Rotary switch source?

[TSmith1315]

Looking for a decent quality 2 pole rotary swith for an audio attenuator.
I figure at least 15 positions will be needed even with an added toggle to
select attenuation range.
Anyone have a suggestion for an economical one or two piece source?

TIA,
Tim

 

[John Fields]

Looking for a decent quality 2 pole rotary swith for an audio attenuator.
I figure at least 15 positions will be needed even with an added toggle to
select attenuation range.
Anyone have a suggestion for an economical one or two piece source?

 

[Walter Harley]

Looking for a decent quality 2 pole rotary swith for an audio attenuator.
I figure at least 15 positions will be needed even with an added toggle to
select attenuation range.
Anyone have a suggestion for an economical one or two piece source?

For more than 12 positions, I've had best luck in surplus shops.

Mouser and Digikey do sell them, but they start at $35 and go up sharply.
Ceramic can be > $100.

 

[Dr. A.T. Squeegee]

Looking for a decent quality 2 pole rotary swith for an audio attenuator.
I figure at least 15 positions will be needed even with an added toggle to
select attenuation range.
Anyone have a suggestion for an economical one or two piece source?

With that many steps (the biggest rotary I've seen so far in
common usage is 12 positions), you may be better off using a hex-encoded
switch, a decoder, and a stack of resistors in a switched-attenuator
setting. You may also want to consider a softpot type of control.

Happy hunting.


--
Dr. Anton Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR)
kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech d-o=t c&o&m
Motorola Radio Programming & Service Available -
http://www.bluefeathertech.com/rf.html
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (Red Green)

 

[TSmith1315]

With that many steps (the biggest rotary I've seen so far in

common usage is 12 positions), you may be better off using a hex-encoded
switch, a decoder, and a stack of resistors in a switched-attenuator
setting.

I've wondered about hex switches, but never looked into how they work. I'm
only a pseudo-geek, so I'll have to actually read about them

Thanks to everyone for the responses, and I agree the solution I asked for is
elusive. Looks like it may have to be scavenged.

Tim

 

[Luhan Monat]

Looking for a decent quality 2 pole rotary swith for an audio attenuator.
I figure at least 15 positions will be needed even with an added toggle to
select attenuation range.
Anyone have a suggestion for an economical one or two piece source?

TIA,
Tim

This is why the potentiometer was invented. $3 at you local Radio Shack.

 

[TSmith1315]

This is why the potentiometer was invented. $3 at you local Radio Shack.

I have plenty of potentiometers. The idea is to have superior stereo tracking
and possibly, frequency compensation.

Tim

 

[John Popelish]

I have plenty of potentiometers. The idea is to have superior stereo tracking
and possibly, frequency compensation.

Be sure to specify make before break switches.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that John Popelish <[email protected]>
wrote (in <[email protected]>) about 'Rotary switch source?',

Be sure to specify make before break switches.

If you use MBB switches with no detent (or a hslf-pitch one), you can
get intermediate steps of attenuation when the moving contact bridges
two fixed contacts. To do that, you need two resistor chains, connected
to alternate fixed contacts, and a tame mathematician to work out the
resistor values.