[Elecraft] Knobs

[Charles Johnson]

Dan,
I just finished assembling my new K3 #3281 and had the same issue with 
the concentric knobs. They wobbled badly enough that they could not be 
nested together and didn't feel right to me. I solved the problem by 
making a bushing for the knobs by wrapping a single layer of thin 
packing tape, the cheap kind that Office Depot sells, around the shafts. 
More than one layer was too much thickness. Now the knobs turn without 
wobbling and are nested together as they should be. I wrote Wayne about 
this, and he passed it on to one of his engineers, but have not heard 
back from him. I said it would be nice if the knobs had metal inserts. 
Otherwise, I am very pleased with the fit and finish of the K3. I did 
not have any issues with the smaller knobs. In fact, they were a tight fit.
73, Charlie, K4ZRJ (a ham since 1958).....


Dan wrote:
> I've been reading the posts about knobs for several months, and I was trying to resist the temptation to voice my objection to the knobs on my K3 (#3020).  After all, I decided on the K3 because of it's advertised and acclaimed performance, not the cosmetics or knobs.
>
> The situation though, reminds me of the line in the original Mash movie (adapted for K3 owners):  "Just because we're K3 owners, doesn't mean we're barbarians".  Translated: we should be able to own one of the best radios ever made AND have knobs that both look good and work properly.  No, I wouldn't spend $200, but I would spend enough to make a substantial improvement.  Actually, some of the alternatives can also be very expensive.  For example, I've considered buying a Pro III just to impress visitors to the shack (beautiful display and nice knobs).  Of course when they would leave, I would turn off the Pro III, and turn on the K3.
>
> Prior to reading any of the complaints, when I was assembling the K3 and came upon the "nested knobs", I couldn't believe that they didn't have brass inserts.  I thought, "they sure must have come a long way in injection molded plastics to be able to make nested knobs with the necessary dimension controls to assure proper operation".  I was also surprised to see that the shift-width-speed-cmp knobs were a push-on design, and they looked like they were too short for the length of the shafts. 
>
>  I tried to keep an open mind, figuring that these guys must know what they are doing--they've produced a radio that some very experienced hams are raving about.
>
> Well, after assembly was complete.....
>
> 1) The nested knobs would not operate unless they were "un-nested", due to concentricity problems.  Brass inserts would solve the problem, because the brass is drilled after assembly of the knob, assuring concentricity.
>
> 2) The shift-width-speed-cmp knobs still don't look right to me.  Also, I had a problem with them falling off.  Elecraft rushed me a new set of knobs, but the problem continued.  I finally but a small dab of contact cement on each knob, to keep them from falling off.  I would prefer a knob with a brass insert and a set screw, as opposed to using glue.
>
> Group Dynamics at the Radio Factories?
> If an engineer at one of the major brand radio companies submitted a design with theses knobs, he would be beaten into submission at one of the many stages of design review.  While a smaller company like Elecraft can be very agile, and can respond quickly to customer needs there can also be a disadvantage when a key man is invested in a marginal design concept.  Junior engineers don't make eye contact, or stare off in a different direction, maybe whistling.  You may hear comments like, "If you know what's good for you, don't say anything to the old man about those knobs."--just kidding, Wayne.
>
> The Missing Link?
> In a few hundred years when archeologists are examining the remains of old radios, one of the pressing questions will be:
> Were software defined radios developed because we lost the ability to make knobs, or did we loose the ability to make knobs because of software defined radios?  We wouldn't want the K3 to be known as the missing link, would we?
>
> Respectfully submitted,
> Dan - W4TQ (ham for 50 years!)
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