I'm late to the pot party, but you did a beautiful job. First time I ever understood anything about the mysterious workings of electronics. Thanks a million.
Thanks for simplifying your explanation for those of us without a clue. Nothing is more infuriating than watching what is supposedly a "how to" video and then the "expert" starts spouting directions which to him make perfect sense but, in reality are based upon his assumption that you already know certain facts. Good job of explaining.
Thanks for this video! I had a perfect potentiometer that wouldn't give me a signal for some reason. Thanks you I tested the outside and middle leads. The outside were great but I didn't get a reading from the inside. After this I knew it was the sweeper. Turns out I bent on set of small metal arms during cleaning and it wasn't contacting the strip. I've never worked with potentiometers before so I had little idea of what I was doing. Thanks again for helping me find a solution.
Most, if not all, volume controls have special characteristics (usually logarithmic as opposed to linear). Just worth mentioning when looking for replacements
@@necromecro There will be the letter A or B on the potentiometer. A is for logarithmic taper, "B" for is linear taper; and "C" is for the rarely used reverse logarithmic taper.
Johnny: I have a SONY (under cupboard) Mega Bass radio cd player. I was very excited to fix the volume knob. I took all the screws out, (there are 14 of them). After removing all the screws, the top was still firmly against the rest of the body and I cannot get it open, to access my bad volume knob. Any ideas?
You can buy carbon or silver paint on Amazon to paint dead spots on a pot make sure you clean it well and do it outside it’s kinda toxic then sand it with 600 or 1000 grit to smooth it out
Thank you so much I working on my PS4 controller cause they keep drift now I know the cause and was really going wrong. I also see what all the PS4 controllers replacements I bought that broke none had a lubrication in the potentiometer. Do manufacturer intentional do that for it fail or short life span ?
Hi, That was a very interesting video, I now know much more than before.. I had a thought whilst showing us that video. Can the potentiometer or a speed control be tested for the readings as it is connected to the system, or does it all have to be disconnected.🤔
Another hint: If you really hate that dirty pot that never get any real rotating use, then set it where you like it, then measure it with an ohmmeter and solder in permanent resistors. Not too easy to change later, but now you know how to do it. This was a an old loudspeaker/L-pad rebuilding hint I saw somewhere..
Never seen 1 apart thanks for the cool video. Would a hot spot like that make it so the wiper cant go all the way to 10 making the guitar sound low and thin like the volumes knobs only on 5 when its wide open?
Well done bro.. liked.. I don't have a dedicated cleaning solution at hand. Will 99% isopropyl alcohol or normal WD 40 do the job to clean the potentiometer/volume knob?
Great way to break it down. I have a gain pot on my guitar amp, and the shaft moves in and out? If I push it in, I can control the gain. Assuming it’s bad. Is there a way to fix it, with replacing the whole pot?
Great video! I just opened my Technics receiver, and i don't know what to do-to search for remote or..That all was my fault, all about that my phones jack was broken, i tried to get signal in different way, but it was too weak..Wich means, that the air ventilator didn't get it on the lows, and didn't working. Then was overheating and bye bye volume knob..I don't know what to do🤣🤣
Nicely explained. Thanks. In your opinion what's the likelihood of repairing a late 70s push push 300k pot that doesn't seem to change when pushed to one of the outputs even though it seems to work mechanically? Really going to keep the instrument as original as possible and is very hard to snag a 300k push push to match, if even at all.
Hello AR. I have an older Sansui home stereo amplifier that has crackling noise issues with three of the function switches/pots. Am I better off to use Deoxit-d5, Deoxit-gold or the Deoxit-F5 on those? Thanks.
You seem to know your stuff on these volume pots, my question I am not a tech and need someone to rebuild my volume pot on my Pioneer sx1250 which is not not working now. If I send it to you will you try and rebuild it. I can pay for the repair. Please let me know.
Mine has one extra lead on the opposite side, comes from an old 1946 radio. What does that do...? I took it apart to clean it, put it back together, now nothing works, no sound at all. I’ve done this many times before and it’s always worked. And I’ve double checked the wiring and can’t see anything wrong. But there is something not right. There was an insulating washer that fell out when I took it apart, but I can’t figure out where it goes, or why it was there to begin with. Anyway, I’m totally at loss at why this thing isn’t working. I tried it with both the washer back in and without it...weird.
"how do we go about building a resistance taper or pad/linear phenolic wafer conductive carbon material? such as a 5k vs a 10k resistance ? "linear phenolic wafer conductive carbon material
+Fred Gailer You may have to dig on forums for some parts that are not any longer in production. it can be tough. you may be able to scab something in that is close, but you will need to do the engineering.
Great video. Have a frequency tuning POT on 900mhz wireless headphone that is on the fritz, hard time holding same frequency, comes and goes with static. Think some WD40 shot into the POT will help? Or gun cleaner/lubricant? Thanks!
No, unless you dont reallt care much about the device I would only use a cleaner that is meant to clean electronics. Otherwise parts can. Become damaged from incompatible solvents and oils.
Can I use white lithium grease to lubricate it? Or would it impede the resistance? Having a blob of lithium grease in there would work nicely to mitigate the wear and tear of the track plus, it would make the scrolling sooo nice and smooth 😁. Have you tried it?
Cleaning the pot does not change accuracy. The pot can only be as accurate as it was designed for. But cleaning it will help with staying accurate and noise free if dirty. Also if it ain't broke dont fix it. If it's not scratchy the just let it be.
Hi. Very nice video. I have a question....I have a messed up pot and its cracking during changing the volume, bit its also unable to feed the repro with stereo sound. Sorry for the noobish description, just during the volume adjusting suddenly left repro is not working, then it works, but right repro stopped etc....I must really fine tune the pot position to have stereo and no cracking. Usually its on very loud volume with a lot of noise, or low volume with almost no sound. :-) is it possible to just clean it with some contacts cleaner? Thank You.
I recently aquired a Pioneer SA-8500 and have noticed some static when I adjust the volume control knob, do I need to remove the potentiometer to clean it properly or can I just spray it with contact cleaner? I also get some distortion on the left channel when I flip the tone switch or the tape monitor source switch, how can these be cleaned? Also I live in Canada and cannot seem to find detoxit in any stores up here.
You can try use contact cleaner on the pots. You should be able to find a slot on the back side of the pots or switch to spray the cleaner in and work the control back and forth. Contact cleaner can help but something with a mild lube will last longer.
I spray through the upper shaft on sealed potentiometers. Than I rotate the shaft to attempt to work the cleaner/lubricant in. This is a last resort for sealed units that have crud built up that made it's way in through the shaft/knob.
I just saw a post suggesting to drill a hole in the end of a properly-sized wirenut, place it over the whole shaft, insert the spray nozzle through the hole and then really drench the shaft and pot with contact cleaner. I'm going to try it today, maybe use a round gasket on the bottom of the wirenut to avoid leaking. Use D5/DeOxit AKA 'Cramolin' as usual. Be aware that many pots are well sealed along the shaft and this doesn't even come close to f'ing working. :(
I have a kt 3296 three pin petentiometer. But I want to know why it just spins around forever. There’s no clear start and finish. I don’t know if I’ve turned it clockwise for ever etc. How do they work in that sense
my question with burn spots... have you ever tried to repair one? I know its easier to buy a new one and spend the time and money to put a new one in... but you obviously look like you like spending spare time doing this stuff; So... have you ever tried to do a retrace/re-pair trace or used something like liquid trace or solder to put some surface back on that spot to supply resistance? If so did you measure how much it helped? I'm pretty sure there is significant ohm loss when on the repaired portion of the trace as it is its own material with its own resistance until the waffer/spudger goes onto original resistance surface?
cool, i'm not judging just wondering as when I used to have the time to take my toys apart i would/have done so in the past... was wondering what kind of possible success rate you may have or not had. good video
+Mahrtee Lote There is no real good way to repair a bad carbon or resistive layer of in a pot . It would not be economical to repair the pot. Replacement/substitution is the best solution.
agree'd but it'd be cool if one was able to do it and do it so its like new. I a huge fan of repairing traces... but haven't done anything inside of an electronic component like that, just to the boards
If the burn spot on the phenolic is simply missing conductive material, then theoretically it could work again if the path was rebuilt. I have access to sputter coater, and I have a carbon, gold, iridium, platinum and palladium targets for it. The spot could be masked and new material deposited. I bet I could get it working again. ;-)
Well guitars naturally buzz. without noiseless pickups or hum buckers they can buzz all the time. Its something common in single coil pickups. The tone control may be opening up to a level of noise it was filtering out in its hi pass setting. The common 60 cycle hum from line noise is most likely what your hearing.
I can't imagine using anything.."WD40/Alcohol" that contains any water ? I'm reading some pretty risky "secret" cleaners going through these videos..I like to take chancs but not with vintage equipment or any..
I'm late to the pot party, but you did a beautiful job. First time I ever understood anything about the mysterious workings of electronics. Thanks a million.
You can use graphite pencil lead on the track to replace the worn out spot
great video, not hard to understand and its not too long!
He really explained it very well
Agree, well done
Untrepid One troll
@@sting1111 I fully agree.😊
Thanks for simplifying your explanation for those of us without a clue. Nothing is more infuriating than watching what is supposedly a "how to" video and then the "expert" starts spouting directions which to him make perfect sense but, in reality are based upon his assumption that you already know certain facts. Good job of explaining.
Thanks for this video! I had a perfect potentiometer that wouldn't give me a signal for some reason. Thanks you I tested the outside and middle leads. The outside were great but I didn't get a reading from the inside. After this I knew it was the sweeper.
Turns out I bent on set of small metal arms during cleaning and it wasn't contacting the strip. I've never worked with potentiometers before so I had little idea of what I was doing. Thanks again for helping me find a solution.
Worked like a charm. I used DeoxIT FaderLube. It’s expensive but worked. I used electronics cleaner before and it worked temporary like you stated.
I tried watching multiple vids before this one.
Now i finally get it. And i may actually be able to fix my one without replacing it. Fingers crossed
Most, if not all, volume controls have special characteristics (usually logarithmic as opposed to linear). Just worth mentioning when looking for replacements
how could you identify if pot is either linear, or logarithmic?
@@necromecro There will be the letter A or B on the potentiometer.
A is for logarithmic taper, "B" for is linear taper; and "C" is for the rarely used reverse logarithmic taper.
Watching again since I have to clean the volume knob on an old Sony receiver I would like to put ' back in commission '. This is pretty clear. Thanks!
Johnny: I have a SONY (under cupboard) Mega Bass radio cd player. I was very excited to fix the volume knob. I took all the screws out, (there are 14 of them). After removing all the screws, the top was still firmly against the rest of the body and I cannot get it open, to access my bad volume knob. Any ideas?
Had some issues with understanding the wiring. This cleared it up.
Great video. Dont know anything about electronics but this was explained clearly. Hopefully i can get my logitech g29 functioning properly again.
Well done and most clear and articulate
This help me a lot Thank u So much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can buy carbon or silver paint on Amazon to paint dead spots on a pot make sure you clean it well and do it outside it’s kinda toxic then sand it with 600 or 1000 grit to smooth it out
I love these things. I keep a 300 ohm variable resistor to test gauges with.
Best video i have seen on these THANK YOU.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us!!! Great educational video!
Good video about pawts... lol. Love the new england accent bro!
Thank you so much I working on my PS4 controller cause they keep drift now I know the cause and was really going wrong.
I also see what all the PS4 controllers replacements I bought that broke none had a lubrication in the potentiometer. Do manufacturer intentional do that for it fail or short life span ?
That part. All the way back to my ps2 controller i noticed no lube. Luckily this vid shows what to do. May even prevent future issues.
Thanks for sharing, straight to the point, bravo !
WD40 is flammable. You would not want to use that on electrical devices and may attract more dirt down the road.
very helpful, i have a bass amp with issues with several pods.....vic
legend! you helped me fix mine. no more noise :)
Thank you for posting this informative video 👍
Thank sir, was very good
Very helpful, practical video.
Keep it up.
Hi, That was a very interesting video, I now know much more than before.. I had a thought whilst showing us that video. Can the potentiometer or a speed control be tested for the readings as it is connected to the system, or does it all have to be disconnected.🤔
Thanks. About to change the pot on my yaesu g5500. Looks like a nightmare lining them up
Another hint: If you really hate that dirty pot that never get any real rotating use, then set it where you like it, then measure it with an ohmmeter and solder in permanent resistors. Not too easy to change later, but now you know how to do it. This was a an old loudspeaker/L-pad rebuilding hint I saw somewhere..
Thank you so much! This was very heplful
Thank you for this video it really helped a lot.
Never seen 1 apart thanks for the cool video. Would a hot spot like that make it so the wiper cant go all the way to 10 making the guitar sound low and thin like the volumes knobs only on 5 when its wide open?
Well done bro.. liked.. I don't have a dedicated cleaning solution at hand. Will 99% isopropyl alcohol or normal WD 40 do the job to clean the potentiometer/volume knob?
my older Yamaha home receiver no longer provides sound to the right speaker. Any suggestions. Can it just be dirty or likely needs replacing.
Nice, I learned something today.
Good video.
Thanks for the video. What about WD40?
good. just what i was looking for . thanks
Can also try using lead pencil to "build up" the worn out resistance pad in potentiometer
Thanks
Great way to break it down. I have a gain pot on my guitar amp, and the shaft moves in and out? If I push it in, I can control the gain. Assuming it’s bad. Is there a way to fix it, with replacing the whole pot?
Great video! I just opened my Technics receiver, and i don't know what to do-to search for remote or..That all was my fault, all about that my phones jack was broken, i tried to get signal in different way, but it was too weak..Wich means, that the air ventilator didn't get it on the lows, and didn't working. Then was overheating and bye bye volume knob..I don't know what to do🤣🤣
Great Video on POTs....
Great video!
Helpful video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this video. I love it!
Nicely explained. Thanks. In your opinion what's the likelihood of repairing a late 70s push push 300k pot that doesn't seem to change when pushed to one of the outputs even though it seems to work mechanically? Really going to keep the instrument as original as possible and is very hard to snag a 300k push push to match, if even at all.
How about cleaning more modern pots ? They appear to be sealed but need to be cleaned badly. Marshall vs100
I take it it would be the same process for cleaning slide potentiometer rather than a twist. forgive me for being dim. all the best Simon
Thanks, Kev, awesome help!!!
nice one. informative and helpful
Hello AR. I have an older Sansui home stereo amplifier that has crackling noise issues with three of the function switches/pots. Am I better off to use Deoxit-d5, Deoxit-gold or the Deoxit-F5 on those? Thanks.
You seem to know your stuff on these volume pots, my question I am not a tech and need someone to rebuild my volume pot on my Pioneer sx1250 which is not not working now. If I send it to you will you try and rebuild it. I can pay for the repair. Please let me know.
Great video. Is there a way to check if a pot is bad without having it actually wired or opening the pot as you have? Thanks
Other than just testing resistance ,, Not really.
kev31779 Thanks.
Nice and simple. Thanks. I have a bunch of old amps. Bout to put'em back in da game (car). Lol.
Hey there, i'm trying to replace my HA2500 master volume/ countour pots. Any videos or advice on how to do that? Thanks for the videos.
Thank you
Mine has one extra lead on the opposite side, comes from an old 1946 radio. What does that do...? I took it apart to clean it, put it back together, now nothing works, no sound at all. I’ve done this many times before and it’s always worked. And I’ve double checked the wiring and can’t see anything wrong. But there is something not right. There was an insulating washer that fell out when I took it apart, but I can’t figure out where it goes, or why it was there to begin with. Anyway, I’m totally at loss at why this thing isn’t working. I tried it with both the washer back in and without it...weird.
Do a old pot from old receiver can make the sound low and some kind of distant ??
"how do we go about building a resistance taper or pad/linear phenolic wafer conductive carbon material? such as a 5k vs a 10k resistance ? "linear phenolic wafer conductive carbon material
great video! thanks
what material is de pot casing?
Thank you.
hey what about a brightness pod what kind of cleaner do i use
NICE CLIP WAS VERY HELPFULL , I NEED A NEW POTENTIOMETER FOR MY ROTEL PREAMP BUT CANT FIND ONE ,WOULD YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN PURCHASE ONE ?
+Fred Gailer You can get potentiometers almost anywhere, Try ebay for a specific replacement part for your device.
+kev31779 no luck any where : ( tried to google it also ,isint there a warehouse that stocks it ? some say you cant get rotel parts any more ?
+Fred Gailer You may have to dig on forums for some parts that are not any longer in production. it can be tough. you may be able to scab something in that is close, but you will need to do the engineering.
Excellent Thank you for sharing :)
Sir what about 5 pin potenciometers?
3 pin are in line but on the back side are 2 more pins for what are those used exactly?
Great video. Have a frequency tuning POT on 900mhz wireless headphone that is on the fritz, hard time holding same frequency, comes and goes with static. Think some WD40 shot into the POT will help? Or gun cleaner/lubricant? Thanks!
No, unless you dont reallt care much about the device I would only use a cleaner that is meant to clean electronics. Otherwise parts can. Become damaged from incompatible solvents and oils.
@@The_Active_Region Thanks! Will probably buy some contact cleaner. Take care and thanks!
You, you, you're good you.
nice video!!
Can I use white lithium grease to lubricate it? Or would it impede the resistance? Having a blob of lithium grease in there would work nicely to mitigate the wear and tear of the track plus, it would make the scrolling sooo nice and smooth 😁. Have you tried it?
Question: can I improve a pot's accuracy by servicing it more?
Cleaning the pot does not change accuracy. The pot can only be as accurate as it was designed for. But cleaning it will help with staying accurate and noise free if dirty. Also if it ain't broke dont fix it. If it's not scratchy the just let it be.
@@The_Active_Region dayum, you fast! Thanks!
does this thing control the balance on the speakers??i have more volume on the rt side and less on the left
Hi. Very nice video. I have a question....I have a messed up pot and its cracking during changing the volume, bit its also unable to feed the repro with stereo sound. Sorry for the noobish description, just during the volume adjusting suddenly left repro is not working, then it works, but right repro stopped etc....I must really fine tune the pot position to have stereo and no cracking. Usually its on very loud volume with a lot of noise, or low volume with almost no sound. :-) is it possible to just clean it with some contacts cleaner? Thank You.
Yes make sure it is unplugged and try to spray a few squirts into the pot. That "should" take care of it.
Kev31779
Thank You very much.
Kev31779 Done.....working perfectly. :-)
I recently aquired a Pioneer SA-8500 and have noticed some static when I adjust the volume control knob, do I need to remove the potentiometer to clean it properly or can I just spray it with contact cleaner? I also get some distortion on the left channel when I flip the tone switch or the tape monitor source switch, how can these be cleaned? Also I live in Canada and cannot seem to find detoxit in any stores up here.
You can try use contact cleaner on the pots. You should be able to find a slot on the back side of the pots or switch to spray the cleaner in and work the control back and forth. Contact cleaner can help but something with a mild lube will last longer.
Thanks for the quick reply!
Is pot legal? It looks like you smoked that one. You need to get clean man.
Did he really smoke it? That's crazy. WD40 sprayed on your herb gets a homie car cra
thanks...
I spray through the upper shaft on sealed potentiometers. Than I rotate the shaft to attempt to work the cleaner/lubricant in. This is a last resort for sealed units that have crud built up that made it's way in through the shaft/knob.
I just saw a post suggesting to drill a hole in the end of a properly-sized wirenut, place it over the whole shaft, insert the spray nozzle through the hole and then really drench the shaft and pot with contact cleaner. I'm going to try it today, maybe use a round gasket on the bottom of the wirenut to avoid leaking. Use D5/DeOxit AKA 'Cramolin' as usual.
Be aware that many pots are well sealed along the shaft and this doesn't even come close to f'ing working. :(
I have a kt 3296 three pin petentiometer. But I want to know why it just spins around forever. There’s no clear start and finish. I don’t know if I’ve turned it clockwise for ever etc. How do they work in that sense
it's probably a rotary encoder rather than a potentiometer
What size motor can you run with that pot?
Good video except you need a tripod and a light so we can see and you can use two hands :)
my question with burn spots... have you ever tried to repair one? I know its easier to buy a new one and spend the time and money to put a new one in... but you obviously look like you like spending spare time doing this stuff; So... have you ever tried to do a retrace/re-pair trace or used something like liquid trace or solder to put some surface back on that spot to supply resistance? If so did you measure how much it helped? I'm pretty sure there is significant ohm loss when on the repaired portion of the trace as it is its own material with its own resistance until the waffer/spudger goes onto original resistance surface?
+Mahrtee Lote I wouldn't attempt to repair a burn spot on a pot. I would just replace it.
cool, i'm not judging just wondering as when I used to have the time to take my toys apart i would/have done so in the past... was wondering what kind of possible success rate you may have or not had. good video
+Mahrtee Lote There is no real good way to repair a bad carbon or resistive layer of in a pot . It would not be economical to repair the pot. Replacement/substitution is the best solution.
agree'd but it'd be cool if one was able to do it and do it so its like new. I a huge fan of repairing traces... but haven't done anything inside of an electronic component like that, just to the boards
If the burn spot on the phenolic is simply missing conductive material, then theoretically it could work again if the path was rebuilt. I have access to sputter coater, and I have a carbon, gold, iridium, platinum and palladium targets for it. The spot could be masked and new material deposited. I bet I could get it working again. ;-)
how do you open a potentiometer without breaking it?
Good lesson please stop saying basically thanks
I cleand it out with wiskey
why volume potentiometer has a sound like Switching?
thnkyou
U must be from Massachusetts
Dude I hope you have a camera mount by now. Painful to watch lol
can you use wd40? thanks
No. It's flammable. It also can attract more dirt and possibly eat away at the resistive material.
Pls change your pointing device cause I feel like I'm a bout to get my teeth checked out by a dentist
lol you nailed it.
why does my guitar buzz when I turn up the tone knob
Well guitars naturally buzz. without noiseless pickups or hum buckers they can buzz all the time. Its something common in single coil pickups. The tone control may be opening up to a level of noise it was filtering out in its hi pass setting. The common 60 cycle hum from line noise is most likely what your hearing.
Can i turn on volume forever with my screw driver?🤣 No problem with that because i have external soundcard. I don't want to break it all🤣🤣
ALL THIS AND YOU OR MECHANICALLY RIDING THE LAP POT?
This video is potentially good, but I'm resistant to your tutelage.
Lol
having it a litle dificult the film with one hand and demostrating with the other
Audio, linear , and vintage, have different tapers. Obviously this is a linear pot.
I can't imagine using anything.."WD40/Alcohol" that contains any water ? I'm reading some pretty risky "secret" cleaners going through these videos..I like to take chancs but not with vintage equipment or any..
You have an accent, are you from Delhi india?
Are you drinkin' beah in dah pock in Bahs ton?