Thanks Ron, I finally ordered the parts and did the swap of the encoders. My FT818 now has a Bourns encoder instead of the original Alps encoder, and lo and behold - it works perfectly. Time will tell if the enhanced reliability pays dividends, but until then at least my sel encoder is actually working!!
The only difference between the two encoders in practice is that the bourns encoder has a threaded housing instead of the smooth housing of the alps.
I need to write a followup article on replacing the encoder itself…the first time you do it, it is a royal pain in the you-know-what.
You need a good solder sucker, some chipquik, some solder braid, plenty of good flux, and i highly recommend doing the repair with a low melt solder like traditional 60/40.
Also be very careful not to knock R4015 or R4017 off the front panel board during the repair.
