Brands of pots - small pots

[mojotron]

I'm looking for alternate brands of pots - so far I have just used Alphas - but I would like to try others... Do you know of other pot vendors to try?

Also, I'm building a pedal - with a bunch of knobs - where I want to use some small, board mounted, pots that have knobs that go through the top of the enclosure - like the FD Distortion Pro... Do any of you know what these might be or something like them (small pots) and where I might find them (part numbers..) with the right knobs if needed??

Thanks,

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I use Alps "snap in" PCB mount pots in my commercial gear. They don't LOOK terribly robust, but in practice they ARE very reliable (several thousand out in the field for years, and no actual pot failures). I did have a unit the other day where a cat had chewed the knobs off a Sonic Alienator :shock: but, the pots are fine!

[mojotron]

I use Alps "snap in" PCB mount pots in my commercial gear..

Ahh... their RK09K1110B26 part is about what I am looking for, added some to my next mouser order. I see that my mechanicals are going to have to be dead on for these...

Where did you get knobs for these??

Thanks!

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I use Alps "snap in" PCB mount pots in my commercial gear..

Ahh... their RK09K1110B26 part is about what I am looking for, added some to my next mouser order. I see that my mechanicals are going to have to be dead on for these... Where did you get knobs for these??
Thanks!

From Tenrod Australia (but, I have to get a thousand or so at a time!)
The key is to ask for 6mm D shaft knobs (if that pot is D, alps make all variants). Most Asian pots are 6mm, as opposed to the 6.3 (or 1/4 inch) more common in USA.
You are right about the mechanicals needing to be exact!!! :wink:

[mojotron]

You are right about the mechanicals needing to be exact!!! :wink:

Thanks again! I'll have to play around with these - it's one way to get more knobs without haveing to go to a 1590-DD enclosure.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Alps offer those pots (and, I think www.altronics.com.au in Australia have them in retail quantities) with a shaft that is intended to be used directly as a 'knob', it is intended for very crowded mixer applications. (I used it in the now discontinued Frostwave one unit high rack   mount 8-channel mixer, had 4 pots per channel).
I don't recommend doing this, because any violence to the shafts goes straight to the pot, whereas if you have a knob of the right dimensions, you can stand on the knob and it prevents vertical force going to the shaft.
But for a personal unit, that isn't going to be abused, it would work.