I have a bunch of guitar volume & tone pots in a box. I presume it's possible to use a multimeter to determine if they're linear or audio taper. Could you please explain how?
Thank you
Determining Pot Type
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Slowy
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Determining Pot Type
Apologies if this is a well worn question.
I have a bunch of guitar volume & tone pots in a box. I presume it's possible to use a multimeter to determine if they're linear or audio taper. Could you please explain how?
Thank you
I have a bunch of guitar volume & tone pots in a box. I presume it's possible to use a multimeter to determine if they're linear or audio taper. Could you please explain how?
Thank you
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.
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Re: Determining Pot Type
the easiest way is to see if they're marked A or B on the back - A is Audio.....
I've done it before in the past with a Scope and a signal generator, but TBH if they aren't marked I just throw it away and buy another.
I've done it before in the past with a Scope and a signal generator, but TBH if they aren't marked I just throw it away and buy another.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.
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handlefras
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Re: Determining Pot Type
Place multimeter across the two outer terminals. Adjust pot to the middle of its physical rotation. If the reading on your multimeter is half the total pot value (e.g 50k if the pot is 100k) then you have a linear pot. If the reading is more like 10k then you have a logarithmic (audio) taper.
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rocklander
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Re: Determining Pot Type
besides looking for the "a" and "b" (or the odd "c") this is how I'd do it...handlefras wrote:Place multimeter across the two outer terminals. Adjust pot to the middle of its physical rotation. If the reading on your multimeter is half the total pot value (e.g 50k if the pot is 100k) then you have a linear pot. If the reading is more like 10k then you have a logarithmic (audio) taper.
also, if the reading is more like 90K (in the aforementioned scenario) you've got a "c".. but that depends on if you've got the multimeter on the right referenced side...
don't let me confuse ya.. just do what handlefras says..
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willow13
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Re: Determining Pot Type
isn't POT type determined by how hungry you get afterwards??....the hungrier you get the better it was 
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Re: Determining Pot Type
I was about to post something about seeing if there's any seeds but you kind of beat me to it!willow13 wrote:isn't POT type determined by how hungry you get afterwards??....the hungrier you get the better it was
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Slowy
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Re: Determining Pot Type
And I had a bet with myself on how long this would take.........Vince wrote:I was about to post something about seeing if there's any seeds but you kind of beat me to it!willow13 wrote:isn't POT type determined by how hungry you get afterwards??....the hungrier you get the better it was
Thanks Handlefras & Rocklander, I'll try that. Don't want to throw them out because they're mostly new CTS, but my Black Tele has linear pots which I find useless. Hoping some of the spares are Audio.
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.
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Re: Determining Pot Type
If they're CTS they will be marked...slowfingers wrote:And I had a bet with myself on how long this would take.........Vince wrote:I was about to post something about seeing if there's any seeds but you kind of beat me to it!willow13 wrote:isn't POT type determined by how hungry you get afterwards??....the hungrier you get the better it was
Thanks Handlefras & Rocklander, I'll try that. Don't want to throw them out because they're mostly new CTS, but my Black Tele has linear pots which I find useless. Hoping some of the spares are Audio.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.
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Slowy
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Re: Determining Pot Type
I'll have a closer look when I get home from work.BG wrote:If they're CTS they will be marked...
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.
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Slowy
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Re: Determining Pot Type
OK. 'Cos this is a noob question, here's too much info:
No A, B or C. Back is stamped EP4985 250K 1010 CTS
Metering the outer pins resulted in a consistent reading of 1. Outer and middle pins ranged fron 0 to 26. Halfway is 12 so I guess that answers the question.
A box full of useless pots....Frack.
Now I know why they were given to me!
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Slowfingazza
No A, B or C. Back is stamped EP4985 250K 1010 CTS
Metering the outer pins resulted in a consistent reading of 1. Outer and middle pins ranged fron 0 to 26. Halfway is 12 so I guess that answers the question.
A box full of useless pots....Frack.
Now I know why they were given to me!
Hey MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!!
Slowfingazza
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.
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crushing day
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Re: Determining Pot Type
4985 is linear taper 250k.
If they are Allparts CTS, 0085 will be Audio Taper 250k. 0086 is Audio 500k, 4986 is linear 500k
If they are Allparts CTS, 0085 will be Audio Taper 250k. 0086 is Audio 500k, 4986 is linear 500k
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Re: Determining Pot Type
Your pots are fine - the instructions above are wrong, you must measure between one of the outer lugs and the middle lug, measuring between the two outer lugs will always give you the maximum resistance of the pot. Sounds like you have your meter set to too lower range hence the reading of "1".
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handlefras
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Re: Determining Pot Type
Well spotted. Sorry about the mistake. And as ralley says, check the range that the multimeter is set on.ralley wrote:Your pots are fine - the instructions above are wrong, you must measure between one of the outer lugs and the middle lug, measuring between the two outer lugs will always give you the maximum resistance of the pot. Sounds like you have your meter set to too lower range hence the reading of "1".
Too many guitars, not enough talent.
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Slowy
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Re: Determining Pot Type
"by crushing day
4985 is linear taper 250k.
If they are Allparts CTS, 0085 will be Audio Taper 250k. 0086 is Audio 500k, 4986 is linear 500k"
They are. They came from you and that's exactly the info I was looking for. Will file it for further orders. Thanks Iain.
" ralley wrote:
Your pots are fine - the instructions above are wrong, you must measure between one of the outer lugs and the middle lug, measuring between the two outer lugs will always give you the maximum resistance of the pot. Sounds like you have your meter set to too lower range hence the reading of "1".
Yep. Spotted that too. Thanks!
4985 is linear taper 250k.
If they are Allparts CTS, 0085 will be Audio Taper 250k. 0086 is Audio 500k, 4986 is linear 500k
"They are. They came from you and that's exactly the info I was looking for. Will file it for further orders. Thanks Iain.
" ralley wrote:
Your pots are fine - the instructions above are wrong, you must measure between one of the outer lugs and the middle lug, measuring between the two outer lugs will always give you the maximum resistance of the pot. Sounds like you have your meter set to too lower range hence the reading of "1".
Yep. Spotted that too. Thanks!
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.
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rocklander
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Re: Determining Pot Type
funny how one sees what one wants to? I assumed the instructions had that there..handlefras wrote:Well spotted. Sorry about the mistake. And as ralley says, check the range that the multimeter is set on.ralley wrote:Your pots are fine - the instructions above are wrong, you must measure between one of the outer lugs and the middle lug, measuring between the two outer lugs will always give you the maximum resistance of the pot. Sounds like you have your meter set to too lower range hence the reading of "1".
.__Some Bozo wrote:dogs represent the qualities we like to see in a friend, and cats represent the qualites we'd like to be able to get away with in ourselves
. __\___
. _____D)
. __)
. __)
.__)pull my finger
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