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The Carling rocker switches used in the Grumman line of light aircraft are not DC rated. Thirty years of experience in the field has shown these switches hold up well in general, but eventually break down due to age and heat, especially in the high-current circuits: Landing Light, Flashing Beacon, and Pitot Heat.
A cheap and easy solution is to replace the switches every two years or so. Replacements are available from FletchAir.
Despite that simple solution, some members prefer to modify the instrument panel to accept more expensive, DC-rated toggle switches. That's a fine solution, but when selecting a replacement switch, consider one that uses Fast-On terminals, as did the original Carling switch. Solder or screw terminals can decrease serviceability and reliability.
Suitable toggle switches with Fast-On terminals are available from the AeroElectric Connection through B&C Specialty Products.
Bob Nuckolls of The Aeroelectric Connection has written some very good articles on switch ratings and Fast-On terminals:
These links require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
