Alpha miniature pots

[Explorer]

Is there any difference between these and ordinarily sized pots concerning durability?

It just so happens that with these pots I can get a, say big muff, into a phase90-sized box, with place for battery- but will this compromize quality in the long run?

[bioroids]

Hi, take this as you wish, Boss pedals use those miniature pots.

Good luck

Miguel

[gez]

Who sells them?  Link anyone? I use small(ish) PCB jobs, but I'm always on the look out for something smaller.

gez

[Spaceshot]

Mouser, or SmallBear Electronics has the audio taper wothout detents! I use em for everything I can.

[gez]

I've just had a look at the back of the pots on my breadboard and ...er, they're Alpha..(cough)

[troubledtom]

i use'm.
  peace,
      - tom

[jsleep]

I use them too and proud to be in the same category as Boss.  

I'm not sure if you're asking if you can hear the difference between 16mm pot and a 24mm pot?  I can't hear the difference, but I wouldn't doubt it if someone pipes up here and says they can hear it.  Anyone?

It would seem logical that the 24mm pots will last longer (more rotations).  How much do you really tweak pots on your stompboxes though?  Some pots do get tweaked on a regular basis, but I'm guessing 80% of stompbox controls stay pretty much in the same position with out much rotation after initial setting.

JD

[aron]

FWIW, I've never had a problem with the miniature mouser pots. I love them.

Many others (mostly amp guys) will disagree, but they have worked for me, flawlessly.

[Steve C]

I use the miniature pots for my breadboard because they don't take up a lot of room.  I also use them in most instances for tone controls, and whenever I could use some extra space.  I've never had any problems with them.  Just mount them to the pcb and drill a 1/4" hole for the knob part.  Just make sure the pcb is secure and solid.  I think Zvex uses them in the seek wah/ooh wah pedals, or used to.    

Plus you don't have to spring for knobs.  They're a good deal for pots under a buck.  And you can fit just about any pedal into a 1590B.  I use 'em.

[analogmike]

HI,

I have had problems with the larger Alpha pots, but VERY few problems with the 16 mm pots.

[Explorer]

Yeah I´m talking about the 16mm alpha pots from smallbear.
Not thinking about sound but durability. I wouldn´t take a person seriously if he claimed 24mm sounded better - but there are probably lots of them. I´m mainly thinking about durability, but I guess alpha pots are quite safe concerning that..

[BillyJ]

They have been very sturdy for me so far.
The larger pots do have more taper to them and that could possibly make for a smoother pot sweep with more detail.
Meaning that there is more physical room between point A and B on the pot taper with the larger diameter, that can make for a pot that seems more dynamic in it's use.
This would apply more so to a sensitive type of parameter where a little turn on the pot makes a big difference in sound.

Gee I hope I am correct and that I didn't confuse anyone except me.  

[petemoore59]

the closer the wiper tip is to the center of rotatiion the tolerance of the bushing will have less effect on the alignment of wiper conact throughout rotation...not that the spring wouldn't take up the differnce anyway...
  Aluminum shafts are much harder to cut and break off than plastic...
  Once I saw glow, then smoke coming from a small pot...but I think there was a direct short there...lol...I should have hooked up a big one to see if it would fry under the same conditions...
  I think maybe somewhere, way down at the bottom of my list of worries is problems with new pots failing through normal use

[Jered]

Small pots have worked perfectly for me, that is all I use, but I would avoid the ones with the plastic shafts, they fall apart VERY easy.
  Jered

[Roland]

I've used plenty of alpha pots. The minis are fine just don't get ones with switches on them. They fall apart very easily(with switches). The best pots I used are phir 21he6's, steel construction allowing soldering to the pot and $8 each. I don't think they are available from mouser.

Of course you can solder to the alpha pot if you sand and clean away the paint and expose the metal underneath. My shipping costs sure went down when I switched to alpha ... 1/10 the weight.

[zachary vex]

i use all alpha pots.  every once in a while i'll see a bad one, but they are generally predictably good.  very few have ever come back after wearing out.  i've replaced a few where the box was dropped some distance and the stop broke so they spun in circles.  the ones i use for the seek-wah and ooh-wah are somewhat fragile if you step on them, but quite reliable otherwise.

[gez]

The Alpha one's I use (for all I know we're on about another type they make) have split shafts.  If you use a knob with a grub screw and overtighten, the screw can push the two prong type thingies (I've just woken up) together and they tend to snap off if you try to straighten them up again.  Nowadays I glue thin plastic in the gap to prevent this happening.