I have been fighting this problem for several years and it finally forces me to ask for help in finding a switch that will work properly.
The problem is in setting off a horn on a boat when a fish hits. Finding a good switch to do this has eluded my many months of searching and asking. Here is the set up: The line is running out the end of the rod with substantial pressure on it from the friction of the water and the weight of the lure. Additional tension is placed on the line by a release mechanism which is released when a fish hits, causing a horn to go off.
My jury rig solution has been to modify a spring driven pinch type line release mechanism by drilling it with two small holes through which I insert very small bolts, one through each flat end of the release pincers. I attach the positive to one bolt and fasten it with a nut, the negative to the second side. The bolt heads are now the point of contact when the spring forces the pincers closed.
I attach a short line with the clip attached to one end to the boat, wrap the line around the fishing line in the water, then insert the insulator material into the release mechanism. When the fish hits the line, the insultor is pulled out of the release mechanism making contact, and the horn goes off. (On my boat this is a very loud set of horns that plays the horserace "Call to the Post"--sure does stir up the troops and get the blood rushing!).
Anyway, it is difficult to use my modified line release mechanism because it is really not designed for electrical contact and doesn't really have enough space to put the nut and bolt on very easily. Can anyone steer me toward a more efficient release mechanism? Any good suggestions on how else I might approach this?
Oh! I meant to mention that I really use this horn a lot when I am fishing by myself. Sometimes I am 45+ miles out to sea and that horn tells me I have just had a strike if I haven't been watching.
Darrell