What to do? I have to get 25 within a week or two.
Linear or audio? Mouser sells 16mm 100K linear taper pots, 313-1000-100K.
Phillip
Isn't there like 1000 suppliers of these pots online?
I'm constantly amazed that there seems to be very poor availability of electronic parts over the counter in the USA. Here in Australia we have a bunch of companies who have numerous locations in capital cities where you can buy everything you need to make most stompboxes (outside of BBDs or specialist ICs and transistors) right there and then. I guess we shouldn't take it for granted!
Mike
apparently there are some here, but i have yet to find them.
Radio Shack is all we really have...which you constantly hear us complaing about. I hear about another electronics store, but its about a 30 minute drive from here, and i dont wanna be disapointed.
Steve was out of 16mm 100k audio pots two weeks before he went on vacation. I had ordered 16 of the 100k-A's & 25 16mm 500k rev. log's. He let me know he was out of the 100k's, and low on the 500k rev.. So I got 10 of the 500k's, with the balance of the 500k's and the 100k's to ship on 8/1. So it probably wouldn't have mattered.
This is why I wish that Mouser stocked 16mm audio taper pots in the standard values. Mouser is the fastest and all around best supplier of electronics that I've ever dealt with. The best thing is that they ship the next day and the parts arrive 3 days after you order. Sure can't beat that!
I've been meaning to order one of the 16mm audio taper pots with 11 detent positions, and disassemble it to see if it can be de-detented.
I've found that for volume controls, a linear taper pot works just as well...very little audible difference even with the different taper.
Phillip
[quote="phillipI've found that for volume controls, a linear taper pot works just as well...very little audible difference even with the different taper.[/color][/quote]
Really? You must have been born with rarest of afflictions - LERS (linear ear response syndrome). :)
In all seriousness - quite the opposite has been true for me. Most pedals I've built or designed have been bordering on unusable on the first half of the pot if a linear pot is used instead of a log one (though usually I use a linear pot with the resistor in parallel trick ala: http://sound.westhost.com/project01.htm
... saves on stocking log pots also)
Cheers
Mike
Quote from: nirvanas silenceWhat to do? I have to get 25 within a week or two.
Mouser has 12mm pots. The only possible hitch is that they are "D" shaft, so in order to get pointer knobs oriented, you have to orient the pot a certain way.
Thanks guys, but I don't want detents from Mouser. So I guess there isn't any other supplier of 16mm 100K Audio taper pots without detents?
Quote from: nirvanas silenceThanks guys, but I don't want detents from Mouser. So I guess there isn't any other supplier of 16mm 100K Audio taper pots without detents?
If your willing to take on 3.18mm (3/8) shafts Digikey has 16MM pots that could fit the bill.
Andrew
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=470&item=NATP-100K&type=store
http://www.altronics.com.au/cat.asp?cat=2&grp=13&id=R2236
http://www.altronics.com.au/cat.asp?cat=2&grp=13&id=R2256
http://www.rockby.com.au/searchres.cfm?select=19&subcode=320&offset=11
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/40fd87ed0b6c8ec4273fc0a87f9c07b1/Product/View/R7512
(or part R7512 if that link doesn't work)
2 weeks is plenty for stuff to ship from Australia
Mike
Another thing I might mention is that on many pot models you can take out the detent mechanism and leave the rest of the wiper in place to operate like a normal pot. Most detent pots are just regular pots with something like a disc or a spring that catches in a hole/dent.
Andrew
Quote from: The Tone GodAnother thing I might mention is that on many pot models you can take out the detent mechanism and leave the rest of the wiper in place to operate like a normal pot. Most detent pots are just regular pots with something like a disc or a spring that catches in a hole/dent.
Andrew
yeah, but do you really want to do that on 25 of them... it only takes one little chunk of a bearing or sprink to cause giant problems...
I am out of the exact same pot.... I need them by the end of the month. I like steve and all, but the last 2 orders i have sent him have taken a month for me to get...
I need them for a commercial pedal, which has already been designed, so im probably in the same boat as nirvanas scilence. I need 16mm pots with a normal shaft, not D or knurled type, because the knobs i use wont work with them. I need solder lugs, not pcb type.
I wish steve would send out an email a month or two before he is going to take major time off.
No offense intended - but if these pots are intended for commercial production the onus falls on the manufacturer to line up alternative suppliers BEFORE it becomes obvious that there is going to be a problem with sourcing. You can't blame a guy for taking a holiday! More thought probably needs to be put into 'designing for manufacture'.
Other tips
- design pedals and layouts so different size pots (16mm/24mm) can be used
- experiment and be aware of circuit changes that can be made to accomodate different value pots (eg if using pots as voltage dividers you can often change between 100k, 500k and 1M with no significant change in behaviour of the circuit). For example, a quick look at the DOD440 circuit reveals that the 100k log pot used twice in the circuit can be 'designed around' very, very easily if you don't have that specific value.
- use knobs that have both spline and D-shaft versions ( I can supply links to these in Australia if necessary)
- use the 'parallel' resistor trick to make stocking of log pots less (also the resultant log pot is more of a 'log' pot than the manufactured ones)
- keep an eye out ALWAYS for specials; I picked up 100 100k log pots for Australian 12c each (US 8c) and they lasted me for a year. Equivalents now cost 10x -> 15x as much.
If all else fails, you'll simply need to invest in enough stock for those 'hard to get parts'. This is when it may be realised how much $$$ needs to be put aside for running a non-hobby business - I've learnt this the hard way! :)
Mike
Mike....
I kind of view the package as an art form. I can use other knobs, but it will look stupid. short of having some made my self overseas the look i want is not available any other way.
When you are trying to cram 3 pots in to a 1590b box these are the only pots that do the job correctly. I am working in a confined space, so i dont have room for more resistors.
It is only recently that i have had problems with lead times, and i was just about to place a pretty large order of this one part, because it is the only thing he sells me that i cant get elsewhere.
Also i do have a backup plan... i can buy some off of another builder i know, but i dont know how many he has.
Quote from: The Tone GodAnother thing I might mention is that on many pot models you can take out the detent mechanism and leave the rest of the wiper in place to operate like a normal pot. Most detent pots are just regular pots with something like a disc or a spring that catches in a hole/dent.
Andrew
I've tried this with the Mouser 16mm pots. The other side of the shaft inside the pot is "stamped" and flared to hold the disk with the wipers onto the shaft. I was not able to easily get the pot apart without either damaging it or not being able to get the wipers back on properly. It's not user friendly, it's tedious, and in my opinion, a waste of time.
I know this thread is for 16mm pots, but if you need some 24mm audio or linear pots quick, before Steve gets back, here's another source.
http://www.web-tronics.com/passive-electronic-components-potentiometers-audio-taper.html
http://www.web-tronics.com/passive-electronic-components-potentiometers-linear-taper.html
Brian, if I find anything I'll let you know. Maybe I'll order a few hundred since they are hard to find, want to split them if there is a good price break? I need the solder lugs and solid shaft just like you. I don't even care about log or linear at the moment, I don't want to have to rip apart other projects to fill other orders.
well you can get the linear at mouser....
I thought I read they only carried detents ones, regardless of taper, but on second check I see them. I guess that'll do for now.
It's too hard to order from Australia? We Aussies have to order from overseas all the time, perhaps we are more accustomed to doing so.
If you really need help, please let me know. I can pick up the pots during my lunch break and post them to you ASAP - airmail takes 7-10 days to the USA usually. (Note - these are for D-shafts; no place in Australia even carries the round shafts AFAIK).
Cheers
Mike
unfortunately mike, for the pedal i use them in the pots mount sideways, so i dont think the D would work
That's cool - I was thinking you can bend the pins back 90 degrees and save some space, but maybe that won't work either.
Cheers
Mike
actually not that i think about it that is the only pot in the pedal that IS facing the right way.
Where does the flat part of the shaft face when the pot is centered?
sorry if i was an A-hole earlier mike.
Thanks