[Elecraft] Building a K2 kit ...

Sun Nov 9 22:45:00 2003

Great list.

An additional suggestions that I'd like to add is to update your manual with
changes specified in the errata PRIOR to starting the kit.

-rob
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael D. Heit KD7YLA" <[email protected]>
To: "Elecraft List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 5:16 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] Building a K2 kit ...

> Rich,
>  Congratulations on the new K2 kit, you won't be disappointed and it
> will not be that hard. I just completed my K2 with all options except
> the 100 watt amp ... in retrospect I can say this:
>
>    1. INVENTORY all the K2 bags first, one at a time and keep the
>       components from being mixed up from one bat to another. The RFa
>       and the RFb bags can be mixed since you'll need all of them to
>       finish the rf board.
>    2. Get a good solder station with a small tip if you haven't already
>       done so. The K2 spaces are not too close, but the solder bridges I
>       did make were cuz my tip is a wide one compared to a small chisel
>       type.
>    3. Make photocopies of your printed circuit boards on both sides
>       [better yet scan them in and post them on the web, if you need a
>       host site to post them let me know, I can post them on my website
>       for you...] this way if you have any questions about bridges or
>       parts placement [polarity, etc.] you'll have a copy of an empty
>       board to use.
>    4. I used paper egg carton trays to keep my parts in during
>       construction. I put all the 103, 102,101's, etc. parts in their
>       respective bins having marked all the bins as per the inventory
>       list. Took about 4 one dozen cartons to make enough spots for all
>       the parts, mostly the caps ... the resistors are on a taped string
>       which is nice. Some guys stick the parts in the order of assembly
>       in the end of a box .... I just lump em into their separate bins
>       in the egg cartons ...
>    5. Take your time, come up for air every 15 to 20 minutes ... read
>       very carefully each step, and in particular, steps during
>       construction that may take several sub steps to finish the
>       particular point you are at ... some times it is easy to mess up
>       by not know all the methods and manners this kit will take during
>       phases of building. Been there done that ...:)
>    6. COMPLETE THE BASIC K2 WITH OUT ANY OF THE OPTIONS FIRST !!! Don't
>       be tempted to build the options and add them in during
>       construction... the time and effort to disassemble and modify the
>       K2 with the mods is much less work than trying to align a kit that
>       has been modified ...
>    7. It will help to make good notes on the side of your manual as you
>       go, date, time, any thoughts or problems or things that come up so
>       you can go back and refer to "what did I do last," sort of
>       situation ... it happens.
>    8. Use this list, it really helped me in my effort, even though I
>       have built many kits and scratch build projects over the years ...
>       and the list members will jump right in there and help you solve
>       the problems that will crop up.
>    9. If you have someone there who can eyeball the work as you go along
>       from time to time it can reduce the chance of the "can't see the
>       forest for the trees" syndrome .....I did this and he caught a
>       solder bridge I had looked right over ... (red face)  ...  don't
>       be ashamed or afraid to ask questions ...
>   10. Contact elecraft when things don't seem right or if something is
>       missing... those folks will solve the problem ... immediately in
>       most cases. They even told me that I had a part missing before I
>       completed my initial inventory. You can inventory the options bags
>       when you get to them ... hope this has helped some. Have fun, talk
>       at you on the air... oh, and if you plan to connect to the PC I
>       highly recommend the program Ham Radio Deluxe ...
>
>   http://sysgem.decus.ch/hb9drv/HamRadioDeluxeVersion011b196.exe
>
> and the manual is here :
>
>  http://sysgem.decus.ch/hb9drv/Satellites.pdf
>
> Take care, have fun ... tty on the air...
>
>
> 73, de Michael Heit KD7YLA
> "Real Hams do it at a high frequency"
>
> -- 
> 73, de Michael Heit KD7YLA
> "Real Hams do it at a high frequency"
>
>
>
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