[Elecraft] K3 - SMT mods

[Brian Lloyd]

On Jun 22, 2008, at 1:40 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> For many Hams today one of the most interesting parts of Amateur  
> Radio is
> figuring out how to get something done without all the resources  
> we'd expect
> to find in a well-financed laboratory. It isn't all about money,  
> although
> most of us live on a strict budget. It's the challenge to find a way  
> and
> develop the skills to do the job with the resources at hand that  
> gives some
> of us as much satisfaction as a DXCC certificate or top score in a  
> contest
> does for others.

Certainly. Lots of people "roll their own". I love vacuum tubes like  
to resurrect boat anchors.

But I suspect that most of us own tools that we purchased rather than  
constructed. I suspect almost everyone here has a set of screwdrivers,  
a set of sockets, needle-nose pliers and various cutters, a soldering  
iron, a DMM, etc., that they purchased. I am betting that most people  
have several hundred dollars invested in tools. Of course, tools last  
a long time. I am still using hand tools I purchased 40 years ago.

I know that I am not about to manufacture my own hot-air rework tool,  
especially when I can purchase one for $79(us). (http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/9445 
) I also know that I am going to continue to encounter SMT if I  
continue playing with amateur radio. So far the sub-$100(us) hot-air  
tool has worked just fine. It has been used to build several softrock  
boards and even to remove components installed backwards on the K2.  
(11-year-old kids get in a hurry and aren't good about reading  
instructions carefully.)

BTW, a hot-air rework tool beats the snot out of solder-wick and a  
solder-sucker for getting parts out of a board.

So, I applaud those who manage to "make do" with what is on hand.  
OTOH, I wanted to point out that there are relatively low-cost tools  
designed to do the job.

Now people get to decide for themselves how they want to spend their  
time and their money.

--

73 de Brian, WB6RQN
Brian Lloyd - brian HYPHEN wb6rqn AT lloyd DOT com