[Elecraft] Split knob question

[WILLIS COOKE]

Gary, you saw something that I did not see.  Whatever the defect in the knob Elecraft will promptly send you a new knob or any other part that may be defective.  Certainly, no one should try to use a knob that takes appreciable force to tighten the set screw enough to see it in the hole.  Just don't screw it in so far that it hits the other side and then apply force.  That will break it for sure.

I have probably had as many broken knobs as anyone.  I have never been disappointed in Elecraft's response when I asked for help!
 Willis 'Cookie' Cooke 
K5EWJ 




________________________________
From: Gary Hvizdak <garyhvizdak at cfl.rr.com>
To: wrcooke at yahoo.com
Sent: Sun, May 9, 2010 8:11:43 PM
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Split knob question


Hi Willis,
 
    When #2724 arrived a year ago one of the set screws in one of the smaller knobs was so tight that it would only turn a small fraction of a turn when applying all of the force I could muster.  I spent about 15 minutes running the set screw in and out with the hope of improving the threads.  However, the knob still fractured probably because I had no way of knowing when the set screw was tight.
 
73,
Gary  KI4GGX
 

________________________________

 
WILLIS COOKE wrcooke at yahoo.com 
Sun May 9 18:34:41 EDT 2010 
 
I have the tools and I have checked.  The threads are not the problem.  I have epoxied knobs back together and they work fine, but glueing them together for the check will tell you nothing because they always break at the tapped hole.  I am hopeful that the new knobs have cured the problem, but it will take a year or more to tell.  The way to check a new knob is to run the screw in and out in the hole.  Run it in until it is visible in the hole, but not so far as to hit the opposite side.  If you run into significant resistance without the screw protruding into the hole you may have a problem.  I did not when I made the test, but I have lost three sets of knobs due to breakage.
 Willis 'Cookie' Cooke 
K5EWJ