Potentiometer?

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Mar 7, 2006 | 11:47 AM

#16

tjbeggs

Post Fiend

Joined: Apr 2004

Posts: 12,835

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From: Silver Lake Dunes, MI

on second thought you need an ohm meter! don't just hook them up and hope i am right. it could fry something and that would make me feel bad!! let me think about this more and i will get back to you! i know others have used a pot for their 10k mod so maybe start a new thread with something like "variable 10k mod??" and see if that grab anybodies attention.

Mar 7, 2006 | 02:25 PM

#17

turbostroke

Senior User

Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 262

Likes: 0

Quote:

Originally Posted by VQ2Fast4U

Thats a bad pic, it has 3 connections. Which is whats im not understanding.

3 terminals.. 2 (usually the outside ones) are connected at opposite ends of a resistive element. The third one (usually center) acts as a wiper across the contacts that slides across the resistive element. In essence you are basically trying to use the pot as a variable voltage divider. The 12V input source will simply get divided to act like 2 individual resistors.
In a linear taper pot like the one you have purchased the output is generally the voltage at the point where the wiper contacts the resistive element..As PSnut said you are tricking the ICP to adjust based on "false" voltage readings.
Just make sure this pot is up to your task.. just as resistors have a load rating/capacity so to does a potentiometer.