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Post by frets on Oct 26, 2022 16:20:21 GMT -5
Hi Guys😸😸😸, Sometime ago, I discussed on the forum the MECC short profile push pull. I finally received the pot from Framus for $36.15 (includes shipping). To remind you all, the pot is for a shallow cavity 1968 Japanese Norma EG200. The customer wanted a push pull volume/tone combination with attached Varitone. I wanted to share my thoughts on this pot. First, the pot is extremely well built. The snap of the switch is tight and the taper is somewhat resistive on the roll; but, less so than a CTS or Bourns. If you want a fast roll push pull, this is your pot. Secondly, the pot is extremely extremely difficult to solder to. The lugs are prongs and on the switch they are incredibly close together. A scant 2mm between prongs on the vertical is all you get, and getting the solder tip in position you will need a table top magnifying glass. Basically, it’s because of the compact body and the way the pot is structurally built. It’s a clumsy solder. The commons on the switch are offset but the soldering proficiency required is “experienced.” A small amount of solder per wire must be used. In addition to the closeness of the prongs, the solder does not stick as readily on the prongs as say a Bourns. One must carefully tin the prongs before wire attachment. It is a solid little pot that I would use again if not for the high price tag.  |
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Post by sumgai on Oct 26, 2022 23:49:56 GMT -5
The lugs are prongs and on the switch they are incredibly close together. A scant 2mm between prongs That's because you picked up the PCB version of this device, meant to be mounted to a panel immediately perpendicular to the PCB, in the final incarnation. When parts like this are mounted to a board, the completed assembly is then sent through a "wave soldering machine". This hot (and smelly!) puppy has no problem depositing just the right amount of solder on each and every connection across the entire board. The pins (prongs) are made of a material that will accept the RoHS solder that is specially formulated for use in a wave soldering unit. Thus it won't be easy to make standard solder adhere to them. Fun Fact: When I was in the US Army in the early '60s, I was stationed in Germany for a few years. I owned (and played) a number of Framus guitars. Good times, good times.  HTH sumgai |
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Post by MattB on Oct 27, 2022 17:04:21 GMT -5
I see they make a 4PDT push-pull, that's very cool. Also this monster:  I'm kind of tempted to buy one of these, but it probably costs more than my guitar did. No idea what I'd use it for, but I'm sure I could think of something. |
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Post by asmith on Nov 7, 2022 3:26:39 GMT -5
The pins (prongs) are made of a material that will accept the RoHS solder that is specially formulated for use in a wave soldering unit. Thus it won't be easy to make standard solder adhere to them. Do you think one could stick these pins into a cable connector (link is to Google Images result to clarify my meaning), put one's circuit's wires in the connector's opposing sockets, and thereby forego solder entirely? |
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Post by sumgai on Nov 7, 2022 10:05:18 GMT -5
The pins (prongs) are made of a material that will accept the RoHS solder that is specially formulated for use in a wave soldering unit. Thus it won't be easy to make standard solder adhere to them. Do you think one could stick these pins into a cable connector (link is to Google Images result to clarify my meaning), put one's circuit's wires in the connector's opposing sockets, and thereby forego solder entirely? Yes, that would work out OK. The only "drawback" would be the size of any such connector. Even the smaller ones are going to take up some room, so I suggest that one should shop with all due diligence. HTH sumgai |
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Post by blademaster2 on Nov 9, 2022 23:09:40 GMT -5
Yes, that would work out OK. The only "drawback" would be the size of any such connector. Even the smaller ones are going to take up some room, so I suggest that one should shop with all due diligence. HTH sumgai I did that on one of my guitars, as I was experimenting with configurations and was not sure of the polarity I wanted. I bought solder-cup connector contacts, quite skinny, gold-plated things. They worked well but it might be good to heat-shrink a shroud over one of the mating pairs (shrunk only where it grips the wire) to mitigate the possibility of shorting within the cavity. I have had mine short here and there, and now I do not see that because have ugly electrical tape there. An insulating shroud would be better. |
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Post by sumgai on Nov 10, 2022 11:12:59 GMT -5
blademastere's tip is good practice - heat-shrink tubing is the bee's knee's when it come to preventing short circuits. Use a moderately capable heat gun, even a cheap one from Harbor Freight will do. Hair dryers, not so much, as they don't seem to concentrate the heat into a small enough area that one can control where the heat is placed. Getting too many other components hot at the same time is most often not a good idea! And I forgot to mention earlier..... Ace, remember our trip to visit JFrankParnell? His axe has exactly what you're contemplating, a modular setup with sturdy connectors that allow for modifications when desired. Ask him what he used, and see if they'll work for you.  HTH sumgai |
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Post by stevewf on Jul 1, 2023 23:49:41 GMT -5
The lugs are prongs and on the switch they are incredibly close together. A scant 2mm between prongs That's because you picked up the PCB version of this device, meant to be mounted to a panel immediately perpendicular to the PCB, in the final incarnation. So far, all the MEC pots I've seen [online] appear to have the same type of lugs. Hmf. Compactness would seem like major driver for choosing this product, but adding a PCB would negate some of the compactness. Still, there is a 4P2T offering that's not an S-1. And concentrics with a push-pull. And more. If only they'd offer modules or kit parts; I want a dual-gang A/C with a 4P2T! |
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Post by frets on Jul 2, 2023 13:23:55 GMT -5
MECC pots like the one I purchased can be soldered to. You have to be a proficient solderer, I would not recommend the pot to someone who occasionally solders. I’d say on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the most difficult solder, these would be an 8.
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