[sdiy] optocouplers/Vactrols

[Paul Higgins]

I'd be interested in this.  What is the product called?

-PRH

On Tuesday, October 19, 2004, at 12:57 PM, Barry Klein wrote:

> I happened across a package of plastic beads that supposedly melts in 
> hot
> water and then you can mold into whatever shape you want and it 
> hardens.
> $7.50 for a 6"x2" package or so.  Should work for this.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> [mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl] On Behalf Of Paul Higgins
> Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 10:49 AM
> To: Metrophage
> Cc: synth-DIY
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] optocouplers/Vactrols
>
> Well, that explains why I couldn't find any optocouplers on the
> Hamamatsu website, only LDRs.  And I have heard that Clairex has
> dropped most if not all of their optocouplers from their product line.
> Oh, for the days when I could get a CLM6000 here in Minneapolis rather
> than having to mail order...and now we can't even get them by mail
> order.  This nostalgia is making me feel old...
>
> A bit more bad news: I just got an email from a Silonex rep regarding
> their "Audiohm" optocouplers, and they have dropped their NSL-37 and
> NSL-39 models due to their molding contractor going out of business and
> "taking the housing mold with him".  They still carry the rest of the
> line (for now) including the popular NSL-32 models.  So pretty soon we
> may be back to making these things by hand.  Actually, Magic Parts
> (guitar amp parts supplier) does just that; they sell a "Fender Vibrato
> LDR" for $14 (wholesale price!) that from the picture looks
> suspiciously like a 30-second job with some heatshrink and a butane
> lighter.  I'm not kidding; I see no evidence of black paint or silicone
> compound to fill in the gaps and make it really light-tight.
>
> I've got a much better approach than Magic Parts: it involves using a
> two-part super glue/catalyst combo you can get at a woodworking store
> (the catalyst makes the glue dry perfectly clear in about a second), a
> flat-top yellow LED glued to the LDR, heatshrink, and black model paint
> or silicone RTV compound (applied with a very narrow tip) to fill the
> gaps.  I've also seen people use 35mm film canisters with holes punched
> in the bottom for the leads; kind of bulky, but it works.  With the
> right LDR and construction, you can get pretty good performance even
> from DIY "Vactrols".