How do I know if my pot is bad?

[Ripthorn]

So I just built a Dr. Boogey using the gaussmarkov schem and layout and I thought that everything was in place, but I plugged it in and got nothing.  I audio probed and found the problem is the treble pot.  I am getting nothing on pin 2 of the treble, meaning nothing getting to the output.  I have measured the resistance across the terminals of the pot and they seem to be in order, but I am baffled as to why I am not getting anything on pin 2.  I am getting signal on pins 1 and 3, but it seems like there might be something funny in the pot going on.  Anyone have any idea?  Thanks.

[R.G.]

You put your ohmmeter between the wiper and one end, then watch the resistance as you turn the pot. It should change smoothly between one end and the other at a rate determined by the taper of the pot. Any open spots indicates the pot's bad. Then do the same from the other end.

[Ripthorn]

Well, I checked and the pot is good, though between pin 1 and wiper I get a max of 15.5k and between pin 3 and wiper I get a max of 18.75k for a 20k pot.  Pin 2 goes to the volume pot, so the next logical thing was a short to ground, and lo and behold, one stray strand from my ground wire in pin 1 of volume made it's way to pin 2 of volume, shorting out the signal that pin 2 of treble was doing.  Thanks for the help in debugging, RG.  Thing works pretty sweet now, even though I feel stupid.

[MikeH]

Only one way to tell- smoke it.





Or check the resistance/continuity with your DMM.

[BDuguay]

Start by monitoring their grades at school. Also, check for moodiness or innappropriate social behavior.
B.

[DougH]

If water rises out of the bowl and floods the floor after you flush it...

[R.G.]

... sniff... hmph.
ignoring spurious ignoble comments  

No need to be embarassed. All of them are easy once you know the trick. It's the finding them that is tough, and you did that well.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

R.G. is right, the only person who never makes mistakes, is the person who never makes ANYTHING!