What is the Rotary Encoder?
The Rotary Encoder is a Rare, recyclable material. Its in-game description is simple: it can be recycled into crafting materials.
Basic facts that matter in practice:
Rarity: Rare
Stack size: 3
Weight: 1.5
Sell price: 3,000 Coins
Found in: Exodus (commonly through scavenging, especially around Stella Montis)
It was added in Update 1.2.0, so it’s not legacy junk from early builds. It’s part of the current crafting loop.
The key question isn’t what it is. The key question is what you should do with it when you extract.
Where do you find Rotary Encoders?
In normal play, you’ll find Rotary Encoders through scavenging in Exodus, with Stella Montis being a common location.
In practice, they show up in:
Industrial interiors
Technical storage rooms
Electronic loot spots
Containers that usually hold mid-tier components
They’re not extremely rare, but they’re not common either. You won’t see one every raid. Most players run into them occasionally while looting electronics-heavy routes.
If you're actively farming electrical components or processors, you’ll naturally run into Rotary Encoders as part of that route.
What do you get from recycling a Rotary Encoder?
This is where it gets important.
When you recycle a Rotary Encoder, you get:
2× Electrical Components
2× Processor
When you salvage it, you get:
2× Processor
Most experienced players recycle instead of salvage. Recycling gives you more total value in crafting terms.
Electrical Components and Processors are both commonly needed in mid-to-late crafting recipes. That’s why Rotary Encoders are more useful than their 3,000 Coin sell value suggests.
Should you sell or recycle the Rotary Encoder?
This depends on your progression stage.
Early Game
If you’re short on Coins and not crafting much yet, selling for 3,000 can make sense. That money can fund gear, ammo, or insurance.
However, keep in mind:
3,000 Coins isn’t a huge amount long-term.
Processors are often more valuable than they look.
If you’re running budget kits and rebuilding your stash, selling one or two won’t hurt. Just don’t sell all of them automatically.
Mid Game
At this stage, most players are crafting regularly.
Recycling becomes more valuable than selling because:
Processors are used often.
Electrical Components are needed in multiple blueprints.
Crafting bottlenecks usually come from missing electronics, not Coins.
In this phase, I recycle almost every Rotary Encoder I bring out.
Late Game
Once you’re sitting on strong blueprints and stable income, the Rotary Encoder becomes part of your component pipeline.
You won’t even think about selling it.
It turns into:
Rotary Encoder → Processors + Electrical Components → higher-tier gear.
At that point, it’s just structured value.
Is Rotary Encoder needed for any quests?
Yes. You need 1× Rotary Encoder for the quest “With A View.”
This is important.
A common mistake newer players make is selling or recycling every encoder they find, then getting blocked on the quest later.
If you haven’t completed “With A View,” keep at least one in your stash.
After that, you’re free to recycle them without worrying about progression locks.
How does Rotary Encoder fit into the crafting economy?
This is where experienced players think differently.
ARC Raiders crafting often bottlenecks around electronic materials. Processors in particular are used across multiple weapon and utility blueprints.
Because a Rotary Encoder gives you 2 Processors, it’s effectively a compact processor bundle.
Instead of thinking:
“Is this worth 3,000 Coins?”
Think:
“Do I need Processors soon?”
If you’re crafting electronics-heavy gear, the answer is usually yes.
When I’m preparing to buy arc raiders Anvil blueprint and plan for heavier builds, I stockpile electronic materials first. Rotary Encoders help smooth that transition because they convert directly into core components you’ll burn through quickly.
Coins are easier to farm than electronic components once you know your routes. That’s why most veteran players prioritize recycling.
How should you handle Rotary Encoders during a raid?
Here’s how I approach it.
1. Consider Weight
At 1.5 weight, it’s not too heavy, but it’s not light either.
If I’m early in a raid and I have space, I take it.
If I’m overloaded and choosing between:
A high-value weapon attachment
A Rotary Encoder
I’ll usually keep the encoder unless I’m desperate for Coins.
2. Consider Stack Size
It stacks up to 3. That makes it efficient in stash management.
Three encoders equal:
6 Processors
6 Electrical Components
That’s a strong crafting return for relatively low stash space.
3. Consider Risk Level
If I’m deep in a hot zone and already carrying high-tier loot, I won’t risk a fight just to secure a Rotary Encoder.
It’s valuable, but not “die-for-it” valuable.
Treat it as solid mid-tier loot.
Is salvaging ever better than recycling?
Almost never.
Salvaging gives only 2 Processors.
Recycling gives:
2 Processors
2 Electrical Components
Unless you specifically need only Processors and want to skip the extra material (which is rare), recycling is simply better value.
There’s no real strategic reason to salvage it instead of recycling.
How rare is it compared to other electronics?
In practical terms:
More rare than basic Electrical Components
Less rare than high-end legendary materials
Roughly mid-tier among Rare items
You’ll accumulate them slowly over time rather than farming them in bulk.
If you’re actively targeting electronics routes, you might bring out one every few raids.
When should you actively farm Rotary Encoders?
You usually don’t farm them directly.
Instead, you farm:
Electronics loot routes
Industrial interiors
Tech storage areas
Rotary Encoders are part of that pool.
If your goal is Processors, farming electronics in general is more efficient than targeting this item specifically.
Common mistakes players make with Rotary Encoders
Here are the most common ones I’ve seen:
Selling all of them early for quick Coins.
Forgetting to keep one for the “With A View” quest.
Salvaging instead of recycling.
Ignoring electronics routes and later hitting crafting bottlenecks.
All of these are easy to avoid once you understand how the material economy works.
how should you treat the Rotary Encoder?
Think of it as:
A compact electronics bundle.
It’s not flashy. It’s not a build-defining item on its own. But it supports almost everything you craft later.
If you’re short on Coins, selling one is fine.
If you’re crafting regularly, recycle it.
If you haven’t finished “With A View,” keep one in storage.
That’s really it.
Like many items in ARC Raiders, the Rotary Encoder isn’t about its direct value. It’s about how it fits into your long-term crafting flow. Once you see it that way, you’ll stop treating it like random loot and start using it efficiently.
