RE: I have a dumb question...
 

Why bother using a switch at all. You can get the job done for free. Just plug the battery directly into the receiver and save a lot of money.

nascarjoe

RE: I have a dumb question...
 

Having to put the wing on after the pack is plugged in, then removing the wing after each flight is a pain. Of course you can leave the connection hanging out the side of the plane, but that looks like crap. ;)
Dennis-

RE: I have a dumb question...
 

I do the no-switch thing on my combat planes, and I do, in fact have the wires hanging out of the side of the fuse. It's ugly, but it's more durable than a switch.

That said, the main differece between the various switches offered is in the gage of the wire used, and the current rating of the switch itself. If you use a micro-sized switch meant for a park flyer in a 100mph 1/4scale warbird, you're probibly going to crash. The switch will heat up, and the resistance will go way up, causing the battery to drain faster than it should. So, you get larger, heavier switches for bigger planes. Also, a switch for an electric park flyer is not going to need to take the vibration that a glow or gas engine puts out, and might fail for that reason.

There's no reason you can't use switches from other sources like Radio Shack. I've done it in the past. However, make sure your joints are good, and the switch can handle the load. The cost of the connectors will ususally offset any savings anyway (unless you're cutting the connectors off the old switch. I've done that).

Oh, and there IS a small current drain when the radio is on, but the servo's are moving. Otherwise, you could leave your battery on over night, and come back to a full charge in the morning. But you can't, you'll have a flat battery.