FAQ

Of course we can. The cost of a fully custom switch with unique symbol custom text, or graphic placement is $30. Please use THIS FORM to send us the image and text you’d like to order and we’ll get in touch with you about proofing the product.

All unused non-custom products may be returned for a full refund (less shipping) within 45 days of your order date. Custom actuators cannot be returned or exchanged. If we somehow made a mistake and accidentally etched your actuator incorrectly, we will replace it. We do require that you return the incorrect product(s) prior to processing the replacement.

It’s very easy. They can be popped off quickly with a simply tool, and you do NOT have to remove the switch from the dash. See a full description and video on the subject here.

It’s often easiest to start with the switch function, like “ON-OFF”, and go from there with respect to lighting options, etc. You will probably find this SWITCH SELECTION MATRIX extremely helpful when starting out. Also reading through some of our informational blog posts will likely help. After all that if you’re still confused feel free to contact us with questions.

Depends on what’s important in your design… The primary concerns are price and color. White incandescent lamps are less expensive and illuminate white, while LEDs cost a bit more and illuminate either blue or red. Current draw may also be a concern: incandescent lamps draw about 70mA, while LEDs draw about 10mA. Lifespan and failure rate are another criteria: White incandescent lamps have a MTBF of 10,000 hours, while LEDs half life is at about 100,000 hours (11 years of constant illumination).

Incandescent lamps produce a little more heat as well, and can actually make the actuator quite warm to the touch after extended operation (don’t worry, they are designed to withstand the heat). Finally we’ll mention the lighting cone: LED’s project a directional light, where an incandescent will illuminate in a full 180 degree hemisphere. Because of this LEDs do not illuminate the engraved text and symbols quite as well and the edges may be noticeably less illuminated than the center (which is right above the LED itself).

When designing a custom Contura V actuator at RockerSwitchPros.com, you’ll notice a field for a “Bottom Lens”. This small oval, bar, arrow, or text lens allows light from the switch body to pass though the actuator acting as an indicator light at the bottom of the switch. You’ll want to select this option when you are going to put the actuator on a switch body that has a light at the bottom, and you probably will not want to select select this option if your switch body will not have a light at the bottom, although even if it’s not going to be backlit, it still works fine as a label.

Each switch body’s product page will tell you if you should add a lens to that switch’s actuator or not.

Not sure what we’re talking about? Read the full article here.

Carling manufactures thousands of variations of switch bodies, and currently 10 primary product lines of Contura actuators. The style of actuator is represented by roman numerals II – XIV. We use the Contura V type for our custom switch actuators.

Our Carling V-series switch bodies are interchangeable with styles: II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, and XIV switch actuators. So if you have a V-series switch, it’s VERY likely our actuators will fit on your switch body. You can tell if it’s a Carling V-series by looking on the side of the switch. Among other batch impressions, it will have a (4) digit part number starting with a “V” (such as “V1D1″).

Our actuators will also fit other manufacturers of V-series switches too, if it looks like the switch bodies pictured on this website, and your switch body is approx 1 3/4″ x 7/8” then 99% likely it will fit. Send us a photo of the switch if you want to make sure and we’ll let you know for sure.

Most printed actuators you’ve seen in the past have a lens with printing on top of it. The lens allows light from the switch body to shine through the actuator. Our custom etched actuators are different, because the engraving IS THE LENS! When we engrave an actuator the top opaque layer of the actuator is cut away, revealing the translucent white inner material – so that whatever is shown in white on the rendering actually BECOMES the lens.

It really looks great as a backlight… a far superior product because the text and symbol are really visible and night-readable, when a symbol printed onto is nearly always washed out/through by the light from the switch body behind it.

Rocker Switch Pros is actually a product line of the popular New Wire Marine custom marine switch and dash panel brand. We are one in same, with all the great customer service, reliability and innovation our New Wire Marine customers have come to expect. In fact, as a Rocker Switch Pros customer you have access to all the custom panel board manufacturing switch panel fabrication New Wire Marine offers. Contact us for more info on that.

You may also see New Wire Marine on your credit card statement for a transaction with RockerSwitchPros.com