[Elecraft] K1 VFO problem solved!

[W2AGN]

 You are not going to believe this! I have been going NUTS trying to get the
VFO working on K1 #1151. This is my second K1. I suspected the polystyrene
caps, so ordered replacements. Didn'r help. SO, I went through the check out
 
 
VFO WAS oscillating, I could measure it on another.  freq counter and it was
OK. Lost the sig at Q9.
 
Both emitter and collecter of Q9 showed ground. Pilled Q9...both pads still
showed ground. 
 
Looked and looked with magnifying glass..no ground.
 
FINALLY, found it in the most UNLIKELY place. There was a fault on the board
 There is a "jumper" trace from C8 to Q9 on the TOP of the board. One of the
"pads" on this trace was shorted to ground at the edge. I did a little
scraping with an exacto knofe and VOILA! It works!No, this was not a solder
short. That "pad" is never soldered to, not was there any solder on it. The
short was hidden under the silkscreening for Q11, so it was hard to see.
 
First time I have ever found a bad trace on an Elecraft board.  For info,
the board is "K1 2001, Rev E." I don't know if any others are like this.
Probably with my luck, I got the only one. (But I did win it at Atlanticon,
so guess I can't complain).
 
 
+-++-++-++-++-+ John L. Sielke
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