Pots, Switches and Push button recommendations...

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SWAN808

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Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
91
Hi All I am sourcing components for a build. Can anyone recommend good, reliable and affordable suppliers for pots and rotary switches?

1pcs 1x3 switch
3pcs 1x6 switch
5pcs 2x6 switch

Pots:
16x 10k LIN STEREO
8x 10k LOG STEREO
1x 5k LIN STEREO
1x 1k LIN STEREO
1x 100k LOG STEREO
1x 10k LOG STEREO
4x 10k LIN STEREO
 
Ive no idea where you are ,or where you need to order from , but this guy is is competitive , He has a good range of pots and lorlin type rotary switches .

https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=94
 
We don't know what corners you can/want to cut.

You need to make your own compromise, can't get all three parameters at one time.

Or tell us more.

Including maybe your location?

Jakob E.

 
apologies for the lack of info...Im in the UK and will most likely assemble in the UK...

The initial suggestions I have which are a bit expensive for my project are:

Rotary:
http://www.audiomaintenance.com/acatalog/GR-03-003_extended_info.html

Pot:
https://www.banzaimusic.com/Alpha-9-PC-STE-100k-lin.html

I guess I want to cut as few corner as possible (!) but do need something low cost because I am using a lot...perhaps Alps and Omeg? Ideally a spline shaft on the pots but I should prob focus on quality first then find the knob...
 
re: quantity - are the quantities shown in the first post the total - or is that for one unit and you are planning to build several ?
I'd suggest to look at Lorlin for rotary switches and take it from there...
 
Newmarket said:
re: quantity - are the quantities shown in the first post the total - or is that for one unit and you are planning to build several ?
I'd suggest to look at Lorlin for rotary switches and take it from there...

thanks for the input...I will start building one prototype but will aim to build 10 following that...In total there are 32 pots and 9 Rotary switches...

I heard Lorlin was not great quality - but that could be an over-conservative view (hence expensive switch choice)...as you can probably tell I'm learning on the job and working with an engineer...trying to bring the BOM cost down...
 
SWAN808 said:
thanks for the input...I will start building one prototype but will aim to build 10 following that...In total there are 32 pots and 9 Rotary switches...

I heard Lorlin was not great quality - but that could be an over-conservative view (hence expensive switch choice)...as you can probably tell I'm learning on the job and working with an engineer...trying to bring the BOM cost down...

LORLIN are sort of 'standard issue' components and relatively easily obtained. So I'd suggest taking one as a starting point and judging whether you need to go 'upmarket' from there bearing cost in mind.
 
Newmarket said:
LORLIN are sort of 'standard issue' components and relatively easily obtained. So I'd suggest taking one as a starting point and judging whether you need to go 'upmarket' from there bearing cost in mind.

thanks...mmm...my engineer was extremely scathing about Lorlin...which apparently used to be good but now...can you suggest a slightly more upmarket alternative?
 
SWAN808 said:
Hi All I am sourcing components for a build. Can anyone recommend good, reliable and affordable suppliers for pots and rotary switches?
You haven't mentioned any wishes regarding size, neither if you want them for PCB mount or wired.
Lorlin switches are inexpensive, but big (one inch diameter) compared to the more expensive (but very popular amongst DIY'ers) Grayhill.
As to potentiometers, Bourns have recently added a new line, the PDB series, in 17mm diameter. Indeed, they are standard chinese stuff, but the price is acceptable and the availability is not bad.
An added advantage for DIY'ers is that their dual Log pots are constituted of a Log wafer and a facing RevLog, making it possible, by swapping wafers, to create dual RevLogs, which are particularly hard to get.
You have to consider the type of shaft. You may find a suitable pot but finding its shaft is not compatible with the knob you have chosen. One-piece plastic knobs are the less expensive. You can get them from Alibaba for about £0.1 each; some collet knobs may cost as much as £10!
BTW, in the title, you mentioned push-switches; what about them?
 
SWAN808 said:
thanks...mmm...my engineer was extremely scathing about Lorlin...which apparently used to be good but now...can you suggest a slightly more upmarket alternative?

Grayhill came to mind and I see Abbey has mentioned them. I haven't used their switches but many years ago used their Optical Quadrature Encoders which were good. But a longtime back now and they aren't a 'budget' option from what I understand.
Your quantities are on the low side from an industrial point of view which makes the cost thing not so easy.

I think I should ask - what is the build ?
 
SWAN808 said:
thanks...mmm...my engineer was extremely scathing about Lorlin...which apparently used to be good but now...can you suggest a slightly more upmarket alternative?
Slightly more is probably going to be double. Grayhill (£15) is next in quality and ELMA (£35) a tad higher.
Lorlin/C&K/Alpha/E-switch have a similar offer, offering clones of the original Lorlins. They offer versions with gold flash contacts, which makes them about twice more (£8) than their ordinary silver couunterpart.
 
For pots (and knobs) in the UK you should look at Thonk. They have a wide range of Alphas.

https://www.thonk.co.uk/

For economical but good quality rotary switches you could try NKK MR range available from Farnell:

https://uk.farnell.com/w/c/switches-relays/switches/rotary-switches/rotary-switches?brand=nkk-switches&product-range=mr-series

The link is to the MRK version that Farnell stocks, There are other version with different bodies. In all cases they are considerably cheaper than Grayhill, at least as reliable and they come with a knob.

Cheers

Ian



 
I like Electroswitch C series better than Grayhill Series 08. I’ve had Grayhill’s fall apart on me. The Electroswitch are built like tanks. The are physically larger and require more torque to turn. You can get less torque if you meet an MOQ.
 
ruffrecords said:
For pots (and knobs) in the UK you should look at Thonk. They have a wide range of Alphas.

https://www.thonk.co.uk/

For economical but good quality rotary switches you could try NKK MR range available from Farnell:

https://uk.farnell.com/w/c/switches-relays/switches/rotary-switches/rotary-switches?brand=nkk-switches&product-range=mr-series

The link is to the MRK version that Farnell stocks, There are other version with different bodies. In all cases they are considerably cheaper than Grayhill, at least as reliable and they come with a knob.

Cheers

Ian

Thanks Ian, I like the Thonk option of the Alpha pots with their coloured knobs...only thing is it doesnt look like they have dual gang/stereo...also I need some of them eg 10k linear with a centre detent...

Cheers the others for the switch suggestions...is it generally felt that these guys 'Lorlin/C&K/Alpha/E-switch' - do a decent enough job? I will want to sell the end product so durability needs to be considered...otherwise the £8 options are a little better than £14+vat...

Given the expense of rotary switches Im not seeing if I can cover their function with push buttons...

Does anyone know of this company and if they are decent?

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/potentiometer-variable-resistors/rotary-potentiometer.html
 
I use the Alpha 9mm pots I think people are referring to. Specifically the vertical PCB mount RD901 style.

The only problem I have is that the track ends bottom-out about 10 degrees before the end of rotation so your dial text gets scrunched up (not necessarily a bad thing tho).

And honestly if you want a variety of dual sections, you're going to have trouble using anything else. Small Bear Electronics even has quite a few dual concentric 9mm pots it seems.

You can also get them from Tayda and Thonk.
 
SWAN808 said:
Thanks Ian, I like the Thonk option of the Alpha pots with their coloured knobs...only thing is it doesnt look like they have dual gang/stereo...also I need some of them eg 10k linear with a centre detent...

They have a vertical mount 10K LIN centre detent about half way down this page:

https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/alpha-9mm-pots/

At the top of the page you will see several dual gang types.

Cheers

Ian

 
ruffrecords said:
They have a vertical mount 10K LIN centre detent about half way down this page:

https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/alpha-9mm-pots/

At the top of the page you will see several dual gang types.

Cheers

Ian

Thanks Ian - got it

Can anyone recommend square LED push button switch - similar to the SSL Bus compressor style?

Something perhaps like this ...but not 19 week lead time...

https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Well-Buying/L-MH1PNG3G3Q?qs=sGAEpiMZZMufv8JNQ5fVHQH0kLzjnyp57Cqmk6qADE4%3d

The product Im working on is an 8 channel mixer with compressor and EQ on the mix bus...
 
SWAN808 said:
Can anyone recommend square LED push button switch - similar to the SSL Bus compressor style?
Something like this?
https://fr.rs-online.com/web/p/products/8633538/?grossPrice=Y&cm_mmc=FR-PLA-DS3A-_-google-_-PLA_FR_FR_Interrupteurs-_-Boutons_Poussoirs_Et_Accessoires%7CInterrupteurs_%C3%80%C2%A0Bouton-Poussoir-_-PRODUCT+GROUP&matchtype=&pla-461760784297&gclid=CjwKCAjwuO3cBRAyEiwAzOxKsiPfrckvHHyEaoBsS4ljsakFBS9WSYsKirNXCCKTmWQ_sZm9K2BDwBoCBcIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
or
https://www.amazon.fr/Bouton-poussoir-encastrer-lumineux-Cosses/dp/B01AQRW2MK/ref=sr_1_14?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1536931182&sr=1-14&keywords=bouton+poussoir+lumineux

The problem with those that are nice looking is they are usually very expensive, typically about £20. Most of them are not very good at passing audio, so you need some logic and CMOS switches (or FET's, or relays).
 

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