[Elecraft] Re: K3 buttons

[Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft]

These buttons are extremely rugged and reliable. They are back printed 
and coated with a rugged finish The legends should will not rub off.  
They do not collect significant amounts of dust and do not become sticky 
when wet. The electrical connections are more reliable than those on the 
K2's buttons. They provide a very pleasant tactile feedback when 
pressed. Overall they are an improvement in both presentation and 
reliability.

73, Eric  WA6HHQ
---

Laurent Ferracci wrote:
> Ken Kaplan a écrit :
>
>> Under normal use (like we hams do), they will last quite a long time.
> Well, my concern is not with the markings but with the buttons 
> themself:  These buttons will collect dust and moist over the year and 
> become sticky, erratic or unusable. Having to unmount the front panel 
> to apply some contact spray once a year may be a solution, but having 
> to apply a 1 ton pressure in the upper right corner of a tiny button 
> in hope that it will work is not fun at all. And it gives the unit as 
> a whole that cheap "made-in-###" touch i'd have do without.
>
> BTW my Thinkpad laptop is 2 years old and some keys ARE already erased.
>
> Is there a technical explanation of why Elecraft chose this kind of 
> buttons, or is it just for budget ?
>