[Elecraft] It arrived, I built it, it works!

[Ron ZL1TW]

Greetings all,
                      The much awaited KAT2 arrived this morning via the 
Courier after a 12 day journey here from Aptos.  Construction was started 
immediately as the work bench just needed the soldering iron heated up to 
be operational.
No great problems with the construction, except I was unable to get J4 
sitting fully vertical because of the 102 caps between the jack and the PIC 
socket. However it was "near enough" to not cause any problems.
I did think I may have caught Elecraft out this time as I seemed to be 
short of a 102 cap, however at the completion of construction I ended up 
with a "spare" 101 cap......a quick check showed I had put the "lost" 102 
cap in as C54...which of course should have been the 101 cap......Durn....
Anyway. The ATU passed all it's checks no sweat, and I was ready for the 
touchy adjustment of  C55. I managed to get it to read as low as 004 so 
left it at that.
There was only one instruction I took as being wrong (dare I say that??) On 
page 12 , when the two boards are being fixed together the 5th instruction 
tells you......"these lock washers go between the  standoffs and the PC 
board, and *not* between the PC board and screws as on the control board."
Page 6 shows the control board having the washers between the PC board and 
the standoffs.
A minor discrepancy...if indeed it is one, and I didn't put a second set of 
washers under the board as it appeared to be fitting fine.
I would have to say that I think the ATU kit is probably a more 
"challenging" kit than the others I have built ( KNB2, KAF2, 
KSB2,  previously) and must be the smallest automatic ATU on the market.
I service the ATU appears to be "doing it's thing" just fine, and while I 
have resonant antennas I have been trying it out further up the bands and 
it has been matching the SWR  after a session of relay rattling.   It will 
get a decent work out next month during our National Field day.
Perhaps I better start saving for the QRO gizmo......but I am not sure I 
want it.
I would hate to think my kit building days are over now, so perhaps I 
better try and talk a Club member into getting a K2 so I can build it for 
him?? I know there are several in our Club who are green with envy at my 
owning this special little tranceiver....Then again, my K1 needs a ATU now ....
Cheers......Ron ZL1TW