Question about digital rotary controls

[Boogie]

What are the digital rotary controls called? ---like a potentoimeter, but the digital version, that clicks, and goes all the way around, and the digital circuit counts the number of clicks?

Ive got a zoom G2 with them and they are intermittently failing so that they give false positive readings, sometimes when you just move it one or two clicks it thinks its been turned all the way around (to zero or to the maximum value) and you can watch the number on the readout count down (or up) as if you are turning it really fast, after i have stopped turning it.

They are metal and almost square shaped, about 1.5 cm across, and have five terminals coming out of them if thats any help.

I dont suppose its just a matter of some contact cleaner like a dirty pot?? (im not going to spray it unless i have some idea of whats inside it, lol)

[Steve Conner]

Rotary encoders. The cheap ones are based on mechanical switches that do get dirty and wear out. Contact cleaner might help, and it's unlikely to hurt.

[Boogie]

Cool , thanks, i'll give it a try.

There isnt a nice gap to squirt it like an analog pot though... if i pull it apart by prizing open the little holding clips on the case, do you think there will be a whole lot of bits flying out? (usually doing this kind of thing is fine in my experience, but sometimes i get a nasty surprise.... and its not like the zoom is completely unusable yet

[Jazz P Bass]

if i pull it apart by prizing open the little holding clips on the case, do you think there will be a whole lot of bits flying out? (usually doing this kind of thing is fine in my experience, but sometimes i get a nasty surprise.... and its not like the zoom is completely unusable yet

I would not do that.
Can you say "Boing".
Experiment when you get a replacement.
If you ruin the encoder then the Zoom will be toast.
Samson sells parts for these, don't they?

[Boogie]

ok thanks i'll leave it alone until/unless it completely dies.
Samson dont have any parts on their website (other than power supplies and flash ram cards and retail/end-user stuff), i could email them to ask.
i found some on ebay that look almost right, assuming the functions of the five pins is standard in these things (the physical orientation of the pins looks right) , they would probably fit though the shafts look a touch long

[Enzo]

Samson has tens of thousands of parts, they list on their web site only the parts consumers might find interesting.

I have found I can generally use spray pressure to a seam on these things and get some cleaner inside. I also find I can usually dribble some cleaner down the side of the shaft and wiggle it around and some gets inside.

These are made exactly like a pot inside. The rotary part moves little contact fingers, but instead of across a resistor strip, they rub across a pattern of contacts on a tiny bit of circuit board. That causes the circuits to close and open. I routinely take them apart, as I do pots. But I also agree with Jazz, know what you are up against first.


Look in your Mouser catalog under encoders, and you will probably find them.

[Boogie]

Thanks, thats excellent to know. i just ordered one (thats almost the same but not quite) for $4 including shipping from ebay, i can pull that one apart and see if a lot of bits fly out or not.... if they are held together by the shaft end of their insides (like a pot) and not from the case end it will be easy

have you seen before the problem that ive got caused by dirty contacts (of the encoder giving false positive readings and dialing themselves all the way down or up when not being turned any more)?