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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: John Egerton on August 16, 2004, 01:15:11 PM

Title: My first contribution - DIY Resistor touch strip
Post by: John Egerton on August 16, 2004, 01:15:11 PM
After my attempts of looking for a cheap ready-made resistor strip of a pre-defined value failed, I tried to search for a modification of The Synthstick that would allow me to make a fixed size strip alter a fixed resistance of 5k without having to compromise by adding or taking way some of the length of the strip.

Anyway, I admitted defeat and tried a different approach....  8)

Its easy to make and should act as a variable resistor of any desired value and can be any length you like!


(http://www.inquisitiveworld.com/resistor_strip.JPG)

As long as the first thing you do is decide on the length of the strip, the rest is a simple maths calcultion to discover the amount of resistors you will need, and what value.

The end result should look like a commercially made strip as the black rubber will hide what in my case is known as my shoddy DIY efforts.  :)

As long as you ensure that the protruding solder on the underside of the board s as thin as possible ad of uniform height as the rest of the perfboard locks, then the pad should feel just as professional as a pad on one of those expensive stereo systems or a midi pad.

A chrome cover with a rectangular square cut out exposing the rubber would also look really cool.

Feel free to rip this thing to pieces but nonetheless, a decent idea to think about....


Thanks

John
Title: My first contribution - DIY Resistor touch strip
Post by: smoguzbenjamin on August 16, 2004, 01:17:34 PM
Nice, John! Whatabout when the foil touches two resistors though? That would result in a decrease in resistance... But if the foam's high enough it should be OK... nevermind I'm ranting again :mrgreen:

Nice work!
Title: Good Point
Post by: John Egerton on August 16, 2004, 01:59:02 PM
Thats a decent point actually, I mean, an average person's fingertip is at least 1 cm wouldn't you say?

A way of compensating for that would be to increase the spaces between the resistors and increase the height of the foil from the board I guess...

However sucess is limited...  :?

Hmmmmm..

Thanks

John