On Fri, 28 Jun 2002, Spehro Pefhany wrote:

>At 10:47 AM 6/28/02 -0500, you wrote:
>>My all-in-one Sony mini component system does that (it's
>>about 14 years old).  I don't think it's a rotary encoder
>>cause it has a definite start and end, and has no detents
>>(very smooth).  But altering the volume on the remote will
>>change the physical position of the rotary knob.  Has a
>>cool little LED on it too, to indicate the setting/position.
>
>These are motorized pots. They have the advantage that they
>maintain their setting with power-off, and don't require
>a "home" switch as a stepper would. They used to be hideously
>expensive (and professional quality), became cheap (and consumer
>quality) as a gimmick in stereos, now perhaps are going to get
>hard to find again.

You seem to know the 'good old ones'. Do you happen to know where one
could get some surplus motor-tuned air variable caps ? I have no info on
this at all and I am toying with the idea of making myself a remote tuned
antenna preselector. I have also considered building one out of ganged air
variables and a carrier current remote control. I have a precision dc
servo to turn them (1:500 backlash free gears).

Peter

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