Hello, everyone!

[SpiritOfSakura]

Hi there! I'm SpiritOfSakura, though you can call me Spirit for short (or Sakura, if you prefer). Nice to meet you all!
I'm a college student in the US (Iowa to be more specific).
Aside from being a (albeit very un-knowledgeable) Star Wars fan, I'm also a big fan of anime/manga in general, as well as Doctor Who and Sherlock.

I found these forums in a rather roundabout way. Last weekend I attended a local anime convention, where there was a Star Wars-themed panel. Each of the panelists had a really cool-looking lightsaber, and after the panel I asked where they had gotten them. They told me about US (although they did mention earlier in the panel that it was expensive), and I decided to look it up later.
Before I had the chance to do so, I saw a banner ad on another site for US. After poking around the site a bit and reading several threads here in the forums, I figured I'd make an account to interact and ask any questions I might have, as the community here seems wonderful from what I've seen.

Speaking of questions...I do have two small ones, if someone would be willing to answer them here:
1. What exactly is an AV switch?
2. What does a covertec wheel look like, and where is it normally located on sabers that come with it? (Though I can't really afford it at the moment, I plan on one day getting a Raven, and was wanting to put a wheel/clip on it when I did order it.)

Sorry about the wall of text there, haha. ^^;

[Molina00]

Hi there and welcome aboard.
What if I want to call you SOS instead?  

An AV switch is an anti-vandal switch.  I don't really know what anti-vandal means, but it is only available on sabers with the Obisidian soundboard installed and can be illuminated in your choice of color or non-illuminated.  It also costs an extra $25 to upgrade to an AV switch over the guarded switch.  Look at the pics of the Chosen One for an example of the AV switch.  http://www.ultrasabers.com/product-p/sound-chosenonese.htm

Covertech wheels that come standard on sabers or normally close to the pommel.  On sabers where it is not standard you can order one and specify where you want it.  There is a picture in the Chosen One link showing the covertech wheel, it is the 4th picture down and it's the little wheel between the two grip parts.

I hope this helps and feel free to ask if you have any more questions.
  

[sedstiskyfaller]

Hi, welcome to the forum!

To answer your questions:

1) There are two types of switches that US uses, guarded switches and AV switches. The guarded switches show up in most of the product pictures and consist of a black, plastic guard with the switch in the middle. An AV or anti vandal switch is a metal button that is tapered on the edges toward the saber. It comes standard sabers like the Graflex, Malice, and Chosen One.

Which brings me to the next the about switches, latching vs. momentary. Latching switches are used for sabers without sound, where as momentary switches are used for sabers with sound. Therefore, if you don't get a saber with the AV switch as a standard feature then you will have to get sound to be able to add an AV switch.

2) The covertec system is based off of the old cell phone case belt system. It is a wheel about an inch in diameter that slides into the corresponding belt clip so that it locks into place and can only be removed by pressing the clamps together on either side of the clip. It is free to rotate inside of the clip when secured in it.

They tend to be placed on the lower portion of the sabers, closer to the pommel. The side it comes on varies from saber to saber, but if you get a saber that does not come standard with it you can request where it is placed and on which side of the switch you would like it to be.

I hope that gave you what you were looking for  

[Karmack]

Welcome!  Sedisky and Moolina have already covered the questions, so I won't repeat. 
Come on in, grab a chair and enjoy. 

As for questions, ask away.  Someone always knows the answer. 

As for the sabers themselves, yes, they're a bit expensive, but they're worth it.  Just beware: collecting them can be addictive.  :-)

[SpiritOfSakura]

Hi there and welcome aboard.
What if I want to call you SOS instead?  

An AV switch is an anti-vandal switch.  I don't really know what anti-vandal means, but it is only available on sabers with the Obisidian soundboard installed and can be illuminated in your choice of color or non-illuminated.  It also costs an extra $25 to upgrade to an AV switch over the guarded switch.  Look at the pics of the Chosen One for an example of the AV switch.  http://www.ultrasabers.com/product-p/sound-chosenonese.htm

Covertech wheels that come standard on sabers or normally close to the pommel.  On sabers where it is not standard you can order one and specify where you want it.  There is a picture in the Chosen One link showing the covertech wheel, it is the 4th picture down and it's the little wheel between the two grip parts.

I hope this helps and feel free to ask if you have any more questions.
  

SoS is fine too! ^^
And thanks for the answer--the pictures definitely help illustrate.

Hi, welcome to the forum!

To answer your questions:

1) There are two types of switches that US uses, guarded switches and AV switches. The guarded switches show up in most of the product pictures and consist of a black, plastic guard with the switch in the middle. An AV or anti vandal switch is a metal button that is tapered on the edges toward the saber. It comes standard sabers like the Graflex, Malice, and Chosen One.

Which brings me to the next the about switches, latching vs. momentary. Latching switches are used for sabers without sound, where as momentary switches are used for sabers with sound. Therefore, if you don't get a saber with the AV switch as a standard feature then you will have to get sound to be able to add an AV switch.

2) The covertec system is based off of the old cell phone case belt system. It is a wheel about an inch in diameter that slides into the corresponding belt clip so that it locks into place and can only be removed by pressing the clamps together on either side of the clip. It is free to rotate inside of the clip when secured in it.

They tend to be placed on the lower portion of the sabers, closer to the pommel. The side it comes on varies from saber to saber, but if you get a saber that does not come standard with it you can request where it is placed and on which side of the switch you would like it to be.

I hope that gave you what you were looking for  

Thanks for the info! Will be useful for future reference.

Welcome!  Sedisky and Moolina have already covered the questions, so I won't repeat. 
Come on in, grab a chair and enjoy. 

As for questions, ask away.  Someone always knows the answer. 

As for the sabers themselves, yes, they're a bit expensive, but they're worth it.  Just beware: collecting them can be addictive.  :-)

They do look worth it! (And addicting as well, from some of the posts I've seen around the forums.) 

[Molina00]

They do look worth it! (And addicting as well, from some of the posts I've seen around the forums.) 

They are addicting.  You can see in my sig how many sabers I have and how many I still want.  I managed to shake the addiction for a few months but it has taken hold again.   

[SpiritOfSakura]

They are addicting.  You can see in my sig how many sabers I have and how many I still want.  I managed to shake the addiction for a few months but it has taken hold again.   

That's a LOT of sabers! O.o
Can't imagine what I'd do with all those.
But they all look so cool,  I can see the problem with deciding on just one!

[Prowl 1701]

They are addicting.  You can see in my sig how many sabers I have and how many I still want.  I managed to shake the addiction for a few months but it has taken hold again.   

Like Molina, I too amassed a large collection in a short time, it is indeed a very addictive hobby.  I do YouTube reviews of every saber too!  

Welcome to the forum!

[SpiritOfSakura]

Like Molina, I too amassed a large collection in a short time, it is indeed a very addictive hobby.  I do YouTube reviews of every saber too!  

Welcome to the forum!

Do you have a link to your channel, perhaps?
And thanks!

[Prowl 1701]

Do you have a link to your channel, perhaps?
And thanks!

Absolutely! Hope you find the reviews helpful!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTtl0u7wYJpXLNsjODdZTGQ/videos

[James Casey]

Welcome!

To answer a question Molina raised, they're called anti-vandal switches because the surface is flush with the housing - no-one can stick something under the switch to stop it working, which is theoretically possible with the guarded switch.

For all intents and purposes, though, the difference is between practicality and looks

Stunt 'sabres almost all come with guarded switches by default. I believe the Malice, Graflex and Chosen Ones have AV switches as part of the 'control box' each hilt features.

They do look nice, but they're not essential - and as they're only available in a silver finish you might prefer the black guarded switch on a black hilt like the Raven.

Anyway, have fun here on the forums, and if you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask

[SpiritOfSakura]

Welcome!

To answer a question Molina raised, they're called anti-vandal switches because the surface is flush with the housing - no-one can stick something under the switch to stop it working, which is theoretically possible with the guarded switch.

For all intents and purposes, though, the difference is between practicality and looks

Stunt 'sabres almost all come with guarded switches by default. I believe the Malice, Graflex and Chosen Ones have AV switches as part of the 'control box' each hilt features.

They do look nice, but they're not essential - and as they're only available in a silver finish you might prefer the black guarded switch on a black hilt like the Raven.

Anyway, have fun here on the forums, and if you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask

Thanks for the info! Very useful, and something extra to consider when I choose my saber.

[Kanain]

Welcome Sakura.  I too am new to this forum.  I see that your questions have been well answered by others.  But am willing to help you in any way I can.

I recently ordered a Guardian with sound (Emerald) and am anxiously awaiting the arrival - FedEx tracking states next Tuesday as the delivery date.  While there are numerous text and video reviews on the Guardian, I am planning to do a short video to go over my unboxing and my impression of the saber.

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