XLS replacement faders

[gatj98]

Hi,

 

Our local drama group has an XLS desk that I picked up second hand for us a few years ago from John Henry's in London. We operate on a shoestring budget so I bought it faulty and got it going (new battery and silver conductive paint on the button pads). We've gradually had to replace faders since then as they give up the ghost (think it was previously used somewhere sandy as they are quite gritty - notice that John Henry's used to have a Dubai branch!).

 

When I went on a fader hunt last time the best I could find was these from Rapid:

 

http://www.rapidonline.com/Electronic-Components/Resistors-Potentiometer/Control-Potentiometers/Slide-potentiometers/65234

 

They are a perfect physical and electrical match - with one important exception - the shaft is too short to reach through the front panel and still let you fit the control knob properly. Up till now our solution has been to open up the new and old fader and swap the old track board out for the new one - thus we're changing the resistance track but using the existing shaft and wiper. This works fine and means the knobs go back on with no problem. Problem is it's damned fiddly and takes quite a while - and invariably I stab myself in the finger with the screwdriver whilst trying to prise the crimps open! We're getting to the stage where we really need to replace the remaining faders and be done with it - and given I've almost run out of the Rapid faders am on the hunt again for better replacements.

 

Does anyone know of a source of faders with the right shaped shaft that won't bankrupt us?

 

Cheers,

 

Gordon

(on behalf of Church Crookham Players)

[KWR88]

You may find these harder to get hold of now, most of the main component suppliers have stopped doing the linear faders of this type.

We can still have stock of these as we use them on the Level 6 DMX desk.

They are order code 4415000 please contact your local supplier or our sales dept to obtain a price and to order them.

[gatj98]

Thanks Keith, have sent an email to your sales colleagues so will see what they say. It looks as if Alpha do still make them with the right shaft - but their minimum order is 1000, slightly more than I need! The Rapid ones are actually made by Alpha as well - just with a different shaft design.

 

thanks for your help,

 

Gordon