[Elecraft] Rework Eliminators

[Darwin, Keith]

Wow Don & Ron, I'm shocked.

Such heavy hitters coming down so hard against the Rework Eliminators
(RE).

As a novice builder, I built a bare-bones K2 with full RE.  I spent the
time going through the RE instructions and writing changes into the K2
manual prior to beginning the kit.  Then I just followed the red-lined
K2 manual for building and aligning.  There were NO issues.  Everything
worked first time.  No funny alignment stuff that I recall.  Just
smooth.

Since then I've added the AF option.  I unplugged the header board,
plugged in the KAF2 and was up and running with no additional mods to
the K2 boards.  I recently swapped the AF for the DSP.  Again, it was
plug and play.  Now I've removed the DSP and am again operating the rig
with just the header board.

Without the RE, what would I have done?  First, I'd have to rework the
K2 to add the parts for the  KAF2.  Then, after deciding I don't want to
use either the KAF2 or the KDSP2, I'd have to either rework the board to
remove the parts I added or I'd have to dangle a jumper wire across pins
on the connectors.  I don't like either of those approaches.  The other
approach is I just leave the KAF2 in there in bypass mode.  This is what
I suspect most K2 owners do.  Buy an option, install it, never take it
out.

I also added the SSB option.  For K2 mods, I had to rework two crystal
grounding leads and had to put the shorting jumpers across the mic
configuration header.  That was it.  KSB2 plugged in and is working
fine.  If I decide to be CW only, I can swap the SSB module for the
header boards and I'm in business.

I'm part way through the KPA100 build and so far, every single K2 mod
that the manual has called for I've been able to skip since those steps
were done during the initial K2 build.

Certainly I don't have the experience or credibility of you two
gentlemen, but I do have my own experience, and for me and my needs, as
far as I can tell so far, the Rework Eliminators have been money very
well spent.

- Keith N1AS -
- K2 5411.ssb -

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 2:12 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Rework Eliminators

Anyone building a K2 with the rework eliminators should read carefully
Don, W3FPR's warnings about how installing them will cause you to have
to make extensive changes to some of the K2 test and alignment
procedures.

If you want to remove a module at some point it's "dirt simple" without
the rework eliminators. It involves fashioning a jumper or two out of
some old clipped resistor leads to fit in the open connectors left when
you pull the module. In one or two cases, the jumper is made with a
supplied fixed capacitor. My S/N 1289 built in 2000 has been torn down
and rebuilt so often I've lost count. It's been a test bed for a number
of the K2 mods and improvements over the years.

Ron AC7AC