[Elecraft] FW: HEAVY KNOBS??

Wed May 30 12:24:51 EDT 2012

What I get out of a weighted knob is related to a car accelerator or
throttle body that sticks with first pressure on the accelerator -- you
always get a jerky start.  The knob weight makes the "smooth" part possible
-- with enough inertia in the knob, it is possible to tune slowly with the
results of a "light touch" even though my fingers no longer reliably impart
a light touch.  This is getting more obvious as I get older.

73, Guy.

On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 11:54 AM, W4ATK <w4atk at bellsouth.net> wrote:

> Phillip and others,
>
>        The original K3 knob is adequate in my opinion. As a matter of fact
> I have an extra. I acquired a K2 where someone had put a K3 knob on it
> (Which I did replace with the newer K2 weighted knob from Elecraft). I am
> sitting here with the spare K3 knob  in my hands and cannot for the life of
> me see any advantage to an even heavier knob. Proper adjustment against the
> felt washer works for me….But to each his own…..
>
> 73s Jim, W4ATK
> On May 30, 2012, at 8:44 AM, Phil LaMarche wrote:
>
> > I questioned the problems possible caused by heavy knobs. N8BX's
> > response....
> >
> > Philip LaMarche
> >
> >
> >
> > K3 # 1605
> > KPA500 # 029
> > P3 #1480
> >
> > W9DVM
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Fred Freeman [mailto:n8bx at redbird.net]
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 8:41 PM
> > To: Phil LaMarche
> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] HEAVY KNOBS??
> >
> >
> > Hi Phil, with regard to premature wear caused to the K3 encoders by
> weighted
> > knobs, I do not feel there is anything to be concerned about.  Elecraft
> uses
> > the best encoders I have experienced in over 20 years in ham radio.  They
> > are on par with encoders I have seen in industrial applications where
> they
> > receive much more use and abuse than anything likely to be seen in an
> > amateur radio application.  I have had a weighted knob on my K3 for 3
> years
> > and it gets used frequently.  It is also my demo radio at shows and it
> gets
> > a lot of use there.  To date, I can not tell it from a brand new radio.
>  The
> > reason it stays nice is partly due to the quality of the encoder and
> partly
> > because of the nature in which bearing material works.  Obviously a ball
> > bearing is preferred but it is an expensive luxury for hams.  We a lucky
> to
> > have a USA manufacture (Elecraft) that chooses to use premium components.
> > Many Japanese made radios now use a quality made encoder with a full
> metal
> > shell and a bronze bushing for the bearing.  Icom uses the same exact
> > encoders the Icom 746 thru the 7800 radios, and Yaesu does the same on
> the
> > FT-950 thru FTdx9000, etc.  There were radios made in the 80's and 90's
> that
> > had plastic encoder housings and less robust bearing materials, yet these
> > encoders continue to hold up over time.  Once in a while you will find an
> > old Icom 735, Kenwood 440, or a Yaesu 757GX with a worn, loose and sloppy
> > feeling encoder.  Often these radios have equal wear on the face, buttons
> > and the rest of the enclosure.  They literally got the heck ran out of
> them
> > for 20 years and all without any maintenance (lubrication, etc).  There
> are
> > a great many radios on the used market from the 80's-90's that have nice
> > smooth and wear free encoders and the best feeling are often from radios
> > with heavier knobs (Icom 781, 765, 751A, Kenwood 930, 940, 950, Yaesu
> > FT-990, FT-1000D, FT-1000MP, etc).  As an experienced tool maker, I will
> not
> > design a product that I feel will compromise the life of a customers
> radio.
> >
> > One measure that I do recommend is removing the weighted knob from your
> > radio if ever you ship it.  Shipping companies today are known for
> dropping
> > boxes from great heights.  When I bought my Icom 7700 and 7800 radios,
> they
> > both came with the Icom weighted knob not installed on the radio.  You
> have
> > to put the knob on after you remove it from the box.  So it is a
> worthwhile
> > consideration to remove the knob if shipping your radio via UPS, Fed-Ex
> or
> > US Mail.
> >
> > If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to email me.
> > Thanks & 73, N8BX
> > Fred
> >
> >
> >>
> >> ------Original Message------
> >> From: Phil LaMarche
> >> To: n8bx at 73cnc.com
> >> Subject: FW: [Elecraft] HEAVY KNOBS??
> >> Sent: May 27, 2012 2:58 PM
> >>
> >> Thoughts?
> >>
> >> Philip LaMarche
> >>
> >>
> >> 727-944-3226
> >> 727-510-5038 Cell
> >> www.w9dvm.com
> >> WWW.FLAMGROUP.COM
> >>
> >> K3 # 1605
> >> KPA500 # 029
> >> P3 #1480
> >>
> >> CCA 98-00827
> >> CRA 1701
> >> W9DVM
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> >> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau
> >> Claire
> >> Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2012 2:56 PM
> >> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> >> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] HEAVY KNOBS??
> >>
> >> I wonder if anyone has studied the long-term effects on the encoder
> >> bushings and shafts that must support those knobs? AFAIK, it's just a
> >> simple bushing
> >> - no ball or roller bearing races - so all of the wear is on the lower
> >> side of the bushing.
> >>
> >> Ron AC7AC
> >>
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> >>
> >> Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
> >
> >
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