[Elecraft] QST Review: Minor Quibble

[Erik N Basilier]

One more comment: While I find the K3's main tuning knob to be very good, I 
do find fault with the VFO B knob. It really needs to be rubberized.

73,
Erik K7TV

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erik N Basilier" <ebasilier at cox.net>
To: "Rob May" <roblitespeed at hotmail.com>; <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 6:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] QST Review: Minor Quibble


> For each radio with a dimpled tuning knob I have had, I always end up not 
> using the dimple. Instead I tune by rolling the tip of the index finger 
> aroud the outermost part of the cylindrical knob surface. This just seems 
> much better for generating the slight torque required to overcome either 
> friction of the mechanism or inertia of the knob. It also feels much more 
> positive in making that last fine adjustment due to the larger effective 
> diameter and thus larger finger movement. (That said, I often put 
> additional fingers on the knob for the final adjustment, but still only 
> touching the outermost 1/8" to 1/4".) This is not a tuning method that I 
> have come up with to suit the K3; it is what I do for almost all radios, 
> including the tiny FT-817, where fingers really risk hitting unintended 
> controls.
>
> For this method to work well, there should not be too much friction (as 
> from the felt washer) - but the larger effective diameter overcomes 
> friction better than the dimple does. It is important that the cylindrical 
> part of the knob be rubberized almost all the way out to the flat surface, 
> or else have multiple finger indentations like the old S-line. Finally, 
> the knob diameter should be neither too small nor too big. Bottom line: 
> the K3 knob is near perfect (with any reasonable friction setting).
>