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Reviews For: FingerDimple FT817 Kranker knob

Category: QRP Accessories

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Review Summary For : FingerDimple FT817 Kranker knob
Reviews: 23MSRP: $20.00
Description:
Replacement knob for the popular FT817 series radio. Made of CNC machined aluminum annodized black. Provides a true FT101 style spinner knob, exact replacement for the original.
Product is not in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00234.6
KA0USE Rating: 2019-04-24
discontinued, but a really nice accessory Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
these are discontinued (boohoo), but i scored an unused one on qrz.com.
easy to put on.
the spinner rod does stick out a bit and makes a bulge in the yaesu carry case. i haven't decided whether to punch a small hole in the case.
PA0RCL Rating: 2014-07-13
Read the manual Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
In my review below I gave this knob an undeserved 1.
Like most radio amateurs I only read the manual afterwards. If I had read it before my review I would have known that the rubber ring of the original knob must be placed on the Kranker-knob after installation of the latter. It then looks much like the original knob, but with a krank instead of a rather useless finger dimple.
Since I cannot alter my earlier review I can only make it up to W4RT by giving this positive review.

The Kranker knob does make tuning a lot easier indeed. Installation is easy with the supplied small hex-key. Although I am now satisfied with the product, I still feel that spinning the knob would be easier if the krank would be placed more towards the outer edge of the knob, but who cares. This is why I give it a four now.


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Earlier 1-star review posted by PA0RCL on 2014-06-17

I ordered the kranker knob as depicted at the top of this page, but received a different one, smaller in diameter and in a modernish style. Since the body of the knob I received is smaller in diameter than the original one, cranking does not go as easily as when the knob would have the original diameter of 26,5 mm. The one I received is only 22,5 and has a useless flange to make up for the lost diameter.
The larger the diameter of the knob the easier the cranking goes. This is a simple law in mechanics that was probably not entirely understood by the maker.
I'll put the original Yaesu knob back and trash the kranker version.
G3ZCH Rating: 2014-04-24
Tuning made easier Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
With fingers as big as mine this was a must purchase. It proved to make tuning much quicker across the band.

The one criticism is that it took some time to get the knob to sit squarely without rubbing on the chassis. Just wondered if the item is 100% concentric.

However after a few minutes I got it to work without blemish or impediment. Recommended.
W9HAM Rating: 2014-03-11
Kranky Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Use care with your cranking. I must of cranked too hard as the knob and shaft fell out of the radio. It will not go back in and stay even with cement. Now I will have to replace the knob mechanism. I have Kranker Knobs my both of my FT-857 radios and not had any problems.
G0VHT Rating: 2013-01-17
Excellent bit of kit! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Like many adults, I possess fingers larger than a child's (in my opinion, the only people who can properly tune an FT817 without a Kranker knob). Ordered mine from Waters and Stanton here in the UK, once the goodies arrived, it took about 1 minute to switch over to this very simple super bit of kit.

In use it really does make ALL the difference. Fast tuning all without catching any of the existing knobs or jamming your fingers.

Recommended to FT817 owners the world over.
VK2BEN Rating: 2012-07-31
Really worthwhile IMHO Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have one of these on each of my FT-857 and FT-817 radios.

Simply put: an excellent little add-on that just adds to the tuning experience. A little hard to describe, perhaps, but once you have them installed you'll know what it's about.

Especially on the '817 - where the original knob has a joke of a little dimple in it - fast QSY'ing is vastly improved. The increased weight is also very nice to the touch.

On the '857, the knob's weighting is awesome and now I have something decent to grip hold of to tune up and down the band. Maybe I shouldn't do that whilst driving, but now I don't slip off the VFO knob and I have much better control ;-)

Many people state that faster tuning is possible using the "select" knob, however it has been pointed out that the "select" knob encoder is prone to damage from excessive use and it is better to utilize the VFO knob most of the time.

To tune faster, I just click the Power button (either on the radio head or on the remote control mic [optional accessory]) and give the VFO knob a spin.

Such a simple accessory: yet totally worth the $ and the 5-minutes installation time (if that).

73,
VK2BEN
Sydney
WY7CDL Rating: 2011-08-25
Awesome! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Excellent addition to this wonderful little rig. I hightly recommend it!

Thanks Fingerdimple for providing a great product excellent shipping.
GW1SXN Rating: 2011-05-18
grub screw was tight Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have just fitted the Kranker knob to my FT817ND I should have done it ages ago , my only problem was it very hard to undo the grub screw as it was very very tight i thought i might snap the shaft of the allen key , but i was lucky i used a pliers to grip the allen key as the key was digging into me finger
Anyway ok and fitted now.
Next i going to email a friend who has a 817 to get the kranker

Patrick GW1SXN
KY4Z Rating: 2011-02-28
An inexpensive - but valuable - upgrade Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The FT817 Kranker knob is a quality product that installs in less than a minute. I was impressed by the speed in which my Kranker knob arrived, and that it includes an allen wrench in the packet. The Kranker knob improves the feel of tuning this great little rig, and I immediately wondered why they don't offer one yet for the Yaesu FT-450, which suffers from a undersize tuning knob that needs some serious help! Wayne has a winner here, and great customer service. You probably won't "krank" the knob as much as use it to help you fine tune the movements of the knob. It's well worth the cost. Highly recommended for making a great little rig even better.
KP2Z Rating: 2010-10-25
Slower than Original Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The Kranker knob looks cool on the 817, but actually works slower for me, and is a bit clumsy. With the original knob I place my thumb on the edge of the knob between the rubber and face plate, with my three fingers resting on the top of the rig. With the Kranker your whole hand has to do the kranking, leaving the rig less stable, unless you use both hands. In testing both knobs I can move across more frequencies in less time with the original, and still keep my left hand free for other things. I also find it a smoother and more comfortable operation.