YAMAHA A3000 FIX - PART 4, new encoders

Ok. Finally I DECIDED TO order the BOURNS encoder (p.nr PEC11LL-4220F-S0015).

But, I DID A MISTAKE AND ORDERED THE PEC11LL-4225F-S0015 , instead !! The “5” means that the shaft is 5 mm longer !!!   Bummer!

Now , I have a veeery long encoder !  

So, Order again the correct ones ???  NOPE !!  I decided to hack the new ones !!  So, I used a hand-saw and cut  5 mm off the encoder.  If you do that, then you must be VERY VERY careful and hold the shaft of the encoder during the cutting, so that no damage is done inside the switch! 

>>>> And NEVER use a Dremel tool for that! The heat will destroy the plastic base of the encoder, and then bye-bye !!!

Result is shown on next photos :

 

 As you can see in the photos, there is still an extra 3 mm difference between the old encoder and the new one, even after I cut 5 mm off!  Well, I deliberately left it this way because I did not want to reduce the D-shape’s length where the plastic knob goes on. If I did, then the plastic knob wouldn’t go all the way in the shaft, and the push action wouldn’t work correctly.

So the shaft of the encoder is visible a little !  No worries!!  I put a small pad inbetween which is used in chairs & furniture legs for floor protection  !! (see photo below). 

ok, it is white !! But it's just a test, i will replace it with a black one !!!

It is not perfect, by any means, but it works.
So, shaft now is not visible. Solved this. 😛

CONCLUSION : Bourns encoder (the correct one PEC11LL-4220F-S0015) -might- be 3 mm higher than the old Alps.

The photo below shows the encoders I ordered compared with the ones that I hacked :

 

==========================================================================

NEXT STEP :  To solder the encoders and test them with the A3000 (this is the goal here..).

==========================================================================

Yes, you are right, this fix takes a long time, but I just do it in my free time (which these days is non-existent…)   PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ME.  I will post everything in time, when this project is finally finished..

Also, THANK YOU for your comments, which make me happy that my posts might help other users of this Yamaha sampler.. 

==========================================================================

==========================================================================

• UPDATE : 

If you read the comments on my 1rst A3K post , the Anonymous, who made comments, pointed out something important, which  is evident in the photos of the encoders above, and also in the photo below:


>>> THE LIP OF THE SHAFT IN THE BOURNS encoder that i ordered IS THICKER THAN THE ALPS STOCK ENCODER, and it is these extra 3mm that make the difference in total height !  <<<
 
So there is this option too:

a)  Cut the extra 3 mm of shaft height from the already cut Bourns  AND
b)  then grind the bottom lip of the shaft by these 3mm, so that the plastic knob would be inserted all the way in the shaft, in order for the push action to work correctly.

THANK YOU Anonymous for you valuable comments !

 

•   UPDATE -2 : 

a)   Well, the lip of the shaft of the Bourns PEC11LL-4225F-S0015 that i ordered by mistake IS greater than the one that the correct p.nr has (that is the PEC11L-4220F-S0015, which my Anonymous friend verified in the comments section). 
>>>So the PEC11L-4220F-S0015 may be an excellent match for the stock Yamaha encoder, though you may want to cut-off the shaft length by 3 mm.
You can check the datasheet here  and here .

b)  Also according to Anonymous' information, the new encoder model from ALPS with part.Nr EC11N1524402 , is an EXACT match for the old stock Yamaha Alps encoder. You can see the complete information in the relevant datasheet here.
I think that this completes the whole story with correct encoder selection.

• UPDATE -3 :  

I finally completed 2 encoder boards:
1)  The old board on which i soldered the modified Bourns PEC11LL-4225F-S0015 encoders
2)  The used board i got from ebay that has the old sock ALPS encoders, modifed with an extra pcb i assembled with capacitors, in order to improve the precision of the encoders. 

TEST RESULTS :  Both boards work FLAWLESSLY ! The only difference is that the Bourns encoders protrude 3mm from the A3K faceplate.

Please read the follow-up stories here (capacitor hack) and here (final conclusions) . 

==========================================================================

==========================================================================

NEXT STEP :

=================

>>>>  Also, I made a board  (next photos) , according to https://seaweedfactory.blogspot.com/p/yamaha-a4000-encoder-fix-and-compact.html   instructions (capacitors hack), but this will be the next step, after I test the BOURNS encoders by themselves.

 

And the complete kit with cabling :