[Elecraft] parts storage

Mon Mar 25 20:13:01 2002

I may be having brain failure, but as I recall all of the resistors for the
K2 came on a machine insertion strip in the order for installation, why
"sort" these out???.  As for the capacitors I sorted them by multiplier and
type only, and then put each group in small plastic 4 oz containers like
yogurt or ice-cream.  I would then spend the first few minutes of
construction arranging the capacitors that were needed for one or two pages
of construction onto some leftover antistatic foam (only because it was
handy, Styrofoam would work) This provided an extra "check" of parts
placement. Left the ICs and transistors on the shipping anti-static
material.

Did not inventory any of the parts for the K2 or any of the six options and
was only "shorted" two capacitors on the K160RX.  Elecraft has EXCELLENT
Quality Control - isn't worth the waste of your time to "inventory," IMHO.

The thing I would most highly recommend is to get a red pencil and make a
second check at the end of each page for correct part, placement, polarity,
alignment, soldering, etc.  It is easier to see these things before the
whole board is stuffed.  I actually did this with a black, red, and blue
pencil. Yes, that's right, two checks plus the check as recommended at the
end of each section. So that I had four check marks on each step when
finished. Since using this method, every kit I have built has worked the
very first time I turned it on. Have done this since my first disaster back
in 1957 with a kit I built that I never got to work (a six transistor AM/FM
Lafayette radio kit). It only takes one wrong part in the right hole to
destroy many hours of work - if powered up!

Rich

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Ben Dalfen
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 6:07 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Elecraft] parts storage

I used egg cartons for storing K1 & K2 kit parts. I think I got the idea