Rotary Encoders (mechanical ones) can have their contacts temporarily
lose connection to the connection on the wiring board. It is possible
that the low temperatures cause the grease lubricating the contacts
increased viscosity enough to lift the contacts off the board, so the
circuit did not detect the rotation of the knob. As you noted it should
resolve when it warms up. It may be a good tip to Elecraft to choose
suppliers with lighter lubricants. The KX2 in particular is used in lots
of POTA and SOTA expeditions where low temperatures are more common. The
temperature spec on the encoder may be worth examining, but the tradeoff
might be shorter lifespan on the encoders if the lubricant is changed....
73,
Chris K0PF
On 2/26/2026 10:14 AM, Ingo DK3RED via Elecraft wrote:
Hello Elecrafters,
I used my KX3 (#09479) outdoors last week during a winter holiday
(about -8 °C, snow, nearly 100% humidity). I noticed that the audio
knob wasn't responding to rotations as usual. Sometimes the volume
didn't change during a full rotation, and sometimes the value even
jumped backwards when turning it forwards. The error disappeared in
the warm hotel, but reappeared when I worked outdoors with the KX3 the
next day. Are there any clues as to where I should start troubleshooting?
73/72 de Ingo, DK3RED - Don't forget: the fun is the power!
www.qrp4fun.de - [email protected]
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