> On Aug 4, 2016, at 3:37 PM, Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> wrote: > > Hi Tom, > > Your KXPD2 should not have any issue with contact screws loosening over time. > Please return them for rework. Sorry about that.
Mine arrived yesterday and I had to have Chris at Elecraft explain to me that, "Yes, it will fit the pins on the KX3. You just have to tilt it upward slightly and then shove it between the pins and the circuit board that blocks entry." and "No, I don't know why they turned the jack 90 degrees compared to the KXPD3." But when I finally installed it on the KX3, I was surprised to hear dit dah dit dah no matter which paddle I touched. Those posts Tom mentioned (not contact screws) were wobbling severely between contacts whenever either paddle was pressed. Nothing found in the brief instruction sheet, but I pulled the paddle back out of the hole and began inspecting. The Phillips screws in the countersinks behind the paddles, the ones attached to the contact posts, were loose. A #1 Phillips bit turned each one several revolutions before tightening. Smaller fingers would have helped hold the contact posts steady during that process. I've only used the paddle for about 10 minutes of sending so far. I don't think the posts have loosened but it's easy enough to check with a pointed pencil. Just stab the tapped hole in the top of each post and press sideways. Or watch the post while keying normally. Which is better, KXPD3 or KXPD2? The xx2 doesn't match aesthetics of the KX3 but it is superior in use. I make fewer errors at 40 wpm with it. As to the earlier comment about the $135 cost of a new KXPD3: frankly the KXPD3 is an exceptionally good paddle. I own about 30 or 40 paddles, mostly high end, and these Elecraft creations compete well. I find them superior to the Palm and Begali models made to fit the front panel screw holes on the KX3. (Both are for sale if interested.) Elecraft did repair (or replace, I'm not sure) one of my KXPD3s that had the intermittent contact problem. There's been no further problem at all, and I do use both frequently on my other 2 KX3s. If it weren't for the angle of use issue with these paddles, they'd be ranked at the top of popularity lists, along with Profi, Diregent, 9A5N, N3ZN, Mercury, and Hex. The KXPD3 is that good. And if the posts stay stable, KXPD2 is even better. -- Marc W8SDG ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
