What are the thumb wheel potentiometers called?

Thread Starter

bulrush

Joined Jan 1, 2017
30
I'm looking for a pot where only part of the wheel sticks out the side of a case. Many radios use these for tuning or volume control. But I'm not finding any on Ebay. I'm looking for a 10k ohms if available. What is the name of these?

I don't want a trim pot, as those require a screw driver to adjust. I want something user-friendly.

I'd like to make a pocket-size flashlight that has a dimmer.

Thanks!
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
I'm looking for a pot where only part of the wheel sticks out the side of a case. Many radios use these for tuning or volume control. But I'm not finding any on Ebay. I'm looking for a 10k ohms if available. What is the name of these?

I don't want a trim pot, as those require a screw driver to adjust. I want something user-friendly.

I'd like to make a pocket-size flashlight that has a dimmer.

Thanks!
A small plastic disk/gear and poking a hheated screwdriver through it and into the plastic of a single-turn trimmer also works to make a DIY hack thumb wheel.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
Thumb wheel potentiometers are called thumb wheel potentiometers..
The question reminded me of Groucho Marks on "you bet your life". He asked a contestant, "what do you call the white of an egg?" After some stumbling by the contestant, Groucho knowingly said, "that's a pretty good yoke".
 

Thread Starter

bulrush

Joined Jan 1, 2017
30
Ok ok. I'm still learning these terms, there is a lot to learn. Well I found some on Ebay. Theres no space between "thumb" and "wheel". Hence my previous problem not finding "thumb wheel potentiometer".
 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
Ok ok. I'm still learning these terms, there is a lot to learn. Well I found some on Ebay. Theres no space between "thumb" and "wheel". Hence my previous problem not finding "thumb wheel potentiometer".
Just depends on the supplier really,etc..
But yes in the dictionary its "thumbwheel"

Note: some may not call it a potentiometer either.. could be a trimmer resistor, trimming resistor,etc....
 

Jan Luthe

Joined Jan 10, 2015
89
Ok ok. I'm still learning these terms, there is a lot to learn. Well I found some on Ebay. Theres no space between "thumb" and "wheel". Hence my previous problem not finding "thumb wheel potentiometer".
Glue a piece of plastic to the wheel to make it a bigger diameter.
 
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