Trim pots - Very usefull items.
Trim pots are extremely useful devices and when properly used and rated will have a long life and allow optimization of some circuit parameters that would be very difficult to do by other means. It does not make much difference whether the trim pot adjust DC or AC parameters, or a combination thereof.
Modern trim pots are very stable and no one should be scared to use them in any circuit that may require some adjustment after being constructed. Consideration should be given as to the location within a circuit for any trim pot. Some locations are just more suitable than others.
I agree fully with Mr. Pass. Like any part when it fails, replace it. Don’t hesitate to use these very useful parts.
John Fassotte
Alaskan Audio
Trim pots are extremely useful devices and when properly used and rated will have a long life and allow optimization of some circuit parameters that would be very difficult to do by other means. It does not make much difference whether the trim pot adjust DC or AC parameters, or a combination thereof.
Modern trim pots are very stable and no one should be scared to use them in any circuit that may require some adjustment after being constructed. Consideration should be given as to the location within a circuit for any trim pot. Some locations are just more suitable than others.
I agree fully with Mr. Pass. Like any part when it fails, replace it. Don’t hesitate to use these very useful parts.
John Fassotte
Alaskan Audio
tweak tweak tweak
If I had a device without trimpots, just how could I justify the "tweaker" that's always in my pocket?
My brother was a nuke ET and nuclear power instructor in the US Navy. He told me one day that he was proud to see that his brother wearing his tweaker. A tweaker is a small flat blade screwdriver, usually with a wee pocket clip- a necessity aboard ship- used to adjust the trimpots of various gear.
This is the difference between engineers, my father told me years ago: if one has only pens in his pocket, he is a theoretician. The guys who understand what a device will do when things go wrong, who have the hands-on edge, wear their tweakers! This was of the utmost importance when working with instrumentation.
The trimming of your devices can save many times the price of the trimpots, in terms of device life! Nelson is right!
Keep those pots in the circuit!
Bob
If I had a device without trimpots, just how could I justify the "tweaker" that's always in my pocket?
My brother was a nuke ET and nuclear power instructor in the US Navy. He told me one day that he was proud to see that his brother wearing his tweaker. A tweaker is a small flat blade screwdriver, usually with a wee pocket clip- a necessity aboard ship- used to adjust the trimpots of various gear.
This is the difference between engineers, my father told me years ago: if one has only pens in his pocket, he is a theoretician. The guys who understand what a device will do when things go wrong, who have the hands-on edge, wear their tweakers! This was of the utmost importance when working with instrumentation.
The trimming of your devices can save many times the price of the trimpots, in terms of device life! Nelson is right!
Keep those pots in the circuit!
Bob
keeping trimpots from failing
You have to first "parametrize" what you want to trim -- get to about where you are going with a pair of metal film resistors on each arm of the trimpot and just use the value of the pot for a small portion of the total resistance. This way the R*(I^2) generated in the pot won't exceed its rating.
With respect to precision, you can buy 10, 15 and 25 turn trimpots from Bourns (among others).
You have to first "parametrize" what you want to trim -- get to about where you are going with a pair of metal film resistors on each arm of the trimpot and just use the value of the pot for a small portion of the total resistance. This way the R*(I^2) generated in the pot won't exceed its rating.
With respect to precision, you can buy 10, 15 and 25 turn trimpots from Bourns (among others).
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