[Elecraft] #0771 ... just fabulous ... somebody deserves a pat on the back!

k9ztv k9ztv at socket.net
Sat Dec 23 16:53:44 EST 2006


Someone Wrote:

> K2 #0771 is just a week shy of 7 years old.
> 
> In that time, except for brief periods of transport to
> and from Field Day, and for bench work (upgrades), it
> has  been powered on continuously.
> 
> Yes, that's right, nearly seven years of power-on
> time.  Zero failures.  Never disconnected from an
> antenna.
> 
> This is Collins territory, folks.





Taking nothing away from Elecraft -- for the praise is well deserved, 
especially the bit about being in Art Collins' league -- yet in all 
fairness the same could be said of my Drake Twins which are now 36 years 
old and have had no maintenance other than one new pair of finals about 
15 years ago and one new driver about 10 years ago.

While I have not left them on continuously, they HAVE been cycled on and 
off hundreds (perhaps thousands) of times during those 36 years which is 
profoundly harder on components, especially switches.  Thus likewise 
"zero-failures" for Bob Drake's design in whose league we can equally 
put Elecraft.

However, by comparison, during assembly of a KX1 I did note the warning 
in the manual about not turning the RF gain control too frequently 
because that pot "has a life expectancy of 200 rotations."

Hmmmmmm.  I know I've rotated the RF gain (and also the AF gain) on the 
R4-B a lot more than 200 revolutions over 36 years and have yet to need 
even a squirt of De-Oxit on either one of those pots.

Moral . . .

Keep 'em cool, keep 'em dust-free, keep 'em happy with the impedance and 
nearly ALL ham equipment will outlive it's owner.

My opinion only . . .


73,

Kent Trimble, K9ZTV







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