[Elecraft] K1 #1181 on the air

[Steve Jackson]

K1 #1181 has joined K2 #771 in the shack.  The K1, a birthday gift from the
XYL, will be the 'frequently portable' radio.

I made two construction errors on the 4-band board.  I wanted to mention
what I did wrong and what happened, so that someone else can benefit from
observing my carelessness.

Turns out that I installed the premix coupling transformer incorrectly.  It
was wound fine, and had no PTTL syndrome (I use a solder pot).  I just
didn't see the green vs. red wires right ... now for the interesting part:
the SA602 that drives it ran warm, and sucked down an extra 30 mA doing so.

This is a good habit reinforcement:  when assembling any kit, power it
through an analog ammeter if you have one.  (I've been doing this since I
was eleven, 30 years' now, and it's always proven to be a good idea.)  The
rig was working, but not properly, and drawing nearly 100% more juice (85
mA) than it was supposed to.  And since when does a 602 dissipate heat?

I thought the chip was bad, even though bad '602 chips are darned rare ...
and I pulled it and replaced it.  (Thanks are in order to Scott and Gary.)

New chip : Same symptom!  Took me a while to find this first error, with a
bright light and magnifying glass.  Being on this side of 40 is a new
experience ...

I easily fixed the 'chip problem' by removing the transformer and
reinstalling it correctly, and then the radio sprang to life.

On two bands.

Whoops.  Error #2:  I apparently got dyslexic on T3 and T4.  They were
swapped.  I un-swapped them, and now have a smashingly effective 4-band K1.

Ordered the noise blanker today.  Don't know if I'll need it, but better to
have it than not.  KAT1 is next.

72  Steve KZ1X/4
Chapel Hill, NC

PS:  just got my HFPacker amp kit in.  Woohoo, more toroids!  Glad I bought
that solder pot!  Will get it built, in an EC1 case, by Independence Day.  I
hope.