[Elecraft] K2 Miscellaneous Build Questions

[Don Wilhelm]

Jon,

It is OK for the component bodies to touch - yes that capacitor is large.
Magnetized tools are not a problem - it is electrostatic charges that 
can cause problems.  I do not like magnetized tools on my workbench 
since they do tend to collect things such as cutoff leads which I find 
annoying - it would especially annoy me in the case of cutters.  When my 
screwdrivers get close to things like a speaker magnet, I need to spend 
a bit of time de-magnetizing them.

If you have an old Weller soldering gun, it can be used as an effective 
de-magnetizer.  Just insert the tool into the loop between the two arms 
that hold the tip and turn it on - wave the tool back and forth for a 
bit and then slowly remove it at least 2 feet away from the gun - you 
can then remove power from the soldering gun and you will find the tool 
has been de-magnetized.  You must have a tip (or a loop of wire) mounted 
in the soldering gun to make a continuous current for this to work, you 
will feel the 'buzz' in the tool you are demagnetizing.

Have faith, the parts do not actually multiply (it just seems so).  As 
you progress, you will see the number of loose parts slowly decrease.

73,
Don W3FPR

Jon Perelstein wrote:
> I just started building a K2 and I have a couple of questions:
>  
> 1.  On the Control Board, when I installed capacitor C4 (0.47 microF, monolithic cap "474"), it somewhat overhangs and touches diode D1 (1N4148).  C4 is a rather thick (fat) capacitor and there doesn't seem to be any way to install it without it overhanging and touching D1.  Is this okay?
>  
> 2.  After getting through pg. 14 and most of the capacitors on pg. 15, I noticed that my new diagonal cutters (bought from Radio Shack) are slightly magnetic -- that is, they attract and pick up the clipped leads.  I have of course gotten rid of them -- but do you think that using those cutters could have damaged anything?  Fortunately, I had not gotten to any of the ICs or transistors when I discovered this.
>  
> 3.  Why is it after getting all the way through pages 14, 15, and 16, it appears that there are more components than ever remaining to be installed??  Do they procreate at night when I'm not looking?
>
>