[sdiy] Pot life specifications

[Dave Manley]

David G. Dixon wrote:
> So, let's say a pot "fails" after 20,000 rotations or so.  What happens,
> exactly?  Does the wiper start failing to make contact with the resistive
> strip?  Does the resistive strip wear off the fiberglass substrate?  Does
> the resistance change dramatically, and does this happen mostly in the
> middle of the rotation, or at the ends, or only where the pot has spent most
> of its life being set?  Or, does the pot just start generating noise when
> you turn it?
>
> Does it happen gradually or catastrophically?
>
> Do the terminals fall off?  Does the shaft fall out?
>  
>   
Many of your questions answered here:

http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/potsecrets/potscret.htm
http://www.firstpr.com.au/rwi/dfish/pot-wear/

Check out the pics showing how pots are built and typical ways pots wear.

-Dave