Microwave rotary encoder fix

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30 Dec 2018
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Since we bought the combi microwave around ten years ago, the rotary up/down knob to set the run time and select the mode has been unreliable. I should have taken it back, but didn't because it was their last one. Sometimes it counted down when you turned it up and sometimes up when you turned down - though not often.

It recently got worse, so this morning I set about it, expecting a dry joint. No dry joints, it was the encoder. I was expecting it to be an electronic encoder, but instead it proved to be a mechanical switch encoder. Searching on Youtube, I found a couple of fixes for what looked like the identical encoder from the outside, which used sprung finger contacts to do the switching, cleaning it up with contact spray, so I opened my switch up to do the same.

My encoder was totally different internally - no fingers, no obvious switches. The rotor part just had what appeared to be around 100 segments, making contact it appeared with a metal disk in the base of the unit.

I couldn't the switch cleaner so I used brake cleaner and reassembled quickly, to restore the kitchen back to operation. What ever sort of switch it uses, it now works fine.
 
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Perhaps it uses a capacitor counter like found in a digital caliper?

 
Perhaps it uses a capacitor counter like found in a digital caliper?


Oh yes - I had forgotten about that method. I must say I did wonder how those calipers work. Big Clive will know :)

[EDIT] Just noticed your link the Clive..
 

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