I think the assumption is that if it's a portable radio (such as the KX3) or a radio that's made sort of portable by putting it in a crash case and taking it on a DXPedition (such as the various flavors of K3), that maybe somewhere along the way an albatross might leave a deposit on the threads or something.
I've got a 3d printer. I used it a bunch a year ago. Now, the only thing that keeps it from becoming a coat rack is that it's nowhere near where the coats are. Not because I don't see good uses for it -- heaven forfend! -- but I simply don't have the energy to putter around with it! I've got all the cool software, I've played around with the various slicers and splicers and modelers (oh, my!) and I find that I simply don't have the spoons to deal with the thing very often, much as I would like to. I'm not as good at modeling as I thought I was -- back in the old ray-tracing days I did okay -- but the current crop of tools (Great Ghu on a pogo stick, don't get me started on how much of a pain in the tuchis Blender is!) can be a kilometer the other side of too damn much. And just as soon as I start getting the hang of a tool, the company that makes it changes their (dingbatted, expurgated, censored) licensing for the program and suddenly I can't afford to use it. (I'm looking at YOU, Fusion 360!) So now I'm back to Tinkercad and trying to make sense out of AC3D to see if it'll serve (I think it will, last time I had the energy to look at it). I've got lots of ideas for stuff to make, and could even see myself making a 3d printer project for the key socket adapter box I made someday. It's a nice little box that consolidates the key sockets in one place, and the same kind of connectors, instead of one kind on the left side of my KX3 and another, totally-incompatible with anything but the Elecraft paddle on the bottom. I have 4 TRS sockets, two of which are set up for Paddle and run to a jumper cable into the left side key socket, and two of which connect to the bottom 2x2 header and are set for Hand Key. I used the paddle screws for the bottom connector to hold the box to the bottom of the radio, where it fits very neatly. If I want to plug in a straight key, I use one of the two right-hand sockets. If I want to connect a paddle, it goes into one of the sockets on the right. I get an extra socket for each type as well. Right now, I have my Torsion Bar Cootie Paddle plugged into it on the "Paddle" side, but if I want it to be a Cootie, I just move it to the jacks on the right -- they're pre-jumpered to serve for a Cootie, straight key, or bug. Very convenient! But I digress... The whole "cover up the ports so they don't get filled with schmutz" concept is a good one IF you take the radio where there be schmutz. My KX3 is on a RAM mount clamped to the wire "bread" rack next to my recliner, the PX3 right above it. I used SideFX mounts, so I can unclip the radio and/or Panadapter at any time...if I want to hurt myself, as that (more dingbats, expurgations, and censoriousness) polycarbonate stuff is STIFF, and my fingers aren't what they used to be. So the KX3 stays in the house and the cheaper and less-dear IQ32 or other kit built rigs go with me to the park. Or DID go with me to the park...we'll see if I'm able to do that any more once it warms up a bit more and stops raining every 43.5 minutes out of nowhere. The lockdowns really messed up my ability to get any meaningful exercise, and I find it hard to do a whole heck of a lot of walking these days. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 73, Gwen, NG3P On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 1:53 PM Jim Brown <j...@audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote: > I don't understand the need to have a cover for an unused jack that's > not outside, exposed to the elements. > > 73, Jim K9YC > ______________________________________________________________ > 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 ard...@gmail.com > ______________________________________________________________ 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
