Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

Any insights or thoughts would be sincerely appreciated.



http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.c...=1&catId=79843

Unless you live in a palm frond hut right on the sand then regular pots are
fine. If you get enough sand and salt into a carbon type to wreck it then
nothings going to last long.
The whole guitar should come unglued in about ..oh 6 months so why worry
about getting 1,000,000 turns outta your pots?

"Igor The Terrible" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

Any insights or thoughts would be sincerely appreciated.




http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.c...=1&catId=79843

Keith Adams wrote:

Unless you live in a palm frond hut right on the sand then regular pots are
fine. If you get enough sand and salt into a carbon type to wreck it then
nothings going to last long.

Conductive plastic is quieter than carbon, right?


The whole guitar should come unglued in about ..oh 6 months so why worry
about getting 1,000,000 turns outta your pots?

"Igor The Terrible" wrote in message
ups.com...

Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

Any insights or thoughts would be sincerely appreciated.




http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.c...=1&catId=79843

Igor The Terrible wrote:
Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

I haven't used them in a while, but when I did, I loved them.

I really need to get some again. They last like crazy. At
least they used to, and I assume they still do, or nobody would
buy them. Especially at that price./

No not THAT extreme but, the CTS 500s I'm using in my strats are good
for about 10 - 13 months and start getting scratchy. For a pedal
steel where pots really get a workout...forget it. Even the ABs I'm
using last a year or less. ...and you are right, nothing really lasts
on the beach. Cleaning them is a very short lived fix and
subsequently become worse than what they were. It's not just the
salty air...it's the prevailing winds that blow it everywhere and into
everything.


On Mar 23, 11:07 pm, "Keith Adams" wrote:
Unless you live in a palm frond hut right on the sand then regular pots are
fine. If you get enough sand and salt into a carbon type to wreck it then
nothings going to last long.
The whole guitar should come unglued in about ..oh 6 months so why worry
about getting 1,000,000 turns outta your pots?

"Igor The Terrible" wrote in oglegroups.com...



Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

Any insights or thoughts would be sincerely appreciated.

http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.c...1&catId=79843- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"Harrison Ford Prefect" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
Igor The Terrible wrote:
Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

I haven't used them in a while, but when I did, I loved them.

I really need to get some again. They last like crazy. At
least they used to, and I assume they still do, or nobody would
buy them. Especially at that price./

How much are they ? Sounds like something I have to have but don't need

Their carbon comp pots were selling for around $20.00; which were
replaced by the conductive plastic units. The 485 series you have to
go directly through Honeywell because they are special order items.
From what I've been hearing about them, they will be the last pot you
will put in your guitar for a l o n g time--if ever. I have no
idea how much they are, but,I will find out sometime next week.


On Mar 24, 9:51 am, "Sacramento Dave" wrote:
"Harrison Ford Prefect" wrote in .pas.earthlink.net...





Igor The Terrible wrote:
Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

I haven't used them in a while, but when I did, I loved them.

I really need to get some again. They last like crazy. At
least they used to, and I assume they still do, or nobody would
buy them. Especially at that price./

How much are they ? Sounds like something I have to have but don't need- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't like CTS pots in guitars. I've tried the ones from Hoffman
Amps, Specialty Guitar, and Acme. The kinds with the smooth back,
*and* that kind with the dimple in the middle. They were all
scratchy, and hard to turn.

I use CGE pots, which are easy to turn, and they're not scratchy. On
top of being better than the CTS garbage, CGE pots cost less

Neither one is as good as Stackpole pots were, but they haven't made
those for a while. Buying used, or NOS Stackpole pots is too
expensive for me.

Haven't tried Honeywell pots.

For me, the CGE pots last a couple years in a Tele, and then need
cleaning. But you need to use Caigs DeOxit to clean them.
RadioShack's "Contact/Control Cleaner Lubricant" stuff really isn't
good for pots.

Pete

On 24 Mar 2007 05:03:29 -0700, "Igor The Terrible"
wrote:

No not THAT extreme but, the CTS 500s I'm using in my strats are good
for about 10 - 13 months and start getting scratchy. For a pedal
steel where pots really get a workout...forget it. Even the ABs I'm
using last a year or less. ...and you are right, nothing really lasts
on the beach. Cleaning them is a very short lived fix and
subsequently become worse than what they were. It's not just the
salty air...it's the prevailing winds that blow it everywhere and into
everything.


On Mar 23, 11:07 pm, "Keith Adams" wrote:
Unless you live in a palm frond hut right on the sand then regular pots are
fine. If you get enough sand and salt into a carbon type to wreck it then
nothings going to last long.
The whole guitar should come unglued in about ..oh 6 months so why worry
about getting 1,000,000 turns outta your pots?

"Igor The Terrible" wrote in oglegroups.com...



Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

Any insights or thoughts would be sincerely appreciated.

http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.c...1&catId=79843- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -



--
We figured out how to travel through time
at the speed of regular time... with plastic bags.
--Nathan Explosion

"Igor The Terrible" wrote in message
ups.com...
Their carbon comp pots were selling for around $20.00; which were
replaced by the conductive plastic units. The 485 series you have to
go directly through Honeywell because they are special order items.
From what I've been hearing about them, they will be the last pot you
will put in your guitar for a l o n g time--if ever. I have no
idea how much they are, but,I will find out sometime next week.


On Mar 24, 9:51 am, "Sacramento Dave" wrote:
"Harrison Ford Prefect" wrote in
.pas.earthlink.net...





Igor The Terrible wrote:
Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

I haven't used them in a while, but when I did, I loved them.

I really need to get some again. They last like crazy. At
least they used to, and I assume they still do, or nobody would
buy them. Especially at that price./

How much are they ? Sounds like something I have to have but don't need-
Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I'm not a musician, but I have experience with a wide range of electronic
components and their characteristics. I don't know the specifics on the pots
that you've been discussing, but I would recommend that you take a look at
sealed pots. It seems, from the discussion, that the pot elements are being
contaminated and destroyed by airborne moisture and sand/grit. A sealed pot
should eliminate those hazards and make the pot last a long time. Don't know
the
I don't know the physical sizes of the pots that you need for the guitars.
Mouser carries several lines of pots, among them the Bourns Series 51 panel
mount pots. They are available on both Cermet and Conductive Plastic. THey are
listed on catalog page 542. If you don't have a copy of their catalog, you can
search for their part number 652-PCW1J-C24-BAB103 and then download a copy of
the catalog page for pictures and resistance values. Is $9.00 each cheap enough
for you?

Mouser (and other distributors) usually carry a pretty good line of controls
such as this... Just have to search for them.
www.mouser.com
www.digikey.com
www.newark.com


Cheers!!!

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer to the end, the faster it goes.

"PMG" wrote in message
...

....

For me, the CGE pots last a couple years in a Tele, and then need
cleaning. But you need to use Caigs DeOxit to clean them.
RadioShack's "Contact/Control Cleaner Lubricant" stuff really isn't
good for pots.

Spray DeOxit into pots, then nothing else, and see
how long they last.
__
Steve
..

"DaveM" wrote in message
. ..

....

I'm not a musician, but I have experience with a wide range of electronic
components and their characteristics. I don't know the specifics on the
pots that you've been discussing, but I would recommend that you take a
look at sealed pots.

But there's no place to spray the *magic goo*...
__
Steve
..

Igor The Terrible wrote:

Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

Any insights or thoughts would be sincerely appreciated.

http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.c...=1&catId=79843

I have no experience of Clarostat myself but Vishay-Sfernice's conductive plastic
track pots are lovely for audio.

Graham

Igor The Terrible wrote:

Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

Actually any modern *sealed* pot with a carbon track is going to be a huge
improvement there. The Alps 9,11 and 12 mm types for example.

Graham

I wasn't aware of anyone else making conductive plastic units, but
it's worth looking into. AB was the grail so far as pots go for steel
players. It would be a miracle for a cheapy to last more than a few
weeks.

There are pros and cons so far as sealed vs unsealed units go. In the
past, carbon would eventually deteriorate and if it is a sealed pot,
you basically tossed it. What has me wondering how would plastic hold
up under the same set of circumstances. If a pot would hold up under
a pedal steel player's volume pedal for a few years, they would, for
all intents and purposes, be immortal in guitars.

Thanks for the heads up on the alternates.

PS

A company rep sent me a .pdf doc on the pots I mentioned above; and if
anyone is interested wants a copy just send me an email and I will
send it to you. I have no idea where it is located on their website--
if at all.




I'm not a musician, but I have experience with a wide range of electronic
components and their characteristics. I don't know the specifics on the pots
that you've been discussing, but I would recommend that you take a look at
sealed pots. It seems, from the discussion, that the pot elements are being
contaminated and destroyed by airborne moisture and sand/grit. A sealed pot
should eliminate those hazards and make the pot last a long time. Don't know
the
I don't know the physical sizes of the pots that you need for the guitars.
Mouser carries several lines of pots, among them the Bourns Series 51 panel
mount pots. They are available on both Cermet and Conductive Plastic. THey are
listed on catalog page 542. If you don't have a copy of their catalog, you can
search for their part number 652-PCW1J-C24-BAB103 and then download a copy of
the catalog page for pictures and resistance values. Is $9.00 each cheap enough
for you?

Mouser (and other distributors) usually carry a pretty good line of controls
such as this... Just have to search for them.www.mouser.comwww.digikey.comwww.newark.com

Cheers!!!

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer to the end, the faster it goes.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Stephen Cowell wrote:

"DaveM" wrote

I'm not a musician, but I have experience with a wide range of electronic
components and their characteristics. I don't know the specifics on the
pots that you've been discussing, but I would recommend that you take a
look at sealed pots.

But there's no place to spray the *magic goo*...

A sealed pot needs no magic goo. That's the joy of them.

Graham

Keith Adams wrote:
Unless you live in a palm frond hut right on the sand then regular pots are
fine. If you get enough sand and salt into a carbon type to wreck it then
nothings going to last long.
The whole guitar should come unglued in about ..oh 6 months so why worry
about getting 1,000,000 turns outta your pots?

"Igor The Terrible" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi:

I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the conductive plastic
potentiometers for guitars and/or for volume pedals for pedal steels
and had positive results with them. Living on the coast with
excessive salt air and sand is not exactly the ideal environment for
carbon pots in terms of getting much useful life out of them.

I got some info of Honeywell's website and they claim a 1 million
cycle life (rotational) for the 485 series and 100,000 cycle life for
the 380 series with both having 1% dynamic noise and conform to MIL-
R-94 specifications. Although they are a bit pricey--especially the
485 series, however, if they work as well as Honeywell's propaganda
claims, they may well be worth the investment.

Any insights or thoughts would be sincerely appreciated.




http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.c...=1&catId=79843



If you need long live for your pots, go for the
conductive plastic (servo quality) potmeters.
I have used different kinds in demanding tasks,
(Servo, steering wheel, gas pedals etc), where the
wiper vibrates a lot, causing ordinary pots
to fail within weeks.
The conductive plastic ones have never failed me,
also because the servo quality ones are better sealed
and have better bearings.
Livetime as steering wheel pot has run into several
years.(but they cost a lot of money.)

"Eeyore" wrote in message
...


Stephen Cowell wrote:

"DaveM" wrote

I'm not a musician, but I have experience with a wide range of
electronic
components and their characteristics. I don't know the specifics on
the
pots that you've been discussing, but I would recommend that you take a
look at sealed pots.

But there's no place to spray the *magic goo*...

A sealed pot needs no magic goo. That's the joy of them.

Ah... I see!
__
Steve
..
but what do I do with my $15 bottle of goo?

On Mar 24, 10:24 am, "Stephen Cowell" wrote:
"PMG" wrote in message

...

...

For me, the CGE pots last a couple years in a Tele, and then need
cleaning. But you need to use CaigsDeOxitto clean them.
RadioShack's "Contact/Control Cleaner Lubricant" stuff really isn't
good for pots.

SprayDeOxitinto pots, then nothing else, and see
how long they last.
__
Steve
.

You can get DeoxIT at most RadioShack's now, in kit form:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

Great stuff. I use it on everything from audio/video, computers, auto/
marine, etc.
Lots of other products also, www.deoxit.com

Mike

Did some more digging and I came up with Bourns conductive plastic
pots. They are not cheap but they too are a great product. Moreover
they have roughly the same specs as the Clarostat 380 series and their
price is about the same. I believe somebody might have mentioned them
somewhere on this thread--whoever it was...good call!! They are
available at Mouser Electronics. Best of all, they were designed
specifically for guitar.

Anyway, if any of you are interested here are the numbers for both
250k and 500k 0.25W CP Pots.


250k: 652-95A1DZ28EA0300L http://www.mouser.com/search/refine....5A1DZ28EA0300L

500K 652-95A1DZ28EA0302L http://www.mouser.com/search/refine....5A1DZ28EA0302L


Thanks everyone for your insights and help.

Igor The Terrible wrote:

Their carbon comp pots were selling for around $20.00; which were
replaced by the conductive plastic units. The 485 series you have to
go directly through Honeywell because they are special order items.
From what I've been hearing about them, they will be the last pot you
will put in your guitar for a l o n g time--if ever. I have no
idea how much they are, but,I will find out sometime next week.


http://www.potentiometers.com/


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Eeyore wrote:

Stephen Cowell wrote:

"DaveM" wrote

I'm not a musician, but I have experience with a wide range of electronic
components and their characteristics. I don't know the specifics on the
pots that you've been discussing, but I would recommend that you take a
look at sealed pots.
But there's no place to spray the *magic goo*...

A sealed pot needs no magic goo. That's the joy of them.

Your browser didn't show you the sarcasm tags, did it?

A widely held misconception is that a "conductive" grease in needed in
switches and pots..... if one thinks about it for a moment, conductive
grease would obviously short things out.
Many times a silicon based grease (non-conductive for sure) is used to add
smoothness AND particularly in the case of switches to protect the contacts
from exposure to the air with can corrode or tarnish silver or tin plated
surfaces.
Dan
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



"Harrison Ford Prefect" wrote in message
thlink.net...
Eeyore wrote:

Stephen Cowell wrote:

"DaveM" wrote

I'm not a musician, but I have experience with a wide range of
electronic
components and their characteristics. I don't know the specifics on
the
pots that you've been discussing, but I would recommend that you take
a
look at sealed pots.
But there's no place to spray the *magic goo*...

A sealed pot needs no magic goo. That's the joy of them.

Your browser didn't show you the sarcasm tags, did it?