have been using it for years.

As I write this, I'm thinking of molding something to the yoke end with something like sugaru (www.sugru.com) and building a ptt switch platform...  Then I could wrap the whole thing with leather and hide the cords under it...  Hmmmm....  In all of my spare time.

 

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