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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
I have an audiophile chum who has invested many thousands of dollars (US) into a stereo system which is located like a shrine in his home. If one is foolish enough to ask even the simplest question about it, thereby showing the tiniest bit of interest, he is likely to run on at length about topics which induce an hypnotic state in mere (non-audiophile) mortals. One of his favourite dissertations is about tubes (valves) versus solid-state thingies. He will carry on about softness and gentility and other non-scientific considerations, which justify the expenditure of wheelbarrows full of money on sets which contain tubes (valves). My recommendation: don't ask. That was wonderfully written, my friend. 
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
Thank you, Jackie, for a kind and encouraging comment. These have been in short supply on this board of late, which detracts from the friendly and positive tone which is the ideal.
The Old Padre
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 389
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 389 |
Me too. You too Jackie and many others, indeed all of you here, at most times (although there are lots of discussions that are well over my head), who have helped me laugh, learn and think better.
Bees (honey) and Owls (wisdom) for all.
Smart can be good,
Kind wisdom always is.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
"short for potentiometer"
I was just getting ready to type this very sentence.
Happily I can say it was not in my vocabulary till a long time after 1965.
k
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
"There are many instances where only a portion of an output voltage from a signal source is needed. If we allowed the full output voltage from a home CD player to be driven into the input of an amplifier, the amplifier would play at or near full power at all times. This would become quite annoying in a very short period of time. To reduce the overall volume, we need to allow only a fraction of the full signal through to the amplifier. To control the level of the signal, we use a potentiometer. A potentiometer (also know as a 'pot') is a modified resistor. Potentiometers can be used to allow a change in the resistance in a circuit or as a variable voltage divider (in the case of a volume control). If you have a rotary volume control on your TV or radio, it is (more than likely) a potentiometer being used as a variable voltage divider.* A potentiometer generally has 3 terminals. 2 of the terminals are connected to the opposite ends of a resistive element. The 3rd terminal (usually, is physically in-between the other 2 terminals) is called the wiper. The wiper is a contact (actually, generally many very small contacts) that slides along the resistive element. " http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/potentio.htm
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