cleaning potentiometers

[snuffinthepunk]

what do you guys suggest? The wired remote on my speakers sucks at keeping constant volume, so I'm guessin it needs a good cleaning. alcohol? or do I need to go get somethin else?

also, I forget the difference between type A and type B. I could easily find out by looking in a book that is 8 feet away from me, but it's much more fun and interesting to ask here and see what people have to say =P

Thanks,

Johnny

[Roboburger]

The difference between the A and B type pots is their "value@path location" response. a 1Megaohm pot that is Linear response turned to the mid point has a resistance of 500k ohms. An Audio Taper pot (The "A" type), depending on how you wire it, is either barely along, or most of the way to the 1Meg. it's reponse is Logarithmic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiome ... ower_types

kinda lousy wording here at wikipedia, but you get the idea...

The reason you use a logarithmic pot, is that an electronically logarithmic resonspe sounds linear to your ears.

[markmeat]

I use contact cleaner (Radio Shack)... may also be called control cleaner

MEAT

[I'm Painting Again]

replace the pot ideally..

the real stuff to use is Cramolin Contaclean..I think you can only get it from Germany now..Caig used to sell it but no more..

the Caig deoxit and other stuff isn't the same..

http://www.itwcp.de/de/index.html

a quick spritz and then exercise the pot vigorously..don't try to clean it any other way or you will kill it..

[earl parameter]

just a little water, then working it back and forth like 40 times, then time to completely dry also works. and it will not do any damage. the sprays will, and alcohol will flat out destroy some. isopropyl should only be used to clean the human body anyway. denatured for surface/head (non human) cleaning.

[I'm Painting Again]

water!?!?! are you serious?

that sound like a bad idea to me..considering the oxidation factor is a leading cause of scratchy pots..

[earl parameter]

if you actually let it dry. yes. i guess i should point out that you shouldn't necessarily flood your pots (although i have with very old ones and it worked great) and you should not let them sit with water in them of course. this would be where rust and oxidation start.

flush them, turn/spin them, tilt them at an angle to let the water run out, and maybe even use a hair dryer, but more like a fan then a heatgun. i've brought stuff back from the dead this way.

[I'm Painting Again]

if you actually let it dry. yes. i guess i should point out that you shouldn't necessarily flood your pots (although i have with very old ones and it worked great) and you should not let them sit with water in them of course. this would be where rust and oxidation start.

flush them, turn/spin them, tilt them at an angle to let the water run out, and maybe even use a hair dryer, but more like a fan then a heatgun. i've brought stuff back from the dead this way.

I actually remember reading that some P&G faders use plastic conductive elements and water is the cleanser of choice on those..ha!

but metal ones...hmmm..I don't doubt you had good results..just find it a little crazy sounding..

If I had to guess I bet there is an optimal cleaning method for every different kind of potentiometer..

but ultimately the things wear out and replacement is the thing to do..

[earl parameter]

i can agree with that.


but alcohol and some of the sprays kill. i use caig and stuff for interconnects and disasters but not for pots on anything i care about.

[I'm Painting Again]

i can agree with that.


but alcohol and some of the sprays kill. i use caig and stuff for interconnects and disasters but not for pots on anything i care about.

I have heard the same..and I don't doubt it..

Alcohol seems like a bad idea for the lubricated variety especially..

Supposedly that German stuff is better than the Deoxit for contacts..just doing a bit of "questioneering" tonight about this..it seems like people will tell you one hundered and one ways to clean a pot..they never mention that pots are not all equal..

maybe a good path is to contact the manufacturer and get the correct way..but my dealings with many have been less than fruitful in the past on such technical information-hunts..

I will usually deal with the scratchyness or replace it..and I have used deoxit but not on my stuff just on the bench at work for a quick fix if something goes crap in the middle of a shoot..we have it there so..

I may try out some warm distilled water in the future!

[Russian Recording]

Caig makes stuff called "fader lube" and it's great for pots and faders. it's a lubricant and cleaner. get the 5% for cleaning out pots, then a couple drops of the 100% it lubed up. works wonders. dont use the deoxit on pots, it'll ruin them.

mike

[gutsofgold]

If its not holding a constant volume then wouldn't that mean the pot moves on its own? Meaning it needs to be replaced completely?

I had this problem on my Pro Jr amp...the tone knob would move literally from 12 to 6 on its own when I was playing at higher volumes. It was a VERY easy fix after I figured out what kind of pot was needed. Just a few solder points and its brand new again.