This is a teardown of an Alps motorized potentiometer. It's a 50k Alps blue velvet motorized potentiometer that I've had sitting around for a while.
Recently, I built the Salas DCB1 with a 10k Alps RK27 pot for volume control. Rather than spending $45 on a 10k motorized unit, I just wanted to modify the existing pot into a motorized one. To see if this was possible, I began digging through the interwebs for a motorized pot teardown and found very little info - let's change that.
I made sure to take plenty of photos for those looking to do similar modifications to their potentiometers. I'll be swapping out the 50k with the 10k unit tomorrow, so I'll likely document that too.
DETAILS:
1. The first order of business is bending the four metal tabs out to release the motor unit from the pot. I used a flat head screwdriver to gently pry each side of the motor case off.
2. Once the motor is off, you need to remove the central plastic gear and two mounting screws. This is probably the hardest part as there is a metal tab/disc thing that holds the gear in place. Once this tab is off, the gear slides off pretty easily. Remove the screws next and we're off:
3. The rest is pretty straight forward; you are essentially left with an "un-motorized" potentiometer (Albeit with a long shaft stick out of the back!). Since this is a dual pot, there are two blue shells that separate to reveal the "wafers" inside, among other things.
4. After everything is pulled apart, you can see that adding a 10k potentiometer should be as simple as replacing the short shaft of the non motorized unit with the longer shaft. Put it all back together and you've got yourself a motorized potentiometer with a new resistance.
PICTURES:
(In the order they were discussed above)
1. Motor Removal
2. Gear and screws removal
3. Potentiometer insides
4. Individual pieces & Putting it together (TBC...)
Here's a link to the full-resolution album with more pictures: https://imgur.com/a/b6gYy
How's that for a first post?? 😛
Recently, I built the Salas DCB1 with a 10k Alps RK27 pot for volume control. Rather than spending $45 on a 10k motorized unit, I just wanted to modify the existing pot into a motorized one. To see if this was possible, I began digging through the interwebs for a motorized pot teardown and found very little info - let's change that.
I made sure to take plenty of photos for those looking to do similar modifications to their potentiometers. I'll be swapping out the 50k with the 10k unit tomorrow, so I'll likely document that too.
DETAILS:
1. The first order of business is bending the four metal tabs out to release the motor unit from the pot. I used a flat head screwdriver to gently pry each side of the motor case off.
2. Once the motor is off, you need to remove the central plastic gear and two mounting screws. This is probably the hardest part as there is a metal tab/disc thing that holds the gear in place. Once this tab is off, the gear slides off pretty easily. Remove the screws next and we're off:
3. The rest is pretty straight forward; you are essentially left with an "un-motorized" potentiometer (Albeit with a long shaft stick out of the back!). Since this is a dual pot, there are two blue shells that separate to reveal the "wafers" inside, among other things.
4. After everything is pulled apart, you can see that adding a 10k potentiometer should be as simple as replacing the short shaft of the non motorized unit with the longer shaft. Put it all back together and you've got yourself a motorized potentiometer with a new resistance.
PICTURES:
(In the order they were discussed above)
1. Motor Removal
2. Gear and screws removal
3. Potentiometer insides
4. Individual pieces & Putting it together (TBC...)
Here's a link to the full-resolution album with more pictures: https://imgur.com/a/b6gYy
How's that for a first post?? 😛
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You should really try to resize the pics before posting 🙂
But in any case, thank you for the teardown... I have been on the fence about motorized pots and its impact to sound quality - did you find it had any impact on it ?
But in any case, thank you for the teardown... I have been on the fence about motorized pots and its impact to sound quality - did you find it had any impact on it ?
It should have the exact same inpact as a non motorized one. If the controling circuitry is well designed the motor will only receive power when changing volume.
MASantos, do you have any experience with any of the kits available like from ebay? I been tempted to pick one up but they go from $20 to several hundred so unsure about quality.
ps....go Benfica 🙂
ps....go Benfica 🙂
Agreed. I just didn't think to resize them before uploading. As for sound quality, I didn't notice any negative impacts.
I bought an MV-04 kit from HERE a while back; it was my first go at a passive pre. Relatively plug and play, but was limited in functionality. I'm currently putting together an Arduino powered version so I can pick and choose the features I want.
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CMAC thanks for this. I have a rough spot in my RK27 50K motorized POT. No problem with the signal, just a rough spot at about the 10 o'clock position that the motor is unable to overcome, thereby making the remote useless.
Do you see any down side to just blasting the gearbox with deoxit or similar cleaner? I'm thinking there is just some dried up old lubricant in there from a few years of storage (just set it up again).
Thanks!
Andy
Do you see any down side to just blasting the gearbox with deoxit or similar cleaner? I'm thinking there is just some dried up old lubricant in there from a few years of storage (just set it up again).
Thanks!
Andy
hi. did you ever end up putting the pot back together with the 10K unit. did it work as expected? can you post pictures of the rebuild? thanks 🙂
A "rough spot" sounds like there is dirt in the gears.
A thorough clean and re-grease.
But maybe you can see the offending object and pick it out with the tip of a sewing needle.
After the thorough clean out with contact cleaner and then lubing with silicone it started working correctly again. Only the very occasional slowdown in the same location.
I had sourced another ALPS unit, but when it arrived it was clear that it was much larger in size and would not be a drop in replacement. So it just sits in a drawer for a future project.
AA
I had sourced another ALPS unit, but when it arrived it was clear that it was much larger in size and would not be a drop in replacement. So it just sits in a drawer for a future project.
AA
Hi camac
is it possible for you to reload some of your "RK27 tear down" pictures? Still in 2022 it will be helpfull but not only for me I think.
Best regards,
Bo
is it possible for you to reload some of your "RK27 tear down" pictures? Still in 2022 it will be helpfull but not only for me I think.
Best regards,
Bo
For me this images are also of interest. Maybe there is also the possibility to find the images by webarchive - unfortunately I don't find out the URL of the associated provider like Imageshack/Photobucket.
Or to put is this way. Does one know if it is possible to take only the motor/gear assembly from a new motorized RK27 and put that on an already fitted
non motorized RK27 in a amplifier. From outside it looks possible, but is it ? I dont want to tear down the whole amp to change that pot to a motorized version witch would be unevidable if I´d desided to do that.
non motorized RK27 in a amplifier. From outside it looks possible, but is it ? I dont want to tear down the whole amp to change that pot to a motorized version witch would be unevidable if I´d desided to do that.
Hi, if you have not already found the pictures they are still here 🙂. https://app.billecta.com/ht/mypages
Thank you - I have save the images here, because imgur is a file hosting service like imageshack photobucket etc. - i. e. someday URL is dead and the images are thus no longer available.
For the mentioned website authentifikation (user name PIN etc.) is necessary - i. e. unusable only for members.
I am looking for a special tool for removing the used starlock retaining washer (also called locking or quicklock washer) without destroy.
This is usual a pesky kind of one-way fasteners, but maybe there are offered such tools anywhere for strip down and cleaning due sometimes present crackling effects while rotates( better solution than various sprays like tuner 600).
An image of such a starlock washer in still mounted condition you will find in post #24 under
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...till-best-price-performance-pot.198727/page-2and under
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...-vishay-and-more-whats-your-fav.153841/page-7 (post #123/125)
Thank you for advices.
This threads don't provided the wanted information to such a tool:
Attachments
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Alps RK27-rear without cover.jpg -
Alps RK27-Shaft-III.jpg -
Alps RK27-Shaft-II.jpg -
Alps RK27-Gear Unit IV.jpg -
Alps RK27-Gear-Unit-III.jpg -
Alps RK27-Gear unit-II.jpg -
Alps RK27-Gear Unit.jpg -
Alps RK27-screws-starlock washer.jpg -
Alps RK27-Motor-Unit-II.jpg -
Alps RK27-Motor unit.jpg -
Alps RK27-Gears.jpg -
Alps RK27-shaft.jpg -
Alps RK27-parts.jpg -
Alps RK27-I.jpg
I recently spoke with a starlock distributor who sells the washers and the insertion tools. He told me that there is no tool he's aware of that's designed to remove them. They aren't designed to be removed, and if you do remove one, you'll most likely destroy it. Of course, you can prise the fins up one by one and then bend them back, but its integrity will never be as good as a new washer. It'd be great to have a removal tool, though!
The actually problem is, that the from Alps used starlock washer isn't available separately (custom-made for a rectangular (instead of round) shaft).
Therefore the question concerning removal tool.