Best brands of pots?

[kevilay]

Hey guys, Im building a set of racing pedals for a racing simulator. I am currently sourcing a high quality pot to use. I have many options. Im just running of a small USB board so power requirements are almost nothing. I can function on 10k-100k. and I will solder to the pins. Need some sort of panel mount. Most people are using a some thing this:

http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/657BR0203/657BR0203-ND/1287431

Vishay Spectrol
POT 20K OHM 1W PLASTIC LINEAR

This will suit my needs exactly, but going forward with production 26$ CAD is very expensive for a pot. I need something of very high quality that will last for a long time. Are there some other well known brands that will work for me? I'm hoping to be closer to the 10$ mark. Mostly just looking for your opinions!

Thanks
Kevin

 

[Minder]

Digikey should be able to offer cheaper versions than that, most of the cost is in the materials used S.S. shaft for e.g.!
Do you need that quality?
M.

 

[duke37]

What does the pot do?
If it needs to operate many times, you could consider a light shutter or Hall effect device for greater reliability.

 

[kevilay]

Let me explain my use a little bit better. So i have a throttle pedal and clutch pedal that connect to the pot. They use a little ball end joint and a nylon rutter to translate the linear into rotation. It has 0 side force on the pot. I get about 1/4 rotation of pot travel back and forth each time you push the pedal. In 1 race you may press it a few hundred times. So this thing would see hundreds of thousands of turns. I seen some people play with hall effect stuff,but from what I understand its more of an on off switch and it doesn't measure position all that closely? Maybe you can confirm this. I need it to be fairly accurate for the whole travel, repeatable. Im not sure what a light shutter is?

@Minder Are you saying its a stainless steel shaft? Whats EG? Sorry if im a little green!

Thanks for your help
Kevin

 

[Minder]

I meant you are paying for quality, the spec sheet shows a Stainless S. shaft etc. cost over quality??

e.g. is for example.
Most short hand notations in English come from Latin.
e.g. = exempli gratia (for example)
i.e. = Id est (that is)
Et al(ia) = In all
etc. etc.

Etcetera = et cetera (and other things)
M.

 

[duke37]

The first electronic organs used mechanical pots for volume control but these wore out and were noisy. They were replaced by a bulb running on DC and a foot operated shutter to alter the light shining on a light sensitive resistor such as an ORP12.

I have never used a Hall effect device but they are used to measure current in wires using the magnetic field so have a variable output. Doubtless Hall effect switches are also available.

 

[Colin Mitchell]

You need a "vane pot"or "light pot" with no wiper to wear lout.

 

[Colin Mitchell]

Here is a simple detector circuit for 75 cents

Get a pot, remove the cover and add a vane that varies the brightness from the transmitter to the receiver