Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Mark Shaker on February 27, 2002, 04:19:01 am

Title: Source for high quality potentiometers?
Post by: Mark Shaker on February 27, 2002, 04:19:01 am

Greetings,

I'm looking for some very high quality 100K Ohm pots to convert analog arcade controls for use with a PC.

I've only been able to locate ones rated from 5000 to 25000 cycles. That would not last very long.

Does anyone know where I can find some rated for 1 million+ cycles?

Thanks for your help!

  - Mark

Title: Re: Source for high quality potentiometers?
Post by: Lilwolf on February 27, 2002, 07:52:45 am

Consider hacking a Microsoft Dual Strike (new on ebay for 9 bucks).  The advantage is that it uses a 20k pot, but only turns about 1/4 of the way (ie, 5kpot).  

note:  I haven't used one because when I could get my hands on a 5k pot controller, I didn't know how I wanted to hack it.

Anyway, people have had great luck with it and some say they don't even have to align the joysticks!

I've heard that they allow hotswapping the pots also.

Title: Re: Source for high quality potentiometers?
Post by: 1UP on March 01, 2002, 12:32:08 am

The dual strike method works great, but what are 5k pots rated for?

Title: Re: Source for high quality potentiometers?
Post by: TheManuel on March 01, 2002, 05:44:33 am

:)
Why don't you take a look at:
http://www.jameco.com
They have a huge selection of electronic parts and, if I'm not mistaken, they don't have a minimum order.

Good Luck!

Title: Re: Source for high quality potentiometers?
Post by: Lilwolf_1 on March 01, 2002, 06:03:26 am

btw, 5k pots are whats on most arcade analog joysticks.  So if you have an analog joystick it should be there.

The 5k pots at happs aren't to high.  The 100k are 5 times that amount.  These should have a super high rating.

Title: Re: Source for high quality potentiometers?
Post by: JMDickson on March 01, 2002, 06:32:33 am

The higher the resistance on the IBM joystick port, the longer/more CPU cycles it takes to read the result.  The best performance wise is to use the minimum Ohmage that gives you the accuracy you want.