(Sorry for the duplicate reply; email problems...) Wayne,
My intentions certainly weren't to insult the designers. However, there's only so much that can be done quality-wise at a certain price point - I understand that. It's true that Elecraft has stepped up to the plate and replaced all broken knobs which I commend. The problem in my case however, is that both sets of replacement knobs which I paid for and received had off-centered holes. They didn't crack this time around, but because of the off-centered holes, were incredibly difficult to adjust. The top knob would rub against the bottom no matter what because of the cam effect. Anyway, to answer your question... if Elecraft designed and released a complete set of machined aluminum knobs and sold it as an upgrade for $200, I'd order it. In my opinion, the current plastic knobs are the weak-point in an otherwise perfect package. 73 de James K2QI -----Original Message----- From: Wayne Burdick [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 1:08 AM To: [email protected] Cc: Elecraft Reflector Subject: re: K3: machined concentric knobs from Mouser Hi John, The K3's knobs were custom-designed (by me). They match, too :) So the thought of using knobs from another vendor on a K3 is a bit painful.... It's true that our knob manufacturer used the wrong material for one early batch of the dual concentrics. But we caught most of them, rejected the rest of the stock, and we've been replacing them in the field as quickly as possible. The correct material is very strong, as you'd expect. If anyone feels their K3 knobs are substandard in any way, they can request new ones at no charge. I suppose some operators might prefer a full set of machined knobs, but you can imagine how the cost of K3 would have to increase given $14 per small knob, and more for the larger ones. Like most other manufacturers, we've tried to keep our rigs cost-effective, yet still aesthetically pleasing. (That said, would you pay $200 for those knobs if we designed them for you? Just asking....) 73, Wayne N6KR ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
