Using a pot in place of a trimmer

[mattc]

Total noob question here...

How do I use a pot in place of a trimmer?   I tried to use a 100k pot for the volume on my Weener boost, but I couldn't get it working.  Using a trimmer, the whole thing fired up and worked great.

[jimilee]

Should be pretty straight forward. They work the same way. Usually are 1 3               
                                                                                                        2
or 123 depending on the trimmer.

[Scruffie]

Yup... a trimmer is a pot in a smaller package, only thing is you don't get tapered trimmers usually so there is no A, B or C pots, they're all linear... other than perhaps special instances.

[mattc]

Ok.... that makes sense, each lug goes to each solder point on the board.   I guess my confusion comes from the diagram from the Weener Wah build doc, where lugs two and three are tied together.  What is the purpose of that?

Thanks again.

[rullywowr]

Depending on the circuit it may call for two of the lugs to be tied together.  Same applies for trimmers just tie together if it calls for it.

[mattc]

Ok.  Thanks!

[rullywowr]

Glad to help.  Just for extra credit and understanding...if you look at the traces on the PCB in the image you posted, lugs 1 + 2 are tied together with a PCB trace (in red color).  If you use an external pot in this scenario, you can tie 1 + 2 together on the pot which will allow you not to have to run 3 wires to the PCB.

[mattc]

Thanks, now it makes perfect sense.