[Elecraft] K3 Front panel rattling washer

[Stan Rife]

I also have the rattling washer on the headphone jack. I have been
 working with tech support taking measurements and checking different
 things. No joy so far. Everything checks out as far as the assembly goes. I
 just seem to have about .050" more clearance between the shoulder of the
 headphone jack and the FP sheet metal than is normal, and the washer
 rattles. I think that .050" causes the FP/DSP assembly to be a little
 more difficult to get the bottom screws in when installing it on the
 radio than if everything were fitted properly on the FP assembly. I have to
 press pretty firmly on the bottom of the FP assembly to get the bottom
 screws started in the 2D fasteners. 
   
  I think one possible fix would be to use .050" shorter standoffs
 between the DSP board and the FP board. That would cause the shoulder of
 the headphone jack to be close enough to the FP sheet metal to keep the
 washer from rattling, and would also allow the connectors on the FP
 assembly to not seat quite as far down on to the mating pins of the
 connectors on the RF board, therefore allowing the screws for the front panel
 mounting to line up easier. 
   
  I belive that, at least in my case, the mating connectors for the FP
 and RF board are bottoming out and not allowing the sheet metal to move
 far enough back to line up properly, thereby causing me to have to
 apply more pressue to get the screw holes lined up.
   
  One caution here, is that when the clearance between the DSP and the
 FP boards is reduced by .050", it MAY cause contact between the front
 of the DSP board and the back of the FP board. The clearance looks
 pretty minimal in some places as it is. 
   
   I may try this as a LAST resort, but I am going to continue to work
 with K3 support to try and find the real cause of this. I may send my
 front panel back and let Gary look at it so he can figure this thing
 out. 

Stan
  W5EWA
Houston, TX