Modification I made to KXPD3

[Kenneth Christiansen]

My KX3 came last Monday and I used it extensively camping this week end. The contacts on the KXPD3 acted dirty after about 4 hours of CW so I finished the QSO with my Palm Mini Paddle. I cleaned the contacts with paper and WD40 but soon it again got just as bad. I took it apart and noticed the ground for each side passed through the paddle hinge. My fix was to remove one fine stand of wire from a speaker cable. I soldered the middle of the wire to the ground pin of the 4 conductor jack. I loosened each spring screw and put a wire under each screw head. I tightened the screw heads and put the paddle back together. I ran CW for many more hours and never had any more trouble. I now think this is the best paddle I have ever owned. The movement is so slight on the corners of the wires I don't expect to have any problem with metal fatigue breaking the wire.
Ken    W0CZ
w0cz at i29 dot net

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[Pierre]

Hi Ken,

Just made the same mod. Works fine. I will see after some time if the rare missing dots are still coming. I often suspected that the paddle hinge are not always a perfect ground.. so that could solve the problem.

Tnx! 72/73  de Pierre VE2PID KX3 s/n 190

[Christian AK4VV]

I wonder if sprinkling a small amount of graphite powder into the hinge
sockets would accomplish the same... anyone tried that?  I need to find
mine and may just give that a whirl.

73,
Christian
AK4VV
On May 29, 2013 11:33 AM, "Pierre" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi Ken,
>
> Just made the same mod. Works fine. I will see after some time if the rare
> missing dots are still coming. I often suspected that the paddle hinge are
> not always a perfect ground.. so that could solve the problem.
>
> Tnx! 72/73  de Pierre VE2PID KX3 s/n 190
>
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Modification-I-made-to-KXPD3-tp7574414p7574427.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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[N6WN]

Hi all,
I also made this modification.
My missing dots (not so rare) have vanished.
THANKS!!!

Dan
N6WN
KX3 #429

Pierre wrote

Hi Ken,

Just made the same mod. Works fine. I will see after some time if the rare missing dots are still coming. I often suspected that the paddle hinge are not always a perfect ground.. so that could solve the problem.

Tnx! 72/73  de Pierre VE2PID KX3 s/n 190