Switch orientation

[Harry Davidson]

Can anyone point me to a reference giving the conventional orientation
of on/off switches in different countries? I've spent hours searching
and haven't found anything useful. Or maybe there's a simple rule such
as "In North America, up is on - everywhere else is opposite".

Thanks for any help.

Harry

 

[Ken Taylor]

Can anyone point me to a reference giving the conventional orientation
of on/off switches in different countries? I've spent hours searching
and haven't found anything useful. Or maybe there's a simple rule such
as "In North America, up is on - everywhere else is opposite".

Thanks for any help.

Harry

The simplest rule of anything at all is - "America opposite".

Ken

 

[Frank Bemelman]

Can anyone point me to a reference giving the conventional orientation
of on/off switches in different countries? I've spent hours searching
and haven't found anything useful. Or maybe there's a simple rule such
as "In North America, up is on - everywhere else is opposite".

Hmm. I think up/on is the global standard.

 

[John Fields]

Hmm. I think up/on is the global standard.

 

[Clifford Heath]

Hmm. I think up/on is the global standard.

Down is on in Australia.

 

[jerry]

Hmm. I think up/on is the global standard.

Down is on in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, and when I was there, Russia,
South Africa, Australia and NZ

 

[Ken Taylor]

But if you've already fallen past a certain pivot point then flicking your
hand upwards will be easier. Anyway, what's the point of turning off the
light once you've even started falling? Power outlets generally have a
slightly recessed switch to minimize to some extent the chance of accidental
switching, so a last-gasp flick at the switch is unlikely to help whether
it's up or down for off. I think it's a furphy - just historical in
different locations.

Ken

 

[Fred Bloggs]

Can anyone point me to a reference giving the conventional orientation
of on/off switches in different countries? I've spent hours searching
and haven't found anything useful. Or maybe there's a simple rule such
as "In North America, up is on - everywhere else is opposite".

Thanks for any help.

Harry

Please conform to the USENET Rules of Trolling: you are either Harry
Harrison of David Davidson, but not Harry Davidson or David Harrison-
get it right. Then Sam Samuelson, William Williamson, Paul Paulson, Ed
Edmundson, George Georgeson(?), Larry Lawrence, Richard Richardson, etc
etc..will also do.

 

[Tim Auton]

Down is on in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, and when I was there, Russia,
South Africa, Australia and NZ

Yup, that's been my experience in and around the UK and continental
Europe.

I've seen enough that go the other way (or both ways - multiple light
switches) for ergonomic reasons that I don't think there is a
"standard".

Aviation is pretty global - any pilots here know if there is a
standard in aviation?


Tim

 

[Luhan Monat]

Can anyone point me to a reference giving the conventional orientation
of on/off switches in different countries? I've spent hours searching
and haven't found anything useful. Or maybe there's a simple rule such
as "In North America, up is on - everywhere else is opposite".

Thanks for any help.

Harry

Sorry, I refuse to switch my orientation.

 

[Ken Taylor]

Yup, that's been my experience in and around the UK and continental
Europe.

I've seen enough that go the other way (or both ways - multiple light
switches) for ergonomic reasons that I don't think there is a
"standard".

Aviation is pretty global - any pilots here know if there is a
standard in aviation?


Tim
--

The one useful standard in aviation I know of is "don't come down
unexpectedly".

Ken

 

[Harry Davidson]

Yup, that's been my experience in and around the UK and continental
Europe.

I've seen enough that go the other way (or both ways - multiple light
switches) for ergonomic reasons that I don't think there is a
"standard".

Aviation is pretty global - any pilots here know if there is a
standard in aviation?


Tim

Thanks to all who have responded so far.

I understand that there's no single global standard for this - what
I'm looking for is a listing by country of which is the normally
preferred direction for "on" in each one. There will of course be
exceptions, for situations like 3-way switches and probably others.

The reason I'd like to know is that we export our products to many
different countries and although it's not a big thing, it would be
nice to conform to local preferences if I can. I've been assuming that
anywhere outside North America prefers down as on, but that's probably
a bit simplistic.

Anyone else?

Thanks,

Harry

 

[Michael]

Down is on in Australia.

..... and in Germany. For wall switches, anyway.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Thanks to all who have responded so far.

I understand that there's no single global standard for this - what
I'm looking for is a listing by country of which is the normally
preferred direction for "on" in each one. There will of course be
exceptions, for situations like 3-way switches and probably others.

The reason I'd like to know is that we export our products to many
different countries and although it's not a big thing, it would be
nice to conform to local preferences if I can. I've been assuming that
anywhere outside North America prefers down as on, but that's probably
a bit simplistic.

Anyone else?

Thanks,

Harry

Use a push-on, push-off switches, like a lot of test equipment. Then
they will argue if in is on, or off. On the other hand, you could use a
double throw switch and an internal jumper to configure the toggle or
lever type switch to their preference.
--
17 days!


Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Harry Davidson

I've been assuming that
anywhere outside North America prefers down as on, but that's probably a
bit simplistic.

Up-for-on also applies to 'offshore USA' - i.e. where US hardware is
used. Everywhere else is down-for-on.

 

[Roger Hamlett]

Hmm. I think up/on is the global standard.

No.
It varies.
Most of Europe, uses 'down on', for _non safety_ switches. So light switches
are this way in Germany and the UK for instance. However 'safety switches'
(breakers on lathes for instance), have to 'knock off', either having a push
button that switches off, or a lever that is down/off.
It will depend on the nature of the equipment. Personally, I'd consider
something like a pushbutton 'signal' switch, as being the most universal
(these are the ones where you have to push your finger right 'into' the
switch to turn it on, which then 'stands out', and pushing the standing out
part, switches it off).

Best Wishes

 

[YD]

Can anyone point me to a reference giving the conventional orientation
of on/off switches in different countries? I've spent hours searching
and haven't found anything useful. Or maybe there's a simple rule such
as "In North America, up is on - everywhere else is opposite".

Thanks for any help.

Harry

I always use rotary switches.

- YD.

 

[John Devereux]

I always use rotary switches.

Clockwise-on or clockwise-off?

 

[YD]

Thanks to all who have responded so far.

I understand that there's no single global standard for this - what
I'm looking for is a listing by country of which is the normally
preferred direction for "on" in each one. There will of course be
exceptions, for situations like 3-way switches and probably others.

The reason I'd like to know is that we export our products to many
different countries and although it's not a big thing, it would be
nice to conform to local preferences if I can. I've been assuming that
anywhere outside North America prefers down as on, but that's probably
a bit simplistic.

Anyone else?

Thanks,

Harry

Most wall switches I've come across use up as on. Can't recall last
time I saw an equipment swith with up as off. Why not contact your
clients and take a consensus?

- YD.

 

[YD]

Clockwise-on or clockwise-off?

Nudge it either way to toggle. Nudging it too far or too fast ends up
in blinken-lights. Those chain thingies on chandelieres are fun too.
Used to tie the neighbour's cat by the tail to one of those. It
struggled and screamed while putting on a nice light show.

- YD.