[Elecraft] Re: Elecraft digest, Vol 1 #353

[Jeremiah J McCarthy]

I doubt that the toroids would survive the acceleration and vibration of
a shuttle launch using RTV, it is too soft, flexible, and yielding...NASA
would probably want conformal coating both for physical strength and
electrical integrity...Arcing can occur at partial vacuum in circuits
that will not arc at atmosphere...We found that out at Grumman in 1968
with the star trackers in the OAO, the predecessor of the Hubble space
telescope...Once a circuit board is conformal coated, rework is just
about out of the question...

Jerry, wa2dkg


BZZZZZT!
 
I don't think you're going to see them building a K2 on the ISS.
 
The toxic fumes notwithstanding, they don't have the TIME to do so.  In
the event of a failure, the K2 would simply be put back in the locker and
not thought about again (until such time as they needed that space).
 
As for surviving the shake test, drop test, etc, there are simple
solutions to them both.  RTV along with cushioning foam.  I am not sure
how the VFO shaft would fair the tortioning here but, everything INSIDE
the rig should be fine.
 
It _does_ make it a real bitch to work on though.
 
73 de John - K4WTF
K2/100 #2490