The Boater's, IMO, are the best 'knock-off' for trimmer pots. One piece of Boater 3296 is like $0.15 to $0.25 CAD each whereas the Bourns are around $3.00 ea CAD.
Over several years I have come to trust the Boater's as a viable option.
You know when you get an amp or preamp project that takes forever trimming due to changes and repairs and modifications. You just keep on trimming that trimmer pot wondering when you'll kill it. I have had projects like that times over and I never took issue with these imitation trimmer pots.
It does get under my skin the fabricator clones the Bourns product. Why not just mold a slightly different body shape and color? Why copy that signature blue and text arrangement?
Greed...
Bourns on the left in all pics.
Over several years I have come to trust the Boater's as a viable option.
You know when you get an amp or preamp project that takes forever trimming due to changes and repairs and modifications. You just keep on trimming that trimmer pot wondering when you'll kill it. I have had projects like that times over and I never took issue with these imitation trimmer pots.
It does get under my skin the fabricator clones the Bourns product. Why not just mold a slightly different body shape and color? Why copy that signature blue and text arrangement?
Greed...
Bourns on the left in all pics.
Attachments
Bourns doesn't mind bankruptcy ifa rival builds a 15 times cheaper trimpot. This Explains Everything. The world has gone mad...
I'd rather pay $3 for a quality product that will stand the test of time. But that's me.
BTW: A genuine Bourns 3296W is only $1.48-$2.50/each (CAD) from Mouser. If you're paying $3, you might just need to shop elsewhere.
Tom
BTW: A genuine Bourns 3296W is only $1.48-$2.50/each (CAD) from Mouser. If you're paying $3, you might just need to shop elsewhere.
Tom
No, no. Bourns - that's my choice, too. Benchmark of quality. I meant something else. $0.15 to $0.25 - dumping, price discrimination? No... it will be all-out disaster. Why would Bourns let this happen? Nobody asked him. $0,15 - $0,25...WOW! Someone is up to something. Someone... Mark my words - nothing good will come of this!
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Depends where you live or get them.
Distributors add sometimes obsene margins.
I buy them local : https://www.es.co.th/af.asp?keyword=bourns&catc=020005002&mfrc=
Less than a USD for 3296W.
Distributors add sometimes obsene margins.
I buy them local : https://www.es.co.th/af.asp?keyword=bourns&catc=020005002&mfrc=
Less than a USD for 3296W.
This is clear and understandble, but... that's not the problem. I think something else is going on. Anyway, Ihope I'm wrong, but I just feel it. I live in Bulgaria, in the beloved EUROPEAN UNION - the miracle of all UNIONS and miracles... I mainly shop for my components at Mouser and DigiKey, USA. Excellent service - thank you USA, thank you!
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Most of my components are from Arrow or Digikey. I also buy from Parts Connexion and Solen among other Canadian operations. Best Hammond pricing in Canada is Glen at A1 Electronics. Sometimes QKits or Sayal, there are a few others...
Does the Boater branded pot have the same shade of blue (or very close) color of its casing, and does it use the same stylized "B" used in the Bourns logo? The color, when used on a trimmer pot, and the stylized "B" are trademarked.
I read somewhere that Bourns had trademarked their specific color of blue. The Boater brand and others do not seem fazed by this. IDK...
I am a Bourns retiree and can say that the shade of blue on the bodies of their Trimpot(TM) trimmers Is trademarked only when used on resistive products. If one wants to make a non electronic product using that color, then there is no problem. If one tries to sell a knockoff trim pot using that color, then there may be a legal problem with doing that.
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Suppose you work at a canadian factory producing connectors. Fine quality long lasting parts. You have pride in your work, you also earn a good income.
Would you buy knockoffs of that products?
BTW since the Mousers, Farnells, Digikeys and other fine US companies started taking over the part market the only thing that they brought is a good assortment with an excellent webshop. Prices went up after they started to dominate. Today they are simply bloody expensive and there is no way out as small local distributors went out of business. This probably explains why a 1 € Bourns Trimpot costs too much when bought there.
Would you buy knockoffs of that products?
BTW since the Mousers, Farnells, Digikeys and other fine US companies started taking over the part market the only thing that they brought is a good assortment with an excellent webshop. Prices went up after they started to dominate. Today they are simply bloody expensive and there is no way out as small local distributors went out of business. This probably explains why a 1 € Bourns Trimpot costs too much when bought there.
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Move over Baoter... Bochen and Bonens is gunning for that market-share. 😉 10:1 says they're rolling off the same line.
I buy bournes with any project parts orders but dropped 5-6 bucks for a few values of Baoter/Bonens when I needed to hit a free shipping minimum. Resistance wise, the few I've tested were smooth and stable across the range. I'm wary and will try them on channels at the bench eventually but anything cased up will get bournes for peace of mind if nothing else.
ZM and M Johnson nodded approval but I have no idea if that was from experience or other
I buy bournes with any project parts orders but dropped 5-6 bucks for a few values of Baoter/Bonens when I needed to hit a free shipping minimum. Resistance wise, the few I've tested were smooth and stable across the range. I'm wary and will try them on channels at the bench eventually but anything cased up will get bournes for peace of mind if nothing else.
ZM and M Johnson nodded approval but I have no idea if that was from experience or other
ISO9000 can be both a blessing and a curse - ask anyone who works in a place where they only seem to care about appeasing the auditors. If anything unexpected happens everything grinds to a halt. The “not my job”, and the “we have to follow the process” crap starts up and everyone just sits around pointing fingers rather than DO anything.
Even better get dinged for an audit finding for not having a released template for an A3. Corrective actions applied, and now they’ve made the concept useless, bloated, and wasteful.
Even better get dinged for an audit finding for not having a released template for an A3. Corrective actions applied, and now they’ve made the concept useless, bloated, and wasteful.
When Krohn-Hite starts using Baoter or Boater in their equipment, I might be inclined to switch.
True, it can be a PIA, but it can do a lot to assure quality. I worked during one of these audits, and some of the infractions seemed silly to me.