[WRL] GK 500A,B,C Coupling switch

[Jim]

A while back I posted here looking for the Antenna Coupling Switch 
for my GK 500A.  One of the shorting fingers burned on it and 
another had been so hot that it lost contact with the wafer side. 
Several fine gentlemen had switches that they offered but none were 
indexed to the marks on the panel so I continued to look hoping that 
I could find one.

My search took me to MFJ parts via Ameritron.  In the GK 500 series 
the switch has 7 positions and the original was special order from 
Centralab series 231.  Electro Switch Corp. (electro-nc.com) has the 
rights to this particular switch and it is their E4 Series. 
However, none of the stock switches are made to progressively short 
6 positions.  They would build and supply what I needed for wafer 
replacement, cost ~$85.00.  The problems were I had to order through 
one of their retain sales outlets like Mouser, Allied, Digikey, etc. 
but the drive shaft for the wafer is now different.

Ameritron uses a two wafer band switch in their AL 1200 and 1500 
amplifiers that would do the job.  The problem is the cost ~145.00. 
Since I have owned this this King since 1994 and I received it from 
the original owner, I decided to go this route.  Installation is 
pretty straightforward, requiring you establish which position you 
want for #1 then moving the opposite stop one place farther down the 
line.  The switch is a 1 pole 17 position switch and once you have 
decided which positions you will use, one jumper wire must be 
installed on the switch to make it work.

You have to remove the front wafer and only use the rear one that 
comes on the switch.  Then you have to cut the shaft to 1/2 inch 
length and the wafer drive appropriately.  This particular switch 
will short only 5 positions consecutively but there are two more 
shorting contacts located further around the wafer that can be made 
to give the needed 6 pole short.

So after Grand Ole UPS freight charges I have over $160 dollars 
spent.  But the switch looks and acts like the one that was there. 
Another reason for mentioning this switch is the same thing is used 
in the final tank to switch bands.  This is an expensive way to go, 
but I decided to do it to keep the radio as it was both electrically 
and operationally.  I guess I am happy now.

Jim/W5JO