Inspired by the group buy for PEC carbon pots in another thread, I thought it would be a good idea to put the purchasing might of our membership to the task of finding a sub $20 audio pot solution for our projects. Members are encouraged to identify possible candidates and then the process can begin. Let the name dropping begin.
yldouright said:
I wish these messages were dated better.
Anyway - the problem I see here is some people want a direct volume pot (dual ganged, audio taper), while others might use a single pot that controls some other circuit to adjust the volume (even seen a single tube based circuit that noise filters a linear pot and does a log change of both right and left channels as equally as possible).
Other people may want a pot with a limit-switch-off when you turn it all the way down, and others may want a push-button. Some people want motorized for use with remotes.
Personally I want the limit-switch for on/off, a momentary contact when you push the knob, AND a motor, preferably with an LED in the knob (or maybe behind the knob with just a hole in the knob to let the light through and radiate from behind as well ... hmmm). Anyway - I'm not gonna get that without having them custom made (a possibilty - plenty of places would do it), but not at my needed quantity of 1.
I think everyone's application is too different to buy pots in bulk because everyone builds something different around the basic gainclone (which doesn't need a pot). You'd need a standardized preamp design.
-- Evan
GothWolf
Your application is indeed esoteric but I would say that the majority of people here on this board need good stereo 25K log pots. They are versatile and can be ganged for balanced operation for those planning Pass Labs stuff too. An additional benefit is that purchased in quantity, I can match them into sets of pots which will track nearly perfectly and that is something that the individual purchaser cannot do economically.
Your application is indeed esoteric but I would say that the majority of people here on this board need good stereo 25K log pots. They are versatile and can be ganged for balanced operation for those planning Pass Labs stuff too. An additional benefit is that purchased in quantity, I can match them into sets of pots which will track nearly perfectly and that is something that the individual purchaser cannot do economically.
kilowattski, Variac, Gothwolf and others
This post does not exclude any pot. All it proposes to do is identify which pots are needed by our membership. The PEC 25k pot is desirable for the Gainclone but there are other phono stage and chip pre-amp projects which also like this value. If the X-BOSOZ requires a 5k pot, then another category could be started which can be included in the same group buy. The point here is to identify which pots are desirable for which projects and why they are. In this enterprise I expect to see a trend develop which will give us a list of the high quality pots and an estimation of the potential demand. The bigger the order, the more power we can have in getting the price we want to pay for those pots. At $40 delivered for the PEC pots, the ladder attenuator starts looking like a viable alternative and with that, you can make any value and log scale that you wish.
This post does not exclude any pot. All it proposes to do is identify which pots are needed by our membership. The PEC 25k pot is desirable for the Gainclone but there are other phono stage and chip pre-amp projects which also like this value. If the X-BOSOZ requires a 5k pot, then another category could be started which can be included in the same group buy. The point here is to identify which pots are desirable for which projects and why they are. In this enterprise I expect to see a trend develop which will give us a list of the high quality pots and an estimation of the potential demand. The bigger the order, the more power we can have in getting the price we want to pay for those pots. At $40 delivered for the PEC pots, the ladder attenuator starts looking like a viable alternative and with that, you can make any value and log scale that you wish.
Ok, I agree that $40 is pretty steep, which is why we are here
In this thread carbon track /silver wiper pots from Alpha are mentioned and confirmed as pretty decent:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39258&perpage=10&pagenumber=1
So I went to Mouser and found a different pot made by Alpha
with carbon and silver:
The one that is noted as having a silver wiper is the 17mm one
partly down the page:
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/620/433.pdf
So I am nominating this pot as a test case as a likely good sounding one. It comes in all relevent values and audio or straight taper.
Different shafts too!
In this thread carbon track /silver wiper pots from Alpha are mentioned and confirmed as pretty decent:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39258&perpage=10&pagenumber=1
So I went to Mouser and found a different pot made by Alpha
with carbon and silver:
The one that is noted as having a silver wiper is the 17mm one
partly down the page:
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/620/433.pdf
So I am nominating this pot as a test case as a likely good sounding one. It comes in all relevent values and audio or straight taper.
Different shafts too!
yldouright said:
Funny you should mention that. Check out:
http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/4pol24posals.html
$20 for a 23 position 4 pole switch ain't bad, as far as I can tell. Has anyone here done business with Triode Electronics?
Assume about 50 resistors at a quarter a crack, you're in the same ballpark as the pot. Does anyone have an opinion on series resistor ladders?
Francois.
That switch does look like the deal!
I'd like to know more about the contact material, but copper might be OK if the switch is used consistantly
Did I mention that the audio taper pots I mentioned above are $1.13 each? They have a built in switch, that is probably silver contacts too.
You can get linear ones without the switch and do the law faking thing.
Heck, maybe I 'll grow up and just order a few....
I'd like to know more about the contact material, but copper might be OK if the switch is used consistantly
Did I mention that the audio taper pots I mentioned above are $1.13 each? They have a built in switch, that is probably silver contacts too.
You can get linear ones without the switch and do the law faking thing.
Heck, maybe I 'll grow up and just order a few....
I've been thinking of these 9mm log double gang pots for a while now. They are seem to be well respected in the other thread.
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
The 9mm linear double gang pots are here.
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
By the way, I would be interested in several other things like job boxes.
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=644
and
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=
There is a bunch more things I'd be interested in.
Phil
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
The 9mm linear double gang pots are here.
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
By the way, I would be interested in several other things like job boxes.
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=644
and
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=
There is a bunch more things I'd be interested in.
Phil
I guess a group order to Jaycar then?
I just realized that the pots I referred to are all single gang. I was going to use them on monoblocks, but for general use most people don't want a knob per channel.
So Jaycar seems to be the source for thes- too bad they don't have conventional shafts.
I just realized that the pots I referred to are all single gang. I was going to use them on monoblocks, but for general use most people don't want a knob per channel.
So Jaycar seems to be the source for thes- too bad they don't have conventional shafts.
they have these knobs:
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
I have used an aluminum knob with a setscrew, made for a 6mm shaft
on this type of splined shaft. I was able to get it to clamp quite well and it didjn't wobble. I aligned the setscrew so it was pressing on the slot.
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
I have used an aluminum knob with a setscrew, made for a 6mm shaft
on this type of splined shaft. I was able to get it to clamp quite well and it didjn't wobble. I aligned the setscrew so it was pressing on the slot.
I see the boys have come out to play. It's nice to see this thread heat up
DSP_Geek
I think this is the direction we should take. A ladder attenuator is likely to serve the greatest population because of the flexability it offers in its buildout but we must be careful. Peter Daniel has posted his findings on "cheaper" make before break switches and he called them unusable because of the noise introduced with each new switch junction. This is not to say that the ones you suggested suffer the same illness but as in all things, it would be a good idea to get a real world report before making a commitment. Thanks for your post.
Variac, tommak and mrlots2do
Welcome and thanks for your input. The more candidates we can find, the better our chances of finding the ideal part(s). Frugalphiles unite!
frugalphile used with kind permission of planet10
DSP_Geek
I think this is the direction we should take. A ladder attenuator is likely to serve the greatest population because of the flexability it offers in its buildout but we must be careful. Peter Daniel has posted his findings on "cheaper" make before break switches and he called them unusable because of the noise introduced with each new switch junction. This is not to say that the ones you suggested suffer the same illness but as in all things, it would be a good idea to get a real world report before making a commitment. Thanks for your post.
Variac, tommak and mrlots2do
Welcome and thanks for your input. The more candidates we can find, the better our chances of finding the ideal part(s). Frugalphiles unite!
frugalphile used with kind permission of planet10
I believe Electus Distribution is Jaycar's distributor so you get exactly the same product for less if you have a ABN. (Australian Business Number)
http://www1.electusdistribution.com...ords=&CATID=34&SUBCATID=170&form=CAT&SPECIAL=
http://www1.electusdistribution.com...ords=&CATID=34&SUBCATID=170&form=CAT&SPECIAL=
Just to share with you... guys...
A few days a go I try a Taiwan Alpha 16mm (? not sure actually) 10K Linear dual gang pot on my gainclone amp. (replacing Citec 100K log pot) Though the look of the Alpha pot is just so-so (the Citec looks better), the result is very good. The bass is a bit flabby but the mids and highs are glorious.
They look like the picture I attach (got it from Electus site) but mine with metric shaft, rather than imperial as in the picture.
Might be the same unit is available in Mouser is in: (drawing F or H, but dual gang and linear)
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/620/433.pdf
Now the interresting part is... this pot, in Indonesia, I get it for about US$ 40cents...
Regards,
---
David
A few days a go I try a Taiwan Alpha 16mm (? not sure actually) 10K Linear dual gang pot on my gainclone amp. (replacing Citec 100K log pot) Though the look of the Alpha pot is just so-so (the Citec looks better), the result is very good. The bass is a bit flabby but the mids and highs are glorious.
They look like the picture I attach (got it from Electus site) but mine with metric shaft, rather than imperial as in the picture.
Might be the same unit is available in Mouser is in: (drawing F or H, but dual gang and linear)
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/620/433.pdf
Now the interresting part is... this pot, in Indonesia, I get it for about US$ 40cents...
Regards,
---
David
Attachments
Regarding the Alpha pot, Jaycar seems to have it here:
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
and
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
They have 50K and 100K linear dual gang pots, but I do not see the 10K listed.
Regards,
---
David
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
and
http://www1.jaycarelectronics.com/p...d1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=
They have 50K and 100K linear dual gang pots, but I do not see the 10K listed.
Regards,
---
David
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