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Best brands of pots?

kevilay

May 2, 2012
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Hey guys, Im building a set of racing pedals for a racing simulator. I am currently sourcing a high quality pot to use. I have many options. Im just running of a small USB board so power requirements are almost nothing. I can function on 10k-100k. and I will solder to the pins. Need some sort of panel mount. Most people are using a some thing this:

http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/657BR0203/657BR0203-ND/1287431

Vishay Spectrol
POT 20K OHM 1W PLASTIC LINEAR

This will suit my needs exactly, but going forward with production 26$ CAD is very expensive for a pot. I need something of very high quality that will last for a long time. Are there some other well known brands that will work for me? I'm hoping to be closer to the 10$ mark. Mostly just looking for your opinions!

Thanks
Kevin
 

Minder

Apr 24, 2015
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Digikey should be able to offer cheaper versions than that, most of the cost is in the materials used S.S. shaft for e.g.!
Do you need that quality?
M.
 

duke37

Jan 9, 2011
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What does the pot do?
If it needs to operate many times, you could consider a light shutter or Hall effect device for greater reliability.
 

kevilay

May 2, 2012
4
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May 2, 2012
Messages
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Let me explain my use a little bit better. So i have a throttle pedal and clutch pedal that connect to the pot. They use a little ball end joint and a nylon rutter to translate the linear into rotation. It has 0 side force on the pot. I get about 1/4 rotation of pot travel back and forth each time you push the pedal. In 1 race you may press it a few hundred times. So this thing would see hundreds of thousands of turns. I seen some people play with hall effect stuff,but from what I understand its more of an on off switch and it doesn't measure position all that closely? Maybe you can confirm this. I need it to be fairly accurate for the whole travel, repeatable. Im not sure what a light shutter is?

@Minder Are you saying its a stainless steel shaft? Whats EG? Sorry if im a little green!

Thanks for your help
Kevin
 

Minder

Apr 24, 2015
3,478
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I meant you are paying for quality, the spec sheet shows a Stainless S. shaft etc. cost over quality??;)

e.g. is for example.
Most short hand notations in English come from Latin.
e.g. = exempli gratia (for example)
i.e. = Id est (that is)
Et al(ia) = In all
etc. etc.

Etcetera = et cetera (and other things) :D
M.
 
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duke37

Jan 9, 2011
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The first electronic organs used mechanical pots for volume control but these wore out and were noisy. They were replaced by a bulb running on DC and a foot operated shutter to alter the light shining on a light sensitive resistor such as an ORP12.

I have never used a Hall effect device but they are used to measure current in wires using the magnetic field so have a variable output. Doubtless Hall effect switches are also available.
 

Colin Mitchell

Aug 31, 2014
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Here is a simple detector circuit for 75 cents

mu0lbYn26JvhlsC_cW8HJSw.jpg


Get a pot, remove the cover and add a vane that varies the brightness from the transmitter to the receiver
 
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