[Elecraft] Inventory - construction - etc

[Dave Sergeant]

Reading all the mails in the recent days postings indicates that elecraft constuctors
have a vastly differing range of experience, and perhaps it is excellent news that so
many without years of electronic skills are successfully getting their kits working.
However the bulk of the mails and the many mails not directly related to the K1/K2 is
causing me some problems.

I speak of one who has been in the electronics industry for many many years.  As such
the K2 was relatively straightforward to build  and caused me no problems.  I did not
do an inventory as it was clear (and from the testimony of others) this would not be
necessary.  As it happened I was short of one 1N4007 diode (easily supplied from my
stock) and a surplus of one screw.  I used tobacco tins as temporary storage while I
was working (I don't smoke, no idea where my stock of these came from..), and
binocular eyeglasses were invaluable for reading capacitor values - I did use my L/C
meter to double check on a few items.  I had no problems with winding or tinning the
torroids and did not have to resort to using paper clips or other things.

I now have a fine business working K2 and enjoying having QSOs with it, like going
back to my early days of amateur radio.  The next item I intend to buy is the ATU
option, although matching my long wire via my Yaesu tuner is no problem.

One annoying little problem.  A couple of spots of the black coating on the front
face of the knob have come off exposing the aluminium layer below.  I have tried
touching these up with marker pen but it wears off again very quickly.  Any known
solution to this problem?

73s Dave G3YMC
K2 #2498
dsergeant@iee.org
dsergeant@btinternet.com
http://www.dsergeant.btinternet.co.uk