What Is a Rotary Encoder?

Rotary Encoder is a Rare recyclable item.

It has:

• Stack size: 3

• Weight: 1.5

• Sell value: 3,000 Coins

You’ll mainly find it while scavenging in Stella Montis, especially around technical areas, control rooms, and industrial buildings. It’s part of the general electronics loot pool.

On its own, it doesn’t do anything. Its value comes from recycling or using it for a specific quest.

What Do You Get From Recycling It?

This is the practical part.

If you recycle a Rotary Encoder, you get:

• 2× Electrical Components

• 2× Processor

If you salvage it instead, you only get:

• 2× Processor

In most cases, recycling is the better option because you get more total materials.

Processors are usually the bottleneck in a lot of mid-tier crafting. Electrical Components are also useful but easier to find. So Rotary Encoder is basically a compact way to convert one slot into four crafting pieces.

That’s the real value.

Is Rotary Encoder Needed for Any Quests?

Yes.

You need 1× Rotary Encoder for the quest “With A View.”

If you’re on that quest, the answer is simple: keep one.

If you haven’t reached it yet but are progressing through early-to-mid questlines, I usually recommend keeping at least one in your stash. It saves you from having to farm it later.

Once that quest is done, it becomes purely a crafting material.

Is It Worth Selling for 3,000 Coins?

Short answer: usually no.

3,000 Coins sounds decent early on, but by the time you consistently find Rare electronics, you’ll have better ways to make money.

Processors are more valuable long term than 3,000 Coins, especially if:

• You’re upgrading gear regularly

• You’re crafting weapons or higher-tier modules

• You’re preparing for blueprint builds

The only time I sell Rotary Encoders is when:

• My stash is full

• I already have plenty of Processors

• I urgently need Coins for something specific

Otherwise, recycling is the smarter move.

How Hard Is It to Find?

It’s not extremely rare, but it’s not common either.

You’ll mostly see it in:

• Industrial buildings

• Tech-heavy interiors

• Certain loot containers in Stella Montis

If you run electronics-heavy routes, you’ll see it occasionally. But you shouldn’t rely on it being easy to farm on demand.

That’s why I don’t recommend ignoring it when you find one, especially if you’re still progressing.

When Should You Keep It?

Here’s how I decide.

Keep it if:

• You still need one for “With A View”

• You’re short on Processors

• You’re crafting mid- to high-tier gear

• You’re stockpiling materials for blueprint crafting

For example, when I was preparing to buy arc raiders Wolfpack blueprint and start crafting that line of gear consistently, Processors became much more important than raw Coins. Items like Rotary Encoder helped smooth that out without needing to farm Processors directly.

If you’re moving toward more advanced builds, electronic materials always become more relevant.

When Is It Safe to Recycle Immediately?

Recycle it right away if:

• The quest is already done

• You’re low on Electrical Components

• You’re actively crafting

There’s no hidden mechanic or future surprise tied to it. It’s straightforward: turn it into materials.

In practice, most experienced players don’t keep Rotary Encoders long-term. We convert them as soon as we extract, unless saving one for a quest.

Does Weight Matter in Raid?

Yes, but not in a major way.

Weight 1.5 isn’t heavy, but it’s not light either. If you’re already overloaded, it might be one of the first Rare items you consider dropping if you find something more valuable.

Here’s how I prioritize during a run:

1. High-value mission items

2. High-tier weapon parts

3. Rare crafting items I specifically need

4. General recyclable electronics like Rotary Encoder

So if I’m full and I find something better, Rotary Encoder is replaceable.

Is It Better Than Other Rare Electronics?

It’s solid, but not special.

The real reason it’s useful is the double output when recycled. Getting both Electrical Components and Processors in one item is efficient.

But it’s not a must-have loot target.

If you’re planning routes, I wouldn’t farm specifically for Rotary Encoder. I would farm for:

• Electronics spawns

• Processor-heavy areas

• General high-value tech loot

Rotary Encoder just happens naturally along the way.

What Do Most Players Actually Do With It?

From what I’ve seen:

• Early game players: sell it for Coins

• Mid game players: keep one for quest, recycle the rest

• Late game players: recycle immediately

Once your economy stabilizes, crafting materials always matter more than small Coin gains.

The only exception is if you’re doing pure money runs and avoiding crafting altogether, which is uncommon long term.

Should You Farm Rotary Encoder?

No.

Farm electronics areas instead.

If you need Processors specifically, target areas with:

• Server racks

• Industrial panels

• Control rooms

• Technical supply crates

Rotary Encoder will appear naturally in that rotation. Treat it as a bonus, not a goal.

Do You Need Rotary Encoder?

Here’s the simple breakdown:

• Yes, you need one for the quest “With A View.”

• Yes, it’s useful for crafting because it gives Processors.

• No, it’s not something you should farm directly.

• No, it’s usually not worth selling unless you’re desperate for Coins.

In practice, Rotary Encoder is a steady mid-tier crafting item. It’s not exciting, but it’s reliable.

Torrente II | All Platform