Replacement Paddle Potentiomenters

[+therealbountybob]

Please can someone confirm if these are these the correct ones/fit for the Atari paddles?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-5-10-20-50-100-500-K-M-ohm-Linear-Logarithmic-Mono-Stereo-Pot-Potentiometer-/170703080727?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&var=&hash=item27beb24d17#ht_1926wt_804

 

1K Ohm?

"Linear Mono" or "Linear Mono with Switch" ?

 

thanks

[Bryan]

Well, you certainly don't need a switch. That's the clicky thing, like when power and volume are the same knob.

 

Also, you'll probably want solder tabs since you'll be connecting wires.

[BillC]

It's possible to solder wires to the PCB pins, you will have to use the knobs that come with these since the original knob won't fit on the shaft.

 

The bottom of the OEM potentiometer is labeled with the Atari part# and resistance: CO10464 1MEG(I found this on a spare I purchased about 25 years ago). The resistance is also legible on the following picture from the Best Electronics website:

 

Best-Electronics does sell replacement CX30 potentiometers for $6ea., their new version(which they call CO10464S) is supposed to have 3X the lifespan/durability of original.

http://best-electronics-ca.com/cx30_paddle.htm#Paddle

[Audronic]

@ therealbountybob

 

If you have some Electrical Lubricant spray ( wd40, crc232, etc) spray it at the hole where the three terminals come out of.

operate the pot a few times wait 10 Minutes for to to creep onto the track and see if it works.

 

Also pots have a number or Letter at the end of the model Number on them to indicate Log/Linear/special etc. i don't know the one in the paddle maybe some one else can help.

 

Ray W

Edited January 6, 2015 by Audronic

[+therealbountybob]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Some of my paddles seem beyond service. These are very cheap and have free postage (I'm in the UK). I wonder if I saw off one of the metal semi-circular prongs if the paddles knob will fit over the other one... guess I'll have to find out

[BillC]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Some of my paddles seem beyond service. These are very cheap and have free postage (I'm in the UK). I wonder if I saw off one of the metal semi-circular prongs if the paddles knob will fit over the other one... guess I'll have to find out

I'm fairly certain that if one of the 2 'prongs' s broken off the knob would fit over but be loose and not stay in place. After taking another look at the listing it appears you can purchase either the potentiometer or the knob for the price listed, not potentiometer with knob.

 

For not much more you can purchase a solid metal shaft version from Maplins, you should then be able to file the shaft down to fit the original Atari knob.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/1m-andohm-miniature-linear-single-gang-potentiometer-jm76h

They also have what appears to be a solid plastic shaft version for a slightly higher price, this should make it easier to modify the shaft.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/omeg-1m-andohm-linear-single-gang-potentiometer-fw08j

[ACML]

I've had a 100% success rate restoring paddle potentiometers with a few Q-tips and 90% alcohol. There are four little bent over metal ears that keep the pot assembly together. I gently pry them open, open the inside and rub a Q-tip with 90% alcohol on the dark carbon traces. If the Q-tip isn't turning black, you aren't rubbing hard enough. This will take the layer of oxidation off them that is causing them to be jittery. Reassemble and they should be good as new. Works for me every time.

 

 

 

 

[+therealbountybob]

They arrived quickly but are too small (see photo) so looks like they are 16mm measuring base diameter and the Atari ones are about 23mm... they wont (just) reach through the paddle to secure the nut!

so I'm £1.98 down

 

found some good info here:

http://sound.westhost.com/pots.htm

>>>Note that these are not to scale, although the relative sizes are passably close. Apart from the different body shapes and sizes, there are also many "standard" mounting hole and shaft sizes. Probably the most common of all is the one in the centre of the picture. A panel mount, 25 millimetre (1") diameter pot. This uses a 10mm (3/8") mounting hole, and has a 6.35mm (1/4") shaft. These pots have been with us almost unchanged for 40 years or more.<<<

 

alas none this size on ebay as far as I can see, so it's buy from Best or Maplin (I'll check the postage - not sure about height of thread of Maplin plastic ones and if pole is round [have asked questions on-line] ), make do, or combine my 3 dodgy sets into two reasonable ones which is probably what I'll go for as usually the 2nd players ones are much better

Edited January 10, 2015 by therealbountybob

[800_Rocks]

On 1/8/2015 at 7:56 PM, ACML said:

I've had a 100% success rate restoring paddle potentiometers with a few Q-tips and 90% alcohol. There are four little bent over metal ears that keep the pot assembly together. I gently pry them open, open the inside and rub a Q-tip with 90% alcohol on the dark carbon traces. If the Q-tip isn't turning black, you aren't rubbing hard enough. This will take the layer of oxidation off them that is causing them to be jittery. Reassemble and they should be good as new. Works for me every time.

I did this today (5-Sept-2021) and it worked great!  A set of Atari paddles that were useless due to jerkiness were restored to jerk-free operation.  Thanks ACML!

[ACML]

29 minutes ago, 800_Rocks said:

I did this today (5-Sept-2021) and it worked great!  A set of Atari paddles that were useless due to jerkiness were restored to jerk-free operation.  Thanks ACML!

No problem.  Glad it worked for you.  I think the dark residue is a combination of oxidation and lubricating grease used to smooth out rotation.  After 30 years, its broken down to some compound that obviously effects continuity.  Just clean that stuff off with 90+% isopropyl alcohol and they are as good as new!