[Elecraft] Big Knob Fail

[Ed K1EP]

Even though your s/n is 21, it was not the first K3 kit shipped. I have the
first K3 kit shipped, as I assembled the very first one, outside of the
beta testers. I also have the original knob and encoder.

Ed K1EP s/n 66


On Wed, Feb 17, 2021, 20:46 K9ZTV <k9ztv at socket.net> wrote:

> K3 serial number 21 (kit no. 1) has carried the 73cnc weighted knobs on
> both the main and sub VFOs for more than 13 years of nearly nightly use.
> It has been the primary CW rig for 11 Field Days, numerous special events,
> and upwards of a dozen Boy Scout outings.  The knobs have been twirled by
> club members with heavy fists and kids with youthful exuberance.  Yet they
> continue to provide the smooth and silky feel characteristic of those
> weighted knobs used in high end receivers for nearly 100 years.
>
> If the tuning shafts and encoders are in imminent danger of “angular
> momentum and torque” leading to premature wear, my K3 didn’t get the memo.
>
> Such concerns about non-Elecraft accessories are usually conjectural in my
> opinion, if not plain nonsense.
>
> 73,
>
> Kent  K9ZTV
>
>
>
> > On Feb 17, 2021, at 3:37 PM, someone wrote:
> >
> > One of the problems with the knobs is that sometimes people change out
> the stock injected molded knob for a HEAVY machined knob. The mechanism
> inside the radio is not built for this type of installation. A rapid spin
> with the angular momentum and torque of the heavy knob will wear out the
> device.  This will require taking the front panel off and replacing the
> component.
>
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