Knob shaft and pot issues

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Knob shaft and pot issues

BOB PHILBROOK
My kit K3 #818 came with the shafts on the four small dual function knobs lose and the associated pots feeling like they were gritty when turned.  Sure not as smooth and nice as my ICOM 746!  Wonder how many #800 units experienced this problem or is it just me?   The lose shafts and gritty feeling when turned reminds me of cheap volume controls on a Chinese radio.  And how many have experienced a DOA KSYN3 (synthesizer) board in your kit?   In addition, how many of you have experienced missing hardware in your kit making it difficult to complete?  I sure would hate to be living overseas, missing US nuts and screws, and waiting for the next boat to arrive with needed parts.  Moral: Next time I will buy a radio that is fully assembled.
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Re: Knob shaft and pot issues

Julian, G4ILO
Bob K9PAG wrote
My kit K3 #818 came with the shafts on the four small dual function knobs lose and the associated pots feeling like they were gritty when turned.  Sure not as smooth and nice as my ICOM 746!  Wonder how many #800 units experienced this problem or is it just me?   The lose shafts and gritty feeling when turned reminds me of cheap volume controls on a Chinese radio.  And how many have experienced a DOA KSYN3 (synthesizer) board in your kit?   In addition, how many of you have experienced missing hardware in your kit making it difficult to complete?  I sure would hate to be living overseas, missing US nuts and screws, and waiting for the next boat to arrive with needed parts.  Moral: Next time I will buy a radio that is fully assembled.
My four dual function knobs move from side to side a bit and I suppose they could be described as gritty when turned. I hadn't considered it a problem. They do the job.

I did have a faulty internal shield and a faceplate for the KIO module that was stencilled on the wrong side. Elecraft sent replacements which arrived in about a week. Fortunately neither of these were show stoppers. I agree it's frustrating, but mistakes happen. I still would rather have had the experience of assembling the K3 than avoid these minor issues by having it ready built.
Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392  K3 #222 KX3 #110
* G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com
* KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html
* KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html
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Re: Knob shaft and pot issues

KM5Q
In reply to this post by BOB PHILBROOK
My #764 wasn't missing anything. I'm left with an extra pile of spare  
hardware, so I could have dropped a tiny screw and been OK.
My dual-pots have only slight play. They turn smoothly. I think they  
switched vendor and should watch for this!

My rig worked fine at first power-up.

Windy KM5Q


> Bob K9PAG wrote:
> Mon, 05 May 2008 10:10:27 -0700
>
> My kit K3 #818 came with the shafts on the four small dual function  
> knobs
> lose and the associated pots feeling like they were gritty when  
> turned.
> Sure not as smooth and nice as my ICOM 746!  Wonder how many #800  
> units
> experienced this problem or is it just me?   The lose shafts and  
> gritty
> feeling when turned reminds me of cheap volume controls on a Chinese  
> radio.
> And how many have experienced a DOA KSYN3 (synthesizer) board in  
> your kit?
> In addition, how many of you have experienced missing hardware in  
> your kit
> making it difficult to complete?
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Re: Knob shaft and pot issues

Joe Malloy
K3 #584 must have had the old audio pots which are fantastic -- they
have a solid feel to them and coupled with the knobs (which sorta add to
the old-timey flavor) it reminds me of knobs on my Drake 2B or an old
Hallicrafters radio!

Joe, W2RBA


KM5Q wrote:

> My #764 wasn't missing anything. I'm left with an extra pile of spare
> hardware, so I could have dropped a tiny screw and been OK.
> My dual-pots have only slight play. They turn smoothly. I think they
> switched vendor and should watch for this!
>
> My rig worked fine at first power-up.
>
> Windy KM5Q
>
>
>> Bob K9PAG wrote:
>> Mon, 05 May 2008 10:10:27 -0700
>>
>> My kit K3 #818 came with the shafts on the four small dual function
>> knobs
>> lose and the associated pots feeling like they were gritty when turned.
>> Sure not as smooth and nice as my ICOM 746!  Wonder how many #800 units
>> experienced this problem or is it just me?   The lose shafts and gritty
>> feeling when turned reminds me of cheap volume controls on a Chinese
>> radio.
>> And how many have experienced a DOA KSYN3 (synthesizer) board in your
>> kit?
>> In addition, how many of you have experienced missing hardware in
>> your kit
>> making it difficult to complete?

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Re: Knob shaft and pot issues

ab2tc
My two concentric pots have a very good feel to them (serno #82). The four dual function controls are not pots but shaft encoders. They have a little wobble in them, but I don't find it objectonable. The "gritty" feel I am sure is intentional; these are indents indicating each new encoder position. I have no objections to the general quality and feel of the front panel hardware. I don't agree that it feels or look "cheap".

Knut - AB2TC

jmalloy wrote
K3 #584 must have had the old audio pots which are fantastic -- they
have a solid feel to them and coupled with the knobs (which sorta add to
the old-timey flavor) it reminds me of knobs on my Drake 2B or an old
Hallicrafters radio!

Joe, W2RBA


KM5Q wrote:
> My #764 wasn't missing anything. I'm left with an extra pile of spare
> hardware, so I could have dropped a tiny screw and been OK.
> My dual-pots have only slight play. They turn smoothly. I think they
> switched vendor and should watch for this!
>



> My rig worked fine at first power-up.
>
> Windy KM5Q
>
>
>> Bob K9PAG wrote:
>> Mon, 05 May 2008 10:10:27 -0700
>>
>> My kit K3 #818 came with the shafts on the four small dual function
>> knobs
>> lose and the associated pots feeling like they were gritty when turned.
>> Sure not as smooth and nice as my ICOM 746!  Wonder how many #800 units
>> experienced this problem or is it just me?   The lose shafts and gritty
>> feeling when turned reminds me of cheap volume controls on a Chinese
>> radio.
(snip)
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Re: Knob shaft and pot issues

Andrew Faber
Knut,
  I agree.  I like the "gritty" feel, as it is consistent with these
functions being changed in discrete steps, not continually.
  73, andy, ae6y
----- Original Message -----
From: "ab2tc" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 1:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Knob shaft and pot issues


>
> My two concentric pots have a very good feel to them (serno #82). The four
> dual function controls are not pots but shaft encoders. They have a little
> wobble in them, but I don't find it objectonable. The "gritty" feel I am
> sure is intentional; these are indents indicating each new encoder
> position.
> I have no objections to the general quality and feel of the front panel
> hardware. I don't agree that it feels or look "cheap".
>
> Knut - AB2TC
>
>
> jmalloy wrote:
>>
>> K3 #584 must have had the old audio pots which are fantastic -- they
>> have a solid feel to them and coupled with the knobs (which sorta add to
>> the old-timey flavor) it reminds me of knobs on my Drake 2B or an old
>> Hallicrafters radio!
>>
>> Joe, W2RBA
>>
>>
>> KM5Q wrote:
>>> My #764 wasn't missing anything. I'm left with an extra pile of spare
>>> hardware, so I could have dropped a tiny screw and been OK.
>>> My dual-pots have only slight play. They turn smoothly. I think they
>>> switched vendor and should watch for this!
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> My rig worked fine at first power-up.
>>>
>>> Windy KM5Q
>>>
>>>
>>>> Bob K9PAG wrote:
>>>> Mon, 05 May 2008 10:10:27 -0700
>>>>
>>>> My kit K3 #818 came with the shafts on the four small dual function
>>>> knobs
>>>> lose and the associated pots feeling like they were gritty when turned.
>>>> Sure not as smooth and nice as my ICOM 746!  Wonder how many #800 units
>>>> experienced this problem or is it just me?   The lose shafts and gritty
>>>> feeling when turned reminds me of cheap volume controls on a Chinese
>>>> radio.
>> (snip)
>>
>>
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://www.nabble.com/Knob-shaft-and-pot-issues-tp17066356p17070343.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
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Re: Knob shaft and pot issues

srife
In reply to this post by Julian, G4ILO
    The gritty-ness is not a problem...you are actually feeling the
detents in the encoder. These are encoders and not pots. I had never
noticed the slight side to side movement of the shafts.

   Stan Rife
W5EWA
Houston, TX
K2 SN 4216
K3 SN 0690


G4ILO wrote:

> Bob K9PAG wrote:
>  
>> My kit K3 #818 came with the shafts on the four small dual function knobs
>> lose and the associated pots feeling like they were gritty when turned.
>> Sure not as smooth and nice as my ICOM 746!  Wonder how many #800 units
>> experienced this problem or is it just me?   The lose shafts and gritty
>> feeling when turned reminds me of cheap volume controls on a Chinese
>> radio.  And how many have experienced a DOA KSYN3 (synthesizer) board in
>> your kit?   In addition, how many of you have experienced missing hardware
>> in your kit making it difficult to complete?  I sure would hate to be
>> living overseas, missing US nuts and screws, and waiting for the next boat
>> to arrive with needed parts.  Moral: Next time I will buy a radio that is
>> fully assembled.
>>
>>    
> My four dual function knobs move from side to side a bit and I suppose they
> could be described as gritty when turned. I hadn't considered it a problem.
> They do the job.
>
> I did have a faulty internal shield and a faceplate for the KIO module that
> was stencilled on the wrong side. Elecraft sent replacements which arrived
> in about a week. Fortunately neither of these were show stoppers. I agree
> it's frustrating, but mistakes happen. I still would rather have had the
> experience of assembling the K3 than avoid these minor issues by having it
> ready built.
>
> -----
> Julian, G4ILO  K3 s/n: 222 K2 s/n: 392
> G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com
> Zerobeat Ham Forums: www.zerobeat.net/smf
>  

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Re: Knob shaft and pot issues

Gill W4RYW
In reply to this post by BOB PHILBROOK

The four small controls are digital encoders - not pots. they have some play because they are also pushbutton type switches. The encoders have the "click" built in to allow the operator to "fine tune" the digital steps. The $20,000 Agilent test equipment we use at work have the same "pots".
My unit had a broken L18 coil lead on the KBPF3 board which I re-soldered. The Mic ckt board (front panel)needed a mod. I have plenty of hardware left over, probably because each extra option I ordered came with extras.

I like this radio better than any I have owned so far (licensed in 1960). I hope you can get the things resolved that are bugging you - it seems that the company is working hard to please.

This is my first Elecraft product purchase.