[drakelist] Looking for advice

[ICDI Dave]

Greetings -     I recently made some minor modifications to my Drake MN-7 antenna tuner and now find myself backed myself into a corner. Maybe someone has a suggestion.     I like the MN-7 and MN-2700 tuners but I really wanted some way to illuminate the meter with a couple small 12 volt dc lamps.  So I installed a couple lamps over the meter, drilled a small hole in the back panel, and inserted a standard phono jack for running 12 volts dc into the unit.  I also drilled a small hole in the front panel (just to the right of the meter); my intent had been to install a mini-spst toggle switch there for controlling the 12 volts dc to the lamps.     Sounded like a good plan to me - I tested the system to make sure I would get illumination; "measured twice and drilled once"; etc etc etc.  All went well until I tried to install the mini-spst switch (which I bought at Radio Shack) in the hole I had just drilled in the front panel. Doggoned if there isn't a double panel on the front - the metal enclosure plus another "plate" which I guess is bakelite. In any case, the threaded cylinder portion of the spst switch (onto which the nut fastens the switch to the panel) does not extend far enough out the front of the panel for me to get the nut on it.     Bummer. Now I have a nice centered 1/4 inch hole in the front panel of my tuner.      The threaded portion of the spst switch that is designed to extend through the panel is 5/16 inches long.     ANYBODY KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND A MINI-spst TOGGLE SWITCH WITH AT LEAST 3/8 INCH THREADS ON THE BUSHING THAT EXTENDS THROUGH FRONT PANEL?  I don't need much more length; right now when I shoulder the switch against the front panel, the end of the threaded cylinder is flush with the panel.     I went back to Radio Shack but they said they do not make these mini-switches with longer shanks.  (Where is Allied Radio and/or Newark Radio when you need them?)     Any suggestions are welcomed - thanks             Dave  W1DV