Very small, very long life, 10 turn trimmer pot?

I'm looking for a very low-profile trimmer pot (since it has limits)
that will be used for a knob that will be used a lot.

An encoder would've been nice but they keep turning and they're also
hard to find in this size:

It needs to be 6mm or less body width, height not including shaft a
half inch or less, shaft diameter close to 1/8" or less.
resistance figures doesn't matter. just long life. all i can find is
200 cycle rotational life and that is ridiculously low.

Unless there's an encoder out there with limits on it in that size.

 

An encoder would have a virtual infinite lifetime The sensor for the
encoder would be fully serviceable. Much more precise capability.

 

yes. i realized that trimpots are not the right thing to ask for but i
guess i asked simply because they can be very small. i thought to give
them a whirl since i gave up on encoders...i have found an encoder
from bourns, the 3375, but it is obsolete.
http://www.bourns.com/pdfs/3375_obsolete.pdf


which would work for what i'm looking for. is there any other models
out there just like this in terms of dimensions??
tocos makes a 7mm one, that is too large.

i'm not looking to use some part dealer service where they require you
to have a few hundred dollar minimum order. something that is readily
bought.

 

There's an outside-the-box possibility in trim capacitors.
Little glass tube trimcaps (just solder a shaft onto the plunger)
are available about the right size. There's just the small
problem of detecting the few-picofarads value change.

Old auto radios used a sliding slug in a coil for some
variable inductors; one can tune with a brass screw
poking into the bore of a small solenoid inductor.

In either case, you'll have to look for small phase shifts,
or measure an oscillator frequency.

 

Is this obsolete just because of RoHS?
If so, there may be a lead-free replacement (with a different part#).

Also, this datasheet shows a continuous mechanical angle. Is that
what you want?
There are also digital pots out there (Maxim?). But they're expensive.

 

Trimpots and pots in general are becoming obsolete.

Maybe you should try a 21st century solution?

http://datasheets.maxim-ic.com/en/ds/MAX5160-MAX5161.pdf

http://www.edn.com/contents/images/6541378.pdf

http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800476279_499501_NP_540c4669.HTM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digipot

JAM