[Elecraft] T1 tuner assembly problem

[Rob Neece]

I had a problem installing the socket for U1.  It would not go flat against 
the board, because it was apparently pressing against the row of relays 
next to it.  I discovered the problem after 1 pin was soldered, per the 
instructions, and I inspected it to see if it was flat.  It took 
significant pressure to hold the socket down on the relay side.  Moving the 
relays was not an option, so I squeezed the socket down and soldered 
another pin.  Now the socket looked a little warped when viewed from the 
end, because it still pushed up some where there was no pin soldered.

I got past this point by squeezing and soldering my way down the 
socket.  The result was OK, and final assembly did not present a 
problem.  So far the tuner works, but I am concerned about the stress on 
the relays.  In the manual, there are admonitions about putting stress on 
the relay leads or damaging the plastic covers, because this can cause 
premature or outright failure.  I sure hope I don't have to try to remove a 
relay one day.

Perhaps a manual modification is in order?  I think the relays must have 
ended up positioned at the limit toward the socket due to the way that I 
held and flipped the board prior to soldering.  Has anyone else had this 
problem?  A remedy might be to install (or just tack solder) the socket 
prior to installing the relays.

While we are talking about the manual, R1 and R2 in my kit were a bit too 
large to mount flush on the board.  They were not in the normal package 
(with painted color code), but were blue ceramic-looking things.  There 
might be reason to give the kit builder some slack on flush-mounting these 
parts.  Bending the leads at extreme right angles at the end of the package 
will stress the part.  I left mine just above the board.

Rob