Group Buy: BI/TT P260P Potentiometers 100k linear and log

[decaying.sine]

Hi Folks,
I'd like to organize a group buy for BI/TT conductive plastic potentiometers.
Here are the specs on Digikey.
100k linear
100k log

They also fit John Loffink's pot chiclets.

I use these all the time. They are dust sealed, and I believe they have a really nice feel to them. They are smooth feeling on turn and I'd rate it half way between Alpha and Spectrol 148 on the stiffness when turning. They really feel just right to me. Alco knobs fit perfectly on them.

I got the 100k linear for $2.10 each when I purchased through TT Inc. That was with a quantity of 240. They shipped remarkably fast too--like 3 days later.

I'll try to find the best price for us, but that is a pretty good estimate of what it will be for each -- $1.80 to 2.00 including the little extra I add for paypal fees and shipping materials, which is usually only a few cents per item.

Let me know how many 100k log and how many 100k linear that you are interested in! Just post in the thread here, and I'll keep track. Once I get a sense of the amount we can buy, I'll contact the salesperson I worked with before and negotiate a nice price for us. Once the final price is set, I'll take payments. Of course, if you want to throw dollar bills at me right now, that'd be fine. I'd even dance a little :booty:

Any amount is fine by me. Also, I'll ship to you anywhere.

This is what they look like.

[jumunius]

Nice! I have ample 100k lin but I'll be up for some log. Let me do some calculations.

[decaying.sine]

Should be able to get some nice prices. You like these pots as much as I do?
I think they are really well balanced in price, quality, feel, etc.

[jumunius]

Should be able to get some nice prices. You like these pots as much as I do?
I think they are really well balanced in price, quality, feel, etc.

Yeah, I do like em. Admittedly I have not used a wide variety for DIY, mainly Alpha and various off brands. So I can't compare to Spectrol etc. But they feel much nicer to me than Alpha. (Though it's always a trade-off -- maybe for more set-and-forget functions they are a little loose, but for more aggressive knob-twiddling they are really nice.)

I originally decided to use them based on Paul Schreiber's recommendation -- for the number of knobs in a modular, I do appreciate longevity, and he clearly builds things to last.

The only thing that sucks is the availability. If Digi-Key would extend their line I'd be really happy.

I'm thinking of someday organizing some group buys through Newark for 1k Lin, 10kB Lin, and 1Meg Lin and Log. I think these are all available in lots of 240. But I need to feel a little more financially stable to do that. (And sane -- I have a baby and a 3 yr old to contend with.) In the meantime I'm really curious what kind of numbers respond to your buy.

[decaying.sine]

I think that is right. It's lots of 240.

TT Inc, was who I was directed to for ordering from BI/TT themselves. They gave me a regional sales person and seemed to have plenty of stock. Basically, you bypass Mouser or Digikey. I was told, by the salesperson, that Mouser/Digikey negotiate cheaper prices on huge buys and then they have their own pricing scheme. So, what ends up happening is that we're not necessarily able to drive the price extremely low with a big group buy, but we can buy at a good price, a large amount of pots, and they can be delivered right away.

Going through Digikey, for example, might save us 10 cents or so on the pot (just pulling that out of thin air ) is good if you need a handful or buy within their stock limit. If you exceed that, you are waiting 8-12 weeks.

I guess like anything, there are trade-offs. If you have any ideas or feedback, let me know. It's all about helping each other get good prices for stock!

[paults]

I buy 5000-6000 at a time of the P260T (vertical). Not much of a price break (mabey 15 cents?). And yes every order is in 240pc multiples.

[decaying.sine]

I should add that my fondness of these pots was fostered by Paul. They are nice.

The price breaks do leave a little to be desired

[jumunius]

I buy 5000-6000 at a time of the P260T (vertical). Not much of a price break (mabey 15 cents?). And yes every order is in 240pc multiples.

This is a completely dumb question, but what's the difference between P260P and P260T? I'm looking at the datasheet and I don't really get it. Top adjust, side adjust, all that matters is how the knobs are oriented right? So long as we're talking about a round shaft using pots that don't use the slot (Alco style knobs don't right?) and you're removing the tabs, then it seems like the same thing. What am I missing here?!?!

I get lost in all these letters.

[jumunius]

I think that is right. It's lots of 240.

TT Inc, was who I was directed to for ordering from BI/TT themselves. They gave me a regional sales person and seemed to have plenty of stock.

For anything in the catalog? The person I asked about it a year or so back, when I bought a lot of 240 from TTI, said they did not have any of the other values available.

Honestly though, I really didn't get the sense that she knew what she was talking about half the time.

And it took about 5 weeks to get my order (which was mercifully less than the 8 weeks they claimed).

[decaying.sine]

The plenty of stock may have referred to the 100k log/linear not implying that it was other values.

Here is the site: http://www.ttiinc.com/page/search_resul ... 69204611_7

It looks likes Digikey's prices are actually better if you get 1000, which is the the opposite of what the sales gent said to me.

[marvkaye]

This is a completely dumb question, but what's the difference between P260P and P260T? I'm looking at the datasheet and I don't really get it. Top adjust, side adjust, all that matters is how the knobs are oriented right? So long as we're talking about a round shaft using pots that don't use the slot (Alco style knobs don't right?) and you're removing the tabs, then it seems like the same thing. What am I missing here?!?!

I get lost in all these letters.

The P260P is a side-adjust... the PC pins are perpendicular to the shaft, sticking out of the side of the body. The P260T is top-adjust, so the pins come out of the side but then bend back 90 degrees so they're parallel with the shaft and pointing in the opposite direction of it. If you installed a P260P on a PCB the shaft would be sticking off the side of the board, parallel to the component side surface. Install a P260T and the shaft looks like it's sticking up out of the PCB. IHTH.

<marv>

[decaying.sine]

Here is an example of 100k P260P from one of my 830 builds.

[Reptil]

yessir VERY interested. this was already on my order list.
have to check my BOMs but need both
good initiative

[Reptil]

yessir VERY interested. this was already on my order list.
have to check my BOMs but need both
have a Digi-Key order lined up, might be less expensive to include in that
good initiative

[limpmeat]

Do these pots really need those little pcbs attached?

[Pfurmel]

^No the pot chicklets are just to make them easier to wire. You can solder directly to the pins, too.

I'm definitely interested in around 20-40 of these, if you can get them for around the $2 mark.

[keninverse]

At $2 I would be interested in about 25-50 of each.

[marvkaye]

I'd also be interested in 25 of each if pricing is around $2.

<marv>

[sduck]

I'd get 50 or so of the linear ones. I've got a ton of pot chiclets sitting around here..

[decaying.sine]

I'd get 50 or so of the linear ones. I've got a ton of pot chiclets sitting around here..

Did you get the through hole plated ones or the older one sided ones? I have the one sided but ran out. Just ordered 200 and found out they are they are plated through, which is really cool.

[decaying.sine]

Numbers starting to look good for the group buy.

I'm thinking setting a goal of ordering on July 1st-ish would be good. I could start taking money beginning of next week or so.

[decaying.sine]

^No the pot chicklets are just to make them easier to wire. You can solder directly to the pins, too.

I'm definitely interested in around 20-40 of these, if you can get them for around the $2 mark.

What Pfurmel said! You can wrap around the wire, or better yet create your own J-hook or eyelet on the pin and then create a hook on the wire. This creates a really solid soldered connection.

[JohnLRice]

I wonder if there is a 3 pin MTA 100 or similar connector that would properly slip over the pot pins and stay put?

[Memory_Leak]

will take 40 LIN and 20 LOG please...I live in UK hope this ok with you.

[decaying.sine]

will take 40 LIN and 20 LOG please...I live in UK hope this ok with you.

Not a problem to ship to the UK.

[Memory_Leak]

sweet

[jumunius]

I wonder if there is a 3 pin MTA 100 or similar connector that would properly slip over the pot pins and stay put?

Interesting idea. I haven't tried this in a build, but it appears to work well with a 3 pin MTA 100. It fits a little less snugly than the standard MTA 100 pins do (those ones are square shaped, this one is just as wide but a little flatter). I wouldn't call it loose in any way though, and it takes a decent pull to disengage. Has continuity too, though I can't verify that it's a constant connection.

One advantage of John Loffink's pot chicklets is that you get at least one extra pad for both ends of the pot. And if you really want to get tricky there's a whole extra set of pads that is right up against the edge of the pot.

So, for applications where you need more than one wire going to the pot, those chiclets are pretty great.

[decaying.sine]

And they're through hole plated now, which just seals the deal for me.

That is a clever suggestion John.

I started looking around at the best place to order. I think we can get the best prices from Digikey and not TTInc. If we can get up to 500 then the price gets closer to 1.80ish. each. Digikey never has that much stock though. One idea that I had is that depending on how many we order, I can send out the ones that are in stock to buyers, and I will be the person that waits for Digikey to ship the out of stock ones. I have a bunch of the 100k linear already so that would work well with those. They always have less of the 100k log, but I suspect we'd order less of those.

[MR-808]

Do these pots really need those little pcbs attached?

Those are for people that haven't mastered soldering with hemostats yet. ;)

[decaying.sine]

Do these pots really need those little pcbs attached?

Those are for people that haven't mastered soldering with hemostats yet.

Brilliant. I have one of those I use for other tricky holding things. I use the little heat sink clips with the smooth surfaces!