The whole thing has a bit of a mystery-thriller vibe. Here are the clues:
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I am certain that it is the clipped-off remnant of an encoder pin. It is definitely not a solder splash.
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The encoder was soldered in by hand after the PCB was manufactured. The protruding pins must have been clipped off. Incidentally, the pin located beneath the headphone jack must have been cut very short before insertion and soldered only from the back.
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A short circuit at this location would have exactly this effect. I noticed a specific software reaction when the volume function cut out, triggered by the switching action of the other, unaffected pin.
But…
- Why didn’t I notice the pin remnant right away? You can actually see it in the first photo with the red dots, but had I spotted it immediately, I wouldn’t have worried about removing the component in the first place.
The next heatwave will provide the answer. In the meantime the encoder worked without issues during the last activations.
I don’t think contacting Elecraft is appropriate. Perhaps someone here is following the discussion.
