CHEAP or EASY String Pots (source, or fabbed)

[kmcclary]

Now that we're all back, I'm reviving this thread from last December. We are still looking for a way to get our hands on (or make) some cheap string pots!

Originally Posted by JesseK

Last year our team brought up using an extending lanyard ($3) with a multi-turn pot ($3) for this purpose on our elevator. We tried it with a lanyard and with a $2 tape measure.

Interesting.

The spring system doesn't seem to be the biggest problem here. IF the pot has low enough friction, it looks as if keychain retrievers or autoclosing tape measures should be sufficient to keep it under tension.

The big problem seems to be fabbing a lanyard and drum rig that prevents string overlap. If an overlap occurs, you've completely lost data integrity and linearity.

How did you handle the overlap problem with your rig?

I've looked at creating a reel guide geared to the drum, but that's no longer a hardware store solution. (We're back to machining parts.)

I'd much rather find a Hardware Store Solution, if at all possible.

Any other suggestions, on how to make a String Pot with hardware store items, that will drive a standard 1/4" shaft multi-turn potentiometer? (OR, does anyone have a COTS source for CHEAP [say ~$20] 25" long string pots???)

- Keith