Thanks guys for all your suggestions and help..

You are most welcome. Always nice to hear back from a TS who has found a solution, often they just fade away...

Note that if BOTH switches are closed, the batteries are shorted together.
(boom)

My understanding of the mechanics of the joystick is that this is impossible - hopefully correct...

 

both cannot be open at once.. center is off position

also only 1.5v so explosion wont bring the roof lol

 

Note that if BOTH switches are closed, the batteries are shorted together.
(boom)

My understanding of the mechanics of the joystick is that this is impossible - hopefully correct...

You understand correctly. By mechanical means only one switch can be closed at any given time. ASSUMING you can't press the joy stick into its housing and close both switches.

But why would anyone want two power sources? If you predominately run the motor clockwise and infrequently counter clockwise then one battery will wear down quicker than the other.

Find a better joy stick, one with DPDT characteristics with center off. IF you're going to invest money anywhere - that's the place to start.

 

Find a better joy stick, one with DPDT characteristics with center off.

Fair point, but the TS has already bought the (fairly expensive) joy stick. Two batteries gets a quick result,

You just need the TA6586 H Bridge motor controller.

Is my preferred solution given the joys stick as purchased.

 

You quoted two of my posts. The first you quoted is my latest suggestion and the second quoted post is older. The TS showed a video (I think) with that chip. Either solution would work, but the more complex the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the drain. (Professor Montgomery Scott; Engineer, Starship Enterprise Galaxy Class NCC 1701). Spending a little now saves more later when things fail.

 

Fortunately, the switches are in opposite directions on a single operator control. So in this instance it is OK. If they were replaced with SPDT switches then a different wiring scheme would eliminate the possibility of that happening. A different scheme that has been presented and used in this forum quite a few times.

 

That switch pictured is two SPST switches. That's to say half of the switch is a make or break switch and the other half is the same thing but only switches when the joy stick is thrown in the opposite direction.

Thank you very much for your input on this. I had the exact same question.