[Elecraft] K3 power supply question

[David Yarnes]

David and All,

Well, some folks want everything!  Maybe a voltmeter and an oscilloscope 
should come with every kit as well!  Or perhaps a magnifying visor and 
tweezers should be included when SMD parts are involved.

I'm being facetious--sorry!  But I think you are overreacting to the 
problem.  You probably can make a decent connection without a special 
tool--it's just harder to do.  You can take a non-specific crimping tool and 
carefully manipulate the connector into a pretty good connection.  It's just 
that the APP tool does it in one easy press.  Mitch at the Ham Stop (now 
defunct I think) showed me how to do it at one of the hamfests.  He was 
selling those $10 crimpers as well as the $50 APP crimpers, and demonstrated 
why the APP tool was so much easier, but not absolutely necessary.  It took 
3 or 4 different manipulating presses with the cheaper tool.  But the end 
result looked pretty good.  You sort of have to coax (as in "persuade", not 
RG8) the connector to form and clamp properly over the wire.  I think you 
could do the same thing with most other crimping tools.  The problem most 
people have with the cheaper crimpers is that they try to do it with one 
crushing push.  That usually causes the connector to bend inwards too much 
leaving a gap with wire strands not captured.  You want to clamp the 
connector on, but without leaving a gap.  So, pushing both from the top and 
from the sides helps you do this.  It doesn't take all that much time, but 
it only takes a couple of seconds with the APP tool.

So don't assume you are SOL because you don't have the perfect tool.  I have 
several connectors around that were made before I got the APP tool.  They 
are just fine.  But now that I have adopted the APP system almost 
exclusively, it only makes good sense to get the best tool.  Besides, most 
of the really experienced folks I know say you get a better connection with 
this system.  So why wouldn't you want to "bite the bullet" a bit and gear 
up for a better system???

Dave W7AQK


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <d.cutter at ntlworld.com>
To: "Darwin, Keith" <Keith.Darwin at goodrich.com>; <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 8:46 AM
Subject: Re: RE: [Elecraft] K3 power supply question


> There was once an issue as to whether special tools were required to 
> assemble a K3.  It was also described as requiring no soldering.  I 
> believe the cable should be supplied ready assembled.  Don't forget those 
> folks outside the US who pay a lot for US tools, plus shipping plus import 
> tax plus mark up....
>
> David
> G3UNA
>>
>> From: "Darwin, Keith" <Keith.Darwin at goodrich.com>
>> Date: 2008/04/01 Tue PM 04:33:18 BST
>> To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
>> Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K3 power supply question
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> What am I missing here? Why isn't Elecraft assembling the connectors to
>> the wire as a part of their process?
>> ------------------------
>>
>> Kit vs. Factory built.  Kits are, well, kits.
>>
>> - Keith N1AS -
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