[Elecraft] Few Ideas & a Question

[Dennis Payton]

I just added the KAF2 to my K2 and it's the first I've had the rig opened up
in a while. Working on it gave me the idea to share a few thoughts:



1.) After building the rig, the construction and parts pages of the manual
are of little use, and digging through them when I'm trying to access
something can be a pain in the neck. I went through my manual, bunching
together the pages I no longer need, and taped them together with a strip of
scotch tape top & bottom near the outside of the page. Now I leaf through
the manual and see only currently useful info, and if I ever do need info
from the other pages, all I need to do is cut the tape.



2.) I don't take the "officially" proper precautions when working with
static-sensitive components, but believe I create a static-free environment
by building on a slightly dampened cloth, laying the parts on it, and
keeping my forearms on it.



3.) When using solder braid to clear holes, I first put a drop of rosin
between my fingers and rub it into the braid. I believe the rosin helps even
the crummiest braid to work pretty well. I also keep rosin flux handy when
soldering, and any time there's a question of solder flowing into a joint
properly, I dip my solder into it.



4.) To me, a small piece of perfboard, such as 3/4" x 3", is a great help in
installing resistors. I use it to measure the spacing of the holes in the
board, then to bend the resistor leads before installing them.



 I also have a curious question - one I ask almost every time I build
something: Why don't they manufacture IC's with the correct spacing between
the pins? Since I've been building, I've broken a few pins, and put more
than a few holes in my fingers bending them. I suspect it has to do with
them being built to be handled & installed by machines, not people.



Thanks,



Denny Payton    N9JXY

Auburn, IN