[Elecraft] parts storage

[Bill Coleman]

On 3/25/02 8:09 PM, Rich Lentz at ke0zx@cox.net wrote:

>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???.

I agree with this point. When I built my K2 recently, I skipped the 
inventory of resistors.

>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 put mine in like groups carefully in Acro-mills bins. (My workbench has 
a gob of these already) I used about 7 bins for the K2. About 4 for the 
KSB2.

>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.

I disagree. One important point of the inventory is to familiarise 
yourself with all the components. Some components may bit a bit different 
than called for in the manual (eg the 2R7 caps). Some may be unexpected. 
(The FT22 toroids in the KSB2 looked like fiber washers to me at first)

Inventory is a good exercise. That way, if something is missing, you can 
tell Elecraft and have a part on the way before you get to the build step 
that requires it. It also helps when you get to the end of construction 
and find you have an extra component. (Why do you have an extra? Did 
Elecraft ship an extra, or did you miss something?)

>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.

This is somewhat to excess, but not bad advice. On the other hand, I 
built mine with a single check mark technique, and everything worked the 
first time (with the exception of the stingy S-meter problem).

Double-checking is a good idea. I pour over assembled boards to see that 
component leads are clipped down properly. I'm amazed at how many 
potential lead bridges I find.




Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr@arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901