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5.2.2 Elevation Push Button Control

Here is quick summary.

1) Analyze the existing circuit and figure out the correct value for resistance across the current pot.

2) Go to a surplus house and find a bank of 5 to 7 double pole single through switches that are mechanically connected so that only one can be depressed at a time. (You might also find a rotary that is 5 position 2-pole). Also buy one multi-turn pot (at least 5 turns) for each button.

3) Connect a positive wire down the input for one pole of each switch and a negative for the other pole's input these then get connected to the radios +/- wires from the pot being replace.

4) Connect the pos and neg wire for your new pots to the output of each switch position. If wired properly only one pot will be "active" and that will be the one whose button is pushed in.

5) Finally connect all the output signals for your new pots and connect them all to the signal wire from the radio's pot. What you now have is a bank of 5 to 7 positions that can all be individually tuned to whatever ranges you want. You can also quickly change them if your row of pots are easily accessible.

5.2.3 Installing a Switch 8 or Switch 16 Channel Expander
(Original article by Phil Sensibaugh edited by Bill Pickl)
The Switch-8 and Switch-16 are channel expanders. This means that they use one channel of your radio/receiver and convert it into 8 or 16 channels that are either on or off, but not linear or proportional. They are good for turning on and off lights, pumps and other items, and for firing cannons, provided you are using electronic firing valves. The Switch 8/16 are neat devices, but they also add dramatically to the cost, weight and space requirements of outfitting a ship. They are required if your ship has several weapon systems to control.
The Switch 8/16 is what's called an "open collector device." This means the electronic valves, lights, motors, and other loads must be connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and switched to ground through the Switch 8/16. If you have more than one battery, all the negative terminals must be connected together, and to the Switch 8/16 common ground, except the receiver battery, which remains isolated by itself. A schematic of the wiring is shown on the following page.
To install the Switch 8/16, first connect the power and ground lugs of the top and bottom boards of the Switch 8 together with jumper wires. If you are using a Switch 16 this step is not required. Next, connect a battey of at least 9 volts to the appropriate plus and minus terminals on the Switch 8/16. Any other batteries (except the receiver) need only have the ground (-) terminals connected to the Switch 8/16. For the final connection, connect the Switch 8/16 circuit board into one of the channels of your receiver. You'll need to get a receiver connector for this since the Switch 8/16 does not come supplied with one. The receiver is optically isolated from the Switch 8/16 board to avoid electrical interference, so you will need independent batteries for each.
Next, connect one of the (positive) wires from each of the ship's systems you which to switch off/on with the Switch 8/16, to the positive distribution buss of the appropriate battery. This positive connection is usually completed through a power switch and fuse as well. The negative (ground) terminal of each load is connected to a channel of the Switch 8/16. If only one battery is used for the loads, then one common power wire can be run from the battery, through a fuse and switch, then to each load.
Next, connect the negative lead(s) from the ship's systems to one of the channels of the Switch 8/16, one wire only to each channel. When the appropriate channel is activated by depressing the switch on the transmitter, the Switch 8/16 will then supply the ground to the associated load, activating the load.
A neat feature of the Switch 8/16 is that each channel is independent. This means that you can select whether the particular channel is momentary "on", or latched "on". Momentary "on" connections are used to fire cannon, and "latched on" connections are used for lights or pumps. These settings are made via a jual in line switch on the circuit board. Just follow the instructions provided with the Switch 8/16.
It is important to buy 6 volt electronic valves and power the Switch 8/16 from a 12 volt battery supply. Since the electronic valves are only momentarily connected to power, the slight over voltage will have no ill effect. This will allow you to use a diode-multiplexing array with your firing valves to devise really neat firing configurations as shown in the accompanying drawing.
Modification to the transmitter is required. On you transmitter, install the switch panel provided with the Switch 8/16, or build another switch pad using larger and more reliable switches than those provided. Then open the transmitter and locate one of the auxiliary proportional channels that has three wires coming from its potentiometer. Remove this pot and cut the three wires paying attention to which wire is in the middle tab on the pot as this is the signal wire. Connect these three wires to the Switch 8/16 keypad. I believe it will be worth your while to build your own panel and replace the provided switches with your own. The provided switches are too small and difficult to locate by touch. They also break easily and have proven to be unreliable.
This article is an over-simplification of the process of installing a Switch 8/16 channel expander, but it will nonetheless, provide a good starting point. I must emphasize that a fairly good understanding of electricity and a basic understanding of electronic circuits is required to perform this task. I must also emphasize that the Switch 8/16 units, like all electronic circuits nowadays, are very sensitive to static electricity damage, and come packaged in an anti-static bag. Do not remove the circuit board from the bag until you are ready to install it, then be sure to ground your body and the circuit card before handling it. The output devices are MOSFET devices, which are easily damaged by static electricity charges so small that you will never even know that you are damaging the unit. Once installed in a ship the Switch 8/16 devices have proven quite reliable, with some being in service for up to 5 years in the MBG, and still functioning well.