[sdiy] optical retrofit for minis?

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Tuesday 22 March 2005 01:31 pm, david at therogoffs.com wrote:
> /key (2 reed switches + magnet).
>
> > I worked on one old Hammond where somebody had removed the original pedal
> > actuators and installed reed switches for some aftermarket bass feature. 
> > The problem with those is they break...
>
> I don't understand why they would break.  They are very tough.  Of course,
> if you hit the glass casing with a hammer...

It's the same effect -- only instead of a single blow with a hammer,  you're 
talking about a lot of small blows with something smaller.  They're just not 
all that robust,  or long-lasting,  in my experience....

Even if you mounted one in a pair of rubber grommets (or similar),  the 
repeated cycling of the contacts over a period of time will eventually stress 
the glass at one end or the other until it cracks.

I wonder why they use glass with those,  anyhow?