Are chinese 10 turn pots any good? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2017, 10:54:59 pm
content: I'm asking this question here in the Projects sub-forum because if I ask on the Metrology forum I'm going to get shot at...Are those 6 dollar 10 turn pots from China any good? The intended application is retrofitting a DIY lab power supply with them. I'm looking at 10k pots, if that makes any difference.Cheers,Ivan

author: danadak
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 12:18:43 am
content: On e would expect in datasheet a rotation lifetime spec, if thats your concern.Regards, Dana.

author: FlyingHacker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 12:34:44 am
content: I have gotten quite a few of the (presumably counterfeit) Bourns ten-turn pots from eBay. About 20% were defective, but always refunded. The others work perfectly. I wouldn't use them for mission critical stuff, but great for personal projects or experiments.

author: zeqing
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 04:43:41 am
content: basically try but not rely On. different vendors provide different products.

author: poorchava
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 06:30:01 am
content: Depends on what you want to use them for. For adjusting some bias on a power supply or audio system - ok. For real metrology or critical stuff - not ok.

author: CopperCone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 06:44:50 am
content: their tempco is shit and their unstable. treat it like a 1 turn pot. maybe its ok for something you null every time you use, but that would imply your system has like a drift 10x worse then the pot. there are some threads about counterfit pots on eevblog alreadyi don't know who bochen is trying to fool, perhaps people that don't wear glasses

author: owiecc
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 09:03:04 pm
content: I should still have some of these:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-(eu)-precision-sakae-multiturn-potentiometers-with-spectrol-15-counting-dials/msg589011/#msg589011interested?

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 11:51:25 pm
content: From my experience, they do operate as 10-turn pots. However, the rotational torque required is much higher than a genuine Bourns. I haven't had any long enough to assess their longevity.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 12:01:07 am
content: They're crap! Killed one dead in a VFO in about a week and it drifted terribly. It got replaced with the delay sweep pot (bourns 10 turn) nicked out of a dead Tek 465 that is older than me. That's still going 4 years later!Proper bourns ones aren't cheap new but you get what you pay for.

author: FlyingHacker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 12:10:09 am
content: Maybe mine were genuine. They have been functioning fine, and feel comparable to the genuine ones I have here.I use one all the time, as it is to zero the Ohms range on my main giant meter VTVM.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 12:20:04 am
content: Quote from: ivan747 on August 20, 2017, 10:54:59 pmYou can buy one for $1.50 and see for yourself:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-3590S-2-103L-10K-Ohm-10-Turn-Rotary-Wire-Wound-Precision-Potentiometer-Pot-/132283650630BTW, 10 turn pots are very inconvenient and annoying on a lab supply. It's better to have coarse and fine pots, or an encoder with software acceleration.

author: drussell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 03:14:47 am
content: Pretty much any time you have to ask "is the cheap Chinese version ofXany good", the answer isNO!(Though, I suppose, there may be exceptions where they may begood enoughfor most usage...)

author: Rbastler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 06:16:27 am
content: I used some and from ten, one did brake with out reason to me. So I'd say thats pretty good for the price of 1.5€ a piece. I woudnt use those as replacements in some test gear, but they are certanly ok for your own projects.Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk