repairing faders?

[pucho812]

Has anyone ever repaired a standard analog fader.  I am not referring to things like flying faders where you fix the string for the motor or fixing a problem with the circuit card.  But I am talking a regular old fader.

I got a 100K fader that measures the same regardless of where I am at on the throw. Between the end  terminals I measure 50K. Between any of the end terminals to the wiper I measure something  way off. I would replace it but not sure if I can find one that fits.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

I got a 100K fader that measures the same regardless of where I am at on the throw.

Looks like the wiper has lost contact with the track.
It can simply be that something got dislodged and could be easy to fix.
OTOH I had once a fader where the wiper, constituted of many tiny wires soldered together at one end, had crumbled. It was impossible to put together without the original manufacturer's jig. Fortunately, it was available as a spare part.
Have you opened lt?

 

[zamproject]

Hello

What is the brand and model of the fader ?
Just as a note, not sure it apply here but be aware that ladder type fader don't behave as standard pot regarding resistance ratio
So if your measurement is done with ohm meter it can lead you to wrong conclusion.

Best
Zam

 

[JohnRoberts]

Has anyone ever repaired a standard analog fader.  I am not referring to things like flying faders where you fix the string for the motor or fixing a problem with the circuit card.  But I am talking a regular old fader.

I got a 100K fader that measures the same regardless of where I am at on the throw. Between the end  terminals I measure 50K. Between any of the end terminals to the wiper I measure something  way off. I would replace it but not sure if I can find one that fits.

It depends on the fader... Analog P&G were relatively easy to disassemble for cleaning or repair. Inexpensive faders are generally considered disposable.

You can try to very carefully take it apart and look for any obvious mechanical problem (like dirty or bent wiper).

I have seen some cheap Korean faders where the plastic housing holding the slider contact would break. Those were pretty much unfixable (unless you invest extraordinary effort into 3D printing a new wiper holder).

Good luck but perhaps lower your expectations. I never fixed a cheap fader, but threw away many of them.

JR

 

[pucho812]

Looks like the wiper has lost contact with the track.
It can simply be that something got dislodged and could be easy to fix.
OTOH I had once a fader where the wiper, constituted of many tiny wires soldered together at one end, had crumbled. It was impossible to put together without the original manufacturer's jig. Fortunately, it was available as a spare part.
Have you opened lt?

Not Yet.  Before I do that going to swap it with a spare I have which is the same value but different  brand to see if that fixes the issue.  If it does then I know it's the fader.

Hello

What is the brand and model of the fader ?
Just as a note, not sure it apply here but be aware that ladder type fader don't behave as standard pot regarding resistance ratio
So if your measurement is done with ohm meter it can lead you to wrong conclusion.

Best
Zam

I want to say it's an alpha but I can grab a photo.

It depends on the fader... Analog P&G were relatively easy to disassemble for cleaning or repair. Inexpensive faders are generally considered disposable.

You can try to very carefully take it apart and look for any obvious mechanical problem (like dirty or bent wiper).

I have seen some cheap Korean faders where the plastic housing holding the slider contact would break. Those were pretty much unfixable (unless you invest extraordinary effort into 3D printing a new wiper holder).

Good luck but perhaps lower your expectations. I never fixed a cheap fader, but threw away many of them.

JR

I understand. I have a replacement, but it's  different enough that  I can swap it in to see if that is my problem and go from there.

 

[pucho812]

Update:

Confirmed  that  the fader is not working when I replaced it with an alpha fader of the same value. 
I then was able to pull the original fader apart  and immediately noticed  the issue. The mechanical part which touches the resistive strip had come off the sliding fader shaft. I was able to get that fixed.  However after putting in the new alpha fader,  we put on a different fader cap due to the alpha having a 4mm shaft vs the original with an 8mm shaft.  It was decided that the new fader cap looks way better.  So I just talked myself it replacing every fader on our desk which is 4 for each module eq at 48 total channels.  Luckily it's not too expensive, the fader caps were 20 dollars for 100 pieces off amazing and the  the total cost for the fades will be under 500 dollars. 
A slow process but will be better off, I don't think they ever changed out the faders on here in some 20 plus years.

 

[Whoops]

Happy Ending!!!

 

[pucho812]

Very happy. Here is the new fader installed with the replacement fader  cap... the new caps feel better and look much nicer then the old bulky ones.

As soon as more faders come in.  More will get replaced.

 

[QUEEF BAG]

did those alpha faders from mouser not work?

they need quarter inch standoffs  and different caps, but they worked in ours...

 

[pucho812]

did those alpha faders from mouser not work?

they need quarter inch standoffs  and different caps, but they worked in ours...

Yes, they work perfectly. But the original order was for a different a-range desk. This photo is from a second a-range desk. The original  is at a studio in town, the photo I shared is at the studio I chief at here in Hollywood.  So yeah it's working  out well.  Thanks a million for that.  we just ordered parts to replace all the eq faders. including the new fader caps here on  our desk. 48 channels worth  with a backorder to boot.

 

[QUEEF BAG]

odd silk screen on that one

 

[pucho812]

odd silk screen on that one

Cherokee Studios gave it a facelift back in the day

 

[user 37518]

Whats your console pucho?

 

[pucho812]

Whats your console pucho?

Our desk came from Cherokee studios. we have their highly hot rodded a-range. 48 input channels, 24 monitor channels, 10 auxes, 24 buss, 8 mono fx returns, uptown/automix automation. Still has all the a-range pre/eq modules but all the summing amps were swapped with 990 amp blocks. It’s a beast of a desk.  The other a-range is at a second studio where I do work on it for them now and again.  When their budget permits.
And there is a third a-range in storage that the studio owner owns but it’s missing all kinds of bobs and bits including all the pre/eq channels.

 

[Gold]

Didn’t Cherokee remanufacure or clone the mic pre/EQ modules. I thought that was the story I heard.

 

[pucho812]

Didn’t Cherokee remanufacure or clone the mic pre/EQ modules. I thought that was the story I heard.

kind of. They owned 4 a-ranges in their time. number one was given a face lift in 1987 and expanded to 48 channels with a remote monitor section of 24 channels. it had redone metal work so the frame is different, it had new summing amps (990) put in for all the aux, bus, and stereo bus summing, it had the auxes expanded to 10 sends and 8 returns.  Over the years they redid face plates and so forth. At one point they were making some modules out of spare parts and selling them.  They eventually sold off 2 desks, and we still have 2. One is in service, the other in storage. the one in storage is missing the pre/eq modules of which there is talk to build some more at some point.