Sourcing an obscure potentiometer

Jan 14, 2022 Last reply: 4 years ago 9 Replies

A friend of mine (no electronics expertise) is trying to source this potentiometer (which incorporates a push switch to turn on/off).



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Seems it?s physically rather weak and the shaft has snapped. She?s had no luck on eBay, Alibaba, etc. Manufacturer won?t/can?t supply it as a spare although it?s still in production.



It looks rather like a product produced by the ALPS company.



Replacing it with anything larger isn?t an option apparently due to space constraints. The shaft of the original incorporates an o-ring for water tightness and I think any replacement would need some degree of water resistance.



I?ve no idea what it?s from. Could be from a Rampant Rabbit for all I know. ;-)



Tim


Photo illustrating space constraint.

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Tim

Looks to me like a digikey part - this one:

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Close, but her one incorporates a latching switch when the shaft is pressed in.

Tim

Some 3 years ago, when trying to source and obscure fuse holder, I found Rapid Electronics could help. Try them.

Looks like she requires a PO9xP... type. More info on page 3 here:

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Good luck trying to sort out which one and finding it on the Digikey website! Another possibility is changing to a rotary on-off instead of a push on-off if that's acceptable.

Its almost impossible to source pots at all these days.

Key things to note when sourcing a replacement:

Shafts may be 1/4" or 6mm dia. Bushings may be M8 or 3/8" UNF A metric shaft with an imperial bush are not unknown, and vice versa (DAMHIKT) Pots are typically old school 24mm in diameter, or 16mm.

And to cap it all,. it often seems that a batch of pots is made specially for a given manufacturer, and that's that.

One other thing to consider is it a linear or log track?

Am 15.01.2022 um 13:06 schrieb Tim+:

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The P01xP Series Q-Type do have a 10mm thread. Says the datasheet. But i could be wrong.

Am 15.01.2022 um 13:06 schrieb Tim+:

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The P09xP Series Q-Type do have a 10mm thread. Says the datasheet. But i could be wrong.

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