Alps pot on ebay

[Bill Fitzpatrick]

When I started the thread I thought I was bringing something worthwile to everyone's attention.

Now the jury seems to have come in.

At least the thread reader's won't be wasting their money on that item.

[Ciscokid]

If anyone is interested in a dis-asembled eBay alps:

First pix:


Another:




ck

[Stabist]

Ciscokid - and how does it work and sound?? Does it pop between switching?? Or are/were you satisfied with it??

[Ciscokid]

Yes, as mentioned in my previous posts. I have a pair of mono blocks and use one pot in each. One of the first set developed a pop within a few days of use. I ordered a second set thinking that perhaps one of the first was bad. After replacement through, still had the popping between clicks between about 9:00 and 11:00 on the dial. The other monoblock has started popping too, however not as bad just annoying.

Hope this helps..
ck

[Stabist]

Thanks Ciscokid

I will try mine today (hehe - yesterday I bought one in the afternoon - glad to get an Alps for a quite reasonable price - in the eveneing I've find out this topic - so now I'm a bit sceptical - but - if it won't pop - then it was a good investment) and report how does it perform ...

Btw - Ciscokid - is it hard to dismantle it?? Are ther any "tricks" I should know if I will have to do it??

Thanks again

[officeboy]

Hmm, I wonder if widening that copper contact patch would help give it a better connection to the contacts on the wafer.

Oh well, guess I better play it safe, and stick with the crappy pots I have, at least they don't pop and click.

[millwood]

Originally posted by BStrum
The ALPS snapped crackeled and poped. It was breaking the contacks. I had the ALPs in the feedback loop of an 825 OP amp circuit and promply blew a test speaker. The ALPS was $12.00

pots are such a strange animal that when you use them, you have to use them in such a way that when they pop, they don't cause damages.

Because no matter how good a pot you have, they will pot sometimes. and it is always a risky proposition to NOT consider that when you engineer the design.

[BStrum]

Millwood makes a good point.

If we consider a pop a component failure then we should protec against the failure.

A shunt across the pot would prvent this at the sacifice of the gain range.

Of course, as I speak I design so changing the input resistors would compensate for this.

[Stabist]

So - after comming home - I just couldn't wait till GC will be finished - I've implemented Alps (or whatever it is) stepped attenuator in a passive preamp - so right now there are his first minutes ..

I will not judge sound yet;

Does it pops?? Yes - the right channel sometimes does - but to hear it - there must be one condition to hear it:
- you must switch it very very slowly

But then again - it pops very very quiet - considering that the cheapest version of 2x12position attenuator I intented to use was almost the same price - but it also poped real loud - this Alps (or whatever it is) is worth of the money ...

OK, I will wait and see what will happened in the future ...

[speaker]

Gawd, I bought one too.

It was for a Foreplay project.

I feel so ashamed, & dirty.



speaker