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Concentric Pots - PCB mountable?

FunkMetalBass

FunkMetalBass

Aug 5, 2005
7,243
92
Phoenix, Arizona 85029
music.joedub.net
Disclosures
Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
#1
I feel like trying my hand at a PCB for this next project, because it should be simple for learning. The project involves some 500k/500k concentric pots that are PCB mountable.

Anybody have any idea where to find some? I can't find a source of Bourns pots without a huge minimum order, and I don't want to spend $40 on MEC pots. I know Alpha makes a bunch of pots that would work fine (Invalid Link Removed; note the straight terminals), but I can't track down alpha concentric pots with this option.
 
#3
The only concentrics that Bourns has (from what I can tell) are the PTH and PTJ series. I need neither the rotary switch, nor the push-pull. I also would like the shafts to be smaller than what they offer (they are incredibly long and there's no way I found find knobs for them).

EDIT: But yes, Mouser, Allied Electronics, and DigiKey were the first places I checked.
 
#4
Why on earth do you actually want a (preamp?) with PCB mounted pots!?
(Unless each pot has it's own small PCB, rather than one large board with pots mounted to it.)

I would run a short length of wire from each pot to the PCB, that way the pots will be easy to swap out and re-arrange physically if you put your (preamp?) in a different bass.
 
#6
FunkMetalBass said:
It's actually entirely passive. Two vol, tone, 3-toggle switches.

I just want to make a PCB for something that I'll actually use, and I thought experimenting around with one in a bass would be a good learning experience and would keep things tidy inside the cavity.
Click to expand...

Sounds fair enough, but I still dislike the concept of PCB mounted pots and switches, unless each component gets it's own PCB, like some of EMG's systems.

Are you having some boards manufactured, or are you going to etch them yourself? I suppose it would be cheap and easy to reconfigure things in the future if you are doing them yourself.
 
#7
line6man said:
Sounds fair enough, but I still dislike the concept of PCB mounted pots and switches, unless each component gets it's own PCB, like some of EMG's systems.

Are you having some boards manufactured, or are you going to etch them yourself? I suppose it would be cheap and easy to reconfigure things in the future if you are doing them yourself.
Click to expand...

I'll be doing it myself - unless enough people want to pay for my products and services (beyond unlikely).

PCB design is a bit of an art form, and I like the puzzles they present as you start getting into multiple layers.
 
#8
FunkMetalBass said:
I'll be doing it myself - unless enough people want to pay for my products and services (beyond unlikely).

PCB design is a bit of an art form, and I like the puzzles they present as you start getting into multiple layers.
Click to expand...

PCB designs are time consuming.
The hard part is trying to get every trace where it needs to go without overlapping other traces.
Care to guess how many hours this took? (I actually didn't keep track.:hyper:)
5104879559_a05223f7bd_b.jpg
 

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