[Elecraft] K3 front panel assembly

[Tom Hammond]

Fred:

At 10:40 09/05/2007, Fred (FL) wrote:
>I've gotten used to the "pretested" "pre-created PCB"
>and samo samo set of K3 parts and components and
>PCB's and ............. in the K3 kit version.
>
>I learned long time ago there are no dumb questions,
>only poor souls who won't ask them.
>
>I was hoping the front panel, and "control pcb
>and display board" if there is one - are pre-made
>and like all the other K3 boards,  tested and
>checked out to some Elecraft K3 standard.

And they ARE, Fred...

Maybe I wasn't specific enough... ALL (emphasis added here)
PC boards (including the Front Panel PC board) WILL be FULLY
ASSEMBLED and TESTED and PRE-ALIGNED...!!

Eric just wrote me with...

   "The customer will have to do final alignment of the BPFs in
   TX (like the K2), and will have to run the other alignment
   routines like the VCO MD CAL *similar to CAL PLL in the K2)
   routine. We'll do quick alignment in order to test everything,
   but will not do a final, 'fine tuned' alignment."

   The customer will also build their APP power cable. (So they
   get to do -some- soldering!) - <G>

You, as the assembler, if you buy the kit, WILL have to install
the Front Panel PC board onto the metalwork named Front Panel Cover,
but there is NO soldering required.

>As much
>as we all like the smell of solder - seems to me,
>the majority of problems with the K2 has always
>been dumb or inept construction soldering and
>component mistakes.  So if I have to pay bigger bucks
>for a better transceiver, and still not get 2m or
>440 - I'd much rather get as much pre-tested
>stuff, as the Elecraft principles think we
>can handle.  I want to end up with samo
>and samo - as the "finishied K3" guys and
>gals.

And there's NO REASON you shouldn't do just that,
with just a few hours of 'sweat equity' involved.

>My dad, W2PZW from the spark 20's days, was
>color blind.  He couldn't get an early days
>electronics job with the NBC radio companies
>of those days because of his visual problem.
>But I suspect he could have bought the K3 kit, and
>ended up with a fully functional transceiver.
>
>I'm not sure how dense the K3 is, it doesn't
>appear too daunting - but if Icom had decided
>to have hams build the IC-7000 from parts
>as a solder-kit, I can imagine the success
>and failure stories.

73,

Tom   N0SS