[sdiy] Pots & switches?

[harrybissell]

I have not had problems with C&K switches if specified properly.

If you are doing low level signals, you NEED the gold contact option.

They make a 'mixed level' switch, gold flash over a more robust
contact.  Exceed the low level limit EVEN ONCE and the gold flash
is gone, and so it the rating.

Be wary... if you have "blocking caps" etc what seems like a low level
signal can sometimes pack a punch. In a modular, bad connections can
exceed the rating.

I always use the "P4" actuator option, which has a PIN through the
toggle for anti-rotation.  I'm using one on my drum floorboard to select
optional sounds. I KICK IT from side to side with my foot. And I trust
that !!!

H^) harry

Mattias Rickardsson wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> [bonus-pic:]   www.analogue.org/mr/temp/lunchbreak-before-lunchmake.jpg
> 
> in the AH message included below, Paul gives an incredibly good
> overview on panel components. It actually convinced me that high
> quality is worth the money spent. Considering the time it takes to
> build things, the component cost is not really a big issue. Better is better!
> 
> Now, those Bourns series 95 potentiometers (which I didn't find at
> Newark but at Mouser, albeit in series 91 instead, which is the
> inline PC mount version) seem really nice, but I'm wondering:
> Can I find any center-detent pots of this quality & feeling?
> 
> Regarding switches, NKK is claimed to be the only non-crap one. But
> I've rescued a lot of switches from two brands: C&K and KTA/Fujisoku. See pic:
> 
>        http://www.analogue.org/mr/temp/toggle_switches.jpg
> 
> These were picked from 15 year old electronics test prototypes which
> probably haven't been used much, and have been lying around in normal
> room temperature.
> Are C&K as problematic as described below ("likes to break in 3
> years") when used very sparingly?
> Are KTA/Fujisoku switches crap, or should I rely on them?
> I haven't tested them electrically yet, but they definitely feel
> solid (not like the flimsy crap switches on my Doepfer modular) and
> the C&K ones seem available at Mouser with similar (quite high)
> pricing as the hailed NKK ones.
> 
> All thoughts are welcome.
> Thanks! :-)
> 
> /mr
> 
> At 05:17 2005-10-03, Paul Schreiber wrote:
> 
> >I am a firm believer of "you get what you pay for". I have no idea
> >where people get the idea that DIY synth construction is cheap. As
> >far as modern "craft" type of hobbies go, it's quite expensive to do
> >*properly*. The good news is the Mouser and DigiKey catalogs here in
> >the US at least are thick as phone books. eBay has driven *down to
> >almost zero* the value of test equipment (I routinely see $55,000
> >pieces of HP test equipment sell for $300).
> >
> >When building any sort of electronic project, the 'UI' panel is
> >ALWAYS the majority of the cost (and headache!). I'd estimate that
> >the average MOTM module has 85% of the overall cost in the panel
> >'stuff' (pots/knobs/jacks/switches/panel). However, when something
> >breaks or is aggravating flakey, chances are it's not a cap or IC.
> >It's a panel component.
> >
> >Pots and knobs: this is where I spend the most dollars overall (over
> >$180,000 to date). I spent over 4 months of research and product
> >testing before I selected the 2 pots that I use. And I *really did
> >not* want 2 different vendors, because you are immediately forced
> >into having 2 different torque (the pot's 'feel') values on 1 panel.
> >However, for the VCOs I wanted cermet pots for minimal drifting
> >(even though used ratiometrically cermet drifts 100X less than
> >carbon) and wanted conductive plastic (super long life) for the
> >others. I also need both panel mount (being able to solder wires)
> >and pcb mount (trying to get *rid* of wiring!). So, for panel pots I
> >use Bourns Series 95. These are the MOTM 'blue' pots. Newark
> >Electronics (www.newark.com) carries them. I order 1000 at a time so
> >I have a direct factory account. I have long history of reliability
> >data using these: I used to work for a company that had over 500,000
> >of these in the field over a 20 year period. Their records indicated
> >that in this period less than *30* ever needed replacing. And in the
> >application, 40% were washed down with hi-pressure *steam* every
> >day. Should be OK for a synth :) I have about 25,000 of these in the
> >field and have yet to replace one.
> >
> >The other pcb mount pots are made by Spectrol and carried by Mouser
> >(www.mouser.com) The 149 series is cermet, the 148 series is
> >conductive plastic (like the Bourns). The Spectrols are a 'step up'
> >from the Bourns in terms of quality. They have all metal shafts and
> >use gold-plated leads and contacts. They also cost $1 more. The
> >leads are long and pliable enough to solder wires to (used in the
> >MOTM-300 VCO) but these are really for pcb mounting. I have not seen
> >a better pot for <$5, period.
> >
> >If $$$ are a factor, then the Alpha-branded pots from Mouser are
> >fine. I prefer Noble pots, but they are harder to find. If you are a
> >student and just want *something that works*, get the Alpha pots. If
> >I was doing my Masters/PhD, I'd get the Bourns at least :)
> >
> >MOTM uses the Tyco PKES90B knobs which are about $1ea. They use
> >brass insets and hex set screws. If you get Alpha pots with what is
> >called a "spline" or 'D-shaft', then you can get knobs that simply
> >push on/pull off for about 30 cents. Quite a cost savings when say
> >making a sequencer.
> >
> >Switches: NKK is it. All others are crap. The Mouser 'Mountain'
> >switches are to be avoided at all costs. C&K has *long-term*
> >reliability issues (likes to break in 3 years). I've *never* seen a
> >NKK switch failure in 27 years of using them. I used 6 *million* of
> >them at Tandy. They just make a fine pruduct. BTW: if you want the
> >best rotary switches, these are made by Grayhill. Quite expensive
> >but these are the standard by which all others are judged. Every
> >Boeing aircraft has about 200 in the cockpit.
> >
> >Jacks: Nothing beats the Switchcraft 112A. My Moog 55 has some from
> >1968 and they still work prefectly. However, recently I have been
> >testing some other ones for pcb mounting. I've found some but not
> >telling yet :)
> >
> >Paul S.