[Elecraft] P3 rubber button

Brenton Meadows brenton at posnav.com.au
Tue Feb 5 19:49:20 EST 2013


> Hi Eric,
>
> Well its been a long road but I cant see how anyone could have thought we
> were requesting something else, it was made clear that original rubber
> button had a defect in it and that was all we needed, a rubber assembly in
> what ever form it took, bu tnot a full front panel with display haha..  I
> am convinced it has been like this from new but I am sending you our credit
> card information and paying for it as I could not be bothered arguing with
> Elecraft over stupid small dollars.  I am sending you the order you have
> asked for with the part number you are requesting me to use but I still am
> concerned that you are sending the wrong part as 1 of my emails remain
> unanswered with the specific explanation that I gave that it is in fact the
> power button as part of a 4 part button assembly on the base of the P3 pan
> display that we require.  As for the request to send back to the factory,
> we are qualified electronic engineers with clean room experience and this
> task is actually quite a simple one for even the unqualified as long he was
> to take care and clean it thoroughly.  The removal of the glue is
> understood as is the care you mention that must be taken however 20 years
> in a Motorola background and 4 of them in Chicago has seen us take great
> care with these types of repairs.  As I said in a previous email, when we
> get a price in excess of $600 for a rubber keypad, I thought I was back in
> the Motorola parts supply room, that wouldnt be unusual for them.  One VCO
> board we were regulary replacing on a particular Motorola Handheld was
> $3000 of a $4000 radio, this was typical of many spares through the Big M.
> But Elecraft have a reputation for being very fair and producing a quality
> product and hence the surprise at $600+ dollars for an item that sells for
> $699. I would question any manufacturer that sells a part for an electronic
> item where the price of the part makes up 90% of the total value of the
> unit so I suppose I am a little critical of the breakdown price for the
> part Elecraft quoted .  But be very clear on this, we did explain we needed
> a button or the button assembly, your companies official response was to
> try to clean the rubber button, I have this in an email.  I love the
> equipment elecraft produces and as an owner of the Icom 7800, 7700, and
> approx 30 other radios, the Elecraft has fast become my favorite for a
> number of reasons.  So please do not think I am being critical of elecraft
> in regards to the final product, but my proof that I knew I was sure you
> had a repair part for a small amount of money is that on the 28/3/2012, on
> receipt number 88451,(Rep 0312 listed) you supplied a K3 switch array for
> an entire radio for $13.80 for the buttons and $10 freight which I thought
> was an absolute bargain in commercial terms but also led me to believe that
> there may be a similar assembly for the P3.  I know you must get a load of
> emails from non technical people and this would be confusing but we are far
> from non technical and I assure you have over 30 years experience.  For
> anybody on the K3 list, the part number for an entire K3 Switch Array is
> part number E100200/K3 and what eric has said regarding cleaning the
> surface is paramount, this is not just pop the keypad in as a plug in
> replacement, you will need to spend some time cleaning up the previous
> installation of the keypad.
> But closing on a good note, I do believe that the confusion will be
> rectified at the elecraft end soon and I would just ask that someone ensure
> that it is in fact the Power button assembly or the entire assembly for the
> P3 so we dont double handle with sending parts back and forth from the USA
> to Australia a number of times to get it right.  One thing I will say, if I
> was emailing Icom, Kenwood or Yaesu, the communication would not be even
> remotely close to the answers I am getting daily from elecraft, so whilst
> we have an issue with trying to identify a part, there is certainly no
> complaint with the way Elecraft expedites answers to emails, thats for
> sure.  And there is certainly not an issue with the K3 or the KX3 which I
> own both of as well, what a bloody great pair of radios.
> Keep up the good work and thank you for your response eric.
> cheers
> Brenton
> VK5BM/3 or
> VK3NV (depending which home I am at here in Australia, stupid I know)
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 7:28 AM, Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft <
> eric at elecraft.com> wrote:
>
>> That was not a correct price. He must have thought you were requesting
>> something else. The rubber keypad is certainly much, much lower in price.
>>
>> Note that removal of the old keypad and installation of the new one
>> involves making sure all of the adhesive from the original keypad is
>> removed from the pcb, and that the button surface contacts on the PC board
>> are clean and free from contaminants, hand oils etc. We usually recommend
>> this is done at the factory.
>>
>> Please email howard(at)elecraft.com for the P3 keypad cost. I'll make
>> sure I talk to him about this first.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Eric
>> elecraft.com
>>
>>
>> On 2/4/2013 4:04 PM, Mike Reublin wrote:
>>
>>> Seems just a tad steep, considering you can get a new P3 (kit) for
>>> $699.95.
>>>
>>> 73, Mike NF4L
>>>
>>> On Feb 4, 2013, at 2:13 PM, Brenton Meadows <brenton at posnav.com.au>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>  Hi, sorry to ask again, has anybody got a part number for just the
>>>> rubber
>>>> buttons for the P3 pan adaptor. Got a reply from Elecraft (listed
>>>> below)but
>>>> the cost is prohibitive if I have to buy the entire front panel.
>>>>  Richard
>>>> was kind enough to answer me promptly but $637.10 is a bit out of the
>>>> question for really one rubber insert button which is my requirement.  I
>>>> have heard of minimum breakdown part supply but for an item of this
>>>> nature,
>>>> I was expecting $15 or so.  I know the entire keypad button set for the
>>>> K3
>>>> was only $20 or so from my K3's previous owner so was expecting a
>>>> similar
>>>> pricing.  I think it may be a part number that is available and maybe
>>>> some
>>>> confusion on elecrafts side.  Does anybody have a individual part number
>>>> breakdown of the P3?  The rubber button has a slight defect in it and I
>>>> just want the unit to look like new which it will with the button
>>>> replaced.
>>>> cheers
>>>> Brenton
>>>>
>>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Kind Regards
>
> Brenton
>
>
>
> Position and Navigation Systems Pty Ltd
> Brenton Meadows
> Managing Director
> Phone: +61 8 8121-5155
> Mobile 0418 844-700
> Fax +61 8 8121-5145
> Email brenton at posnav.com.au
>
>
>


-- 
Kind Regards

Brenton



Position and Navigation Systems Pty Ltd
Brenton Meadows
Managing Director
Phone: +61 8 8121-5155
Mobile 0418 844-700
Fax +61 8 8121-5145
Email brenton at posnav.com.au


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