[Elecraft] K3 front panel switches

[Scott McDonald]

You might also take a look for a note from k6ll in the archives about erratic button behavior related to encoder issues-he described a way to exercise the encoders that resolved what looked like keypad issues on my k3 in short order.

73 Scott ka9p

Make something good happen!

> On Apr 8, 2016, at 6:26 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire <ron at cobi.biz> wrote:
> 
> I've not experienced that with my K3 which goes back to 2008 (S/N 00010),
> but I would suspect corrosion on contacts. You might remove the front panel
> assembly from the K3 and then plug it in again, and possibly do the same for
> the DSP board. I've seen others suggest exercising the troubled switches
> many times to good effect. 
> 
> One reason I've not experienced it on ol' number 10 is that every time there
> a question about the assembly procedure or a kit change it comes apart to
> check the changes. The contacts get exercised a lot. 
> 
> I don't recall if you built your K3 from a kit, Fred, but if not download
> the KRX3 manual from the Elecraft web site. It has detailed instructions for
> R/R the front panel assembly as part of the sub receiver installation.
> 
> After splitting logs for an hour this afternoon with trusty axe, I feel like
> my personal "tach" is on the peg just sitting here (puff, puff, puff). I
> might be experiencing some "corrosion" myself and in need of more exercise. 
> 
> Good hunting and 73
> Ron AC7AC
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Fred
> Jensen
> Sent: Friday, April 8, 2016 3:44 PM
> To: Elecraft Reflector
> Subject: [Elecraft] K3 front panel switches
> 
> My K3, S/N 642, has been slowly developing "front panel dementia" [as am I
> as I accumulate birthdays].  A number of the switches are becoming
> intermittent, and often, the first push of one causes a totally unrelated
> action [e.g. tapping BAND UP turns on NR].  It doesn't happen with all of
> them and it seems like the ones I use the most are pretty stable.  I find
> that a really positive actuation, as in hard, often makes it work correctly.
> 
> My K3 is getting somewhat long in the tooth as the S/N would indicate, but I
> was under the impression that the front panel switches were rated at
> multi-millions of operations, and I'm sure I haven't come remotely close to
> exceeding that.  My truck is 13 years old and is developing similar symptoms
> [Tach says the engine is doing 6,000 RPM sitting in the driveway :-)]
> 
> Curious:
> 
> 1.  Anybody else experience this?
> 
> 2.  If so, what did you do?
> 
> 3.  How do I tell if it's time to send it into the Big E?
> 
> 73,
> 
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2016
> - www.cqp.org
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