Source of Grayhill 63R Encoders

FIRST General Forum
1

Hi,
We’re in the process of completing our practice robot – we used the WCP Flipped DS gearboxes during the season, but didn’t order enough for 2 robots, and they’re sold out now. We’re planning to use the VexPro Ball Shifters on the practice robot, which are designed to take Grayhill 63R encoders, and we dont have any.

Does anybody know where we can find those encoders (we need to get them relatively quickly; the quickest ship date we’ve been able to find is March 15, which is too late for us)?

Do any teams have extra 63R encoders that we’d be able to purchase?

2

The only one I could find was here:
-3 of them: http://www.futureelectronics.com/en/technologies/electromechanical/switches/encoder-switches/Pages/1613116-63R256.aspx?IM=0

3

DigiKey has them, no idea how fast they ship though

4

Digikey is showing 0 stock. We bought them earlier in the season from Digikey when they had stock. Interesting that everybody seems to be out of them.

5

Something in my gut tells me this is not entirely unrelated to the sudden FRC-induced spike in demand around this time of year.

6

You could consider a slightly different Grayhill encoder.

We use the Grayhill 61k encoders with our VexPro Ball Shifters. We have used these encoders for many years with good results. It is a 4pin encoder vs the 63r series with 5 pins.

7

We have been fighting this battle as well. Our lead controls mentor did a LOT of searching and just about everybody in the US is out of stock and they are listed as 8 week lead time.

He found one vendor who said they had stock and let him make the purchase…and then they actually didn’t have them. We’ve found one more who says they have shipped. I’ll pass along that information later this afternoon as soon as I have it.

EDIT: The source is Avnet https://products.avnet.com
They are showing 6 in stock, so good luck!!

8

For future reference, octopart is pretty good for finding suppliers for electrical components. Unfortunately in this case, doesn’t look like there are many out there right now…

https://octopart.com/63r256-grayhill-1466726