[Elecraft] K3 #764 experience and critique

[Fred Jensen]

Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> So far, all the cases of a "loose" headphone washer that I've seen were
> because the front panel pc board wasn't completely seated in the front panel
> sheet metal. Rather, one edge of the microphone connector is binding in the
> hole in the sheet metal, keeping the board from fitting all the way against
> the panel. The Front Panel pc board will flex quite easily when the screws
> are tightened and it doesn't take to cause the washer on the nearby PHONES
> jack to be loose. Figure 37 shows exactly how the microphone connector
> should appear when it's properly seated. The text at the top of page 29
> describes how to seat it properly if it is binding.

This is *exactly* what happened to me.  The mic connector shoulder was 
originally seated correctly.  Later on, I had to take a couple of screws 
out because while reviewing recent steps, I realized I'd used the wrong 
washers.  Apparently that was when the board hung up on the shoulder of 
the mic connector.  I didn't realize it until it was time to do the 
final FP assembly.  Once I backed up and got it right, all the holes 
lined up perfectly.
> 

Regarding the assembly manual:  I made two notes as I worked with the 
intention of pointing them out to Ron.  When I got around to it and 
re-read the instruction, it turned out the problems were a technical 
difficulty in my mind.

FWIW:  While doing the initial 10W SSB adjustments, I was into the dummy 
load on 14294.  I began to get ERR TXF messages and it wouldn't transmit 
when I tapped XMIT.  Thanks to W0YK, I finally figured out that I had 
put it into AM mode, probably while messing around with TEST mode.  Not 
sure what it was telling me, but it's working fine now.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2008 Cal QSO Party  4-5 Oct 08
- www.cqp.org