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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: earwaxxer on September 22, 2013, 03:45:31 PM

Title: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: earwaxxer on September 22, 2013, 03:45:31 PM
Ok, crap, sorry... I cant remember where you guys mentioned that site where (prob China) where you can get super cheap stepped attenuators ala Goldpoint. Sorry I know such knowledge is sacrosanct. I'm a cheap bastard.
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: corndog71 on September 22, 2013, 04:32:38 PM
Here's one for $55 shipped.  Scroll down the page.

http://www.tubes4hifi.com/bob.htm (http://www.tubes4hifi.com/bob.htm)

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi9.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa78%2FBob01605%2Fnewsteppedattenuator.jpg&hash=bfef1fe59a8b8000550e5edc13494b8d09d30dfc)
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: earwaxxer on September 22, 2013, 04:35:57 PM
sorry - I guess I need to add more info - I'm looking for the mechanism so I can put my own resistors in. Kind of like the Goldpoint but not $110 a pop. - thanks much!....
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: earwaxxer on September 22, 2013, 04:37:27 PM
I cant believe I didnt bookmark it to begin with! - sorry again!...
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: corndog71 on September 22, 2013, 04:39:31 PM
Picky picky.
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: Paul Birkeland on September 22, 2013, 04:44:27 PM
sorry - I guess I need to add more info - I'm looking for the mechanism so I can put my own resistors in. Kind of like the Goldpoint but not $110 a pop. - thanks much!....

Be really careful, there are plenty of switches out there that "look" like they should work, but are non-shorting switches.

For what the high end pots cost, the Goldpoint switch is very fairly priced.
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: earwaxxer on September 22, 2013, 04:47:25 PM
Ok, Granger, fair enough.
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: earwaxxer on September 22, 2013, 04:51:43 PM
I was hoping to outfit a stepped attn. with some Tants for about $100 pops.
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: Paul Birkeland on September 22, 2013, 04:58:56 PM
It's reasonable to assume 23 resistors per channel for a simple series string attenuator, or 46 resistors.  The cheapest tantalum resistors I see are $3.45 (though you'll spend more to get the values you need in different wattages), so that's up to $160 for resistors. 

It'd be a shame to spend that kind of dough on botique resistors to then cut them to fit your cheap Chinese eBay switch, which may or may not meet your expectations.

Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: 2wo on September 22, 2013, 05:38:52 PM
You know when he puts it that way ;D...John
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: saildoctor on September 22, 2013, 05:43:49 PM
FWIW - I used the 2-deck 24 step version of these to make some attenuators for my FPIII:  http://www.partsconnexion.com/controls_rotary_connex.html (http://www.partsconnexion.com/controls_rotary_connex.html)

I bought 2 of them and just used one deck of each so that I could still get dual mono.  They seem to still work the same after about a year and a half.  I did use RN55's for the resistors and it was at least a small step up from what I had been using before. 
Title: Re: Stepped attenuators...
Post by: Paul Birkeland on September 22, 2013, 07:35:11 PM
Ok, Granger, fair enough.
Huh?