Fix for the hard-to-turn Saitek Radio Knobs!

[HoustonFirefox]

Hi everyone.

If you own the Saitek Radio Panel (and maybe some others) you'll note that it is very hard to turn the selector knobs on the left side of the unit (a.k.a. "Gorilla Knobs")

I have put together a step-by-step tutorial for fixing the problem here:

Saitek Radio Panel Knob Fix

This fix may also be applicable to other Saitek panels. Enjoy!

[AK Mongo]

Great hack! Thanks for posting. If you can figure out how to make the frequency change knobs work as they should (according to most reviews they are very finicky, and don't take to fine adjustment well) then I will buy one!

[jcaputo1]

Adjusting the spring tension on the Saitek Radio Panel Selector Switch is really an around about way of solving that problem.

The Problem is they are using very small Knobs. I changed the Knobs to One inch Diameter Knobs and that solved the
problem. So then how about donating to me now OK.

[HoustonFirefox]

Wow, now that was unwarranted.

I took the time to post this fix at a time when no other solution was available. In addition, locating the correct knobs to go a larger diameter would be difficult for the average person without mentioning that they would obscure portions of the legends on the panel.

It's posts like this that makes me want to give up trying to help my fellow virtual pilots. Thanks for making a good subject bad "sir"

[jcaputo1]

Having people take something apart and risking the warranty is not a good idea. Why can't you be a Man and admit you were wrong to do that.
Your acting like a child. Changing the Knobs is really the Fix for this. Also the one inch Knobs are not hard to find, Radio Shack had them and they do not
cover up the legends.

[HoustonFirefox]

No response necessary, let the people judge it on it's own merits sir.

As a new poster, you have apparently have all the answers. Let's hear 'em buckwheat. At least I took the time to look for a solution. You would have kept your "Huge Knobs" idea to yourself had this post not existed.

Please crawl back to wherever you came from, I'm here to help, not deal with people like you sir.

[jcaputo1]

I just brought the Radio Panel!! I was not keeping it to myself till now!!! I am also a Technician and a Real Pilot with an Instrument Rating and I own my own Airplane that I rent out. I think the Public deserves different Ideas to solutions without peoples Egos getting in the way.

[HoustonFirefox]

You've already provided the source (Radio Shack). Can you provide part numbers? Any special mods you had to make to the knobs, etc?

FWIW, I'm also a "real pilot" but that matters not at all in the context of this discussion (fixing the Saitek Gorilla knobs).

Can you post a picture of how the unit looks now? I think others would like to know what their options are.

[jcaputo1]

It's Radio Shack Part # 274-416. It looks OK to me. The only thing it covers are the Dots on the Legends. The Legends themselves are visable. Also the pointer on the Knobs are on the wrong side so you have to put some sort of pointers on the side of the Legends. I used a thin peace of tape. I don't have a URL for the Picture. If you want I can E-mail the Picture to you.

[HoustonFirefox]

They look like a good match for the panel (since it's black). Here's the pic:



I'm making the assumption that the pointer is pointing away from the legends because the setscrew is going against the flat side of the shaft?

According to my micrometer, the shaft diameter on the Saitek panel is 1/4" (.250") so I'm thinking that a trip to the home improvement store, buying a short length of 1/4" oak dowel, splitting it to fill the flat-sided shaft (to make it round) and then attaching the knob might allow the pointer to be rotated in the correct direction.

A plus here is that, as you mentioned, the warranty wouldn't be violated since the wood "add-on" is in the knob, not a mod to the shaft itself.

Would be curious to see how that turns out. It would certainly be useful to those who have doubts about digging around the inside of the Saitek box (not that there are any of those here! )