[Elecraft] K3 - SMT mods

[Brian Lloyd]

> If I was 40 years younger then buying such a tool might be a good
> investment, like many of the tools I currently own. But failing  
> eyesight and
> unsteady hands mean that construction involving SMT parts is now out  
> of the
> question, and any electronic constructional activity has become more  
> of a
> chore than a pleasure, so at this point in my life it would be a  
> complete
> waste of money. Hence my rather abrubt dismissal of your suggestion.

No worries. I didn't take it personally. I am finding that I am more  
shaky than I was years ago. I also discovered that I don't want to  
drink two cups of coffee before trying to stuff an SMT board. :-)

But just as a point, the 4th and 5th year students do not have the  
best fine-motor coordination either. They really like the SMT work as  
they can be a bit sloppy and still achieve almost perfect results.  
When the solder paste melts, surface tension pulls the components into  
alignment with the pads on the board. It is amazing to watch all the  
little parts move around and line up where they are supposed to be. It  
looks like something out of a science-fiction movie.

I wish I had gotten a picture of two of my 5th-year students (girls).  
They were stuffing a SoftRock board with the SMT parts in prep for  
baking. They had taped paper napkins over their faces like surgical  
masks and were working over my ring magnifier. One girl was applying  
solder paste with a syringe and the other was placing the parts with  
tweezers. When I came over to where they were working they shooed me  
away explaining that they were involved in a very delicate operation  
and that I was not invited into the operating room unless I had  
"scrubbed up". The board came out perfectly after baking.

> Elecraft's decision to make the K3 a no-solder kit was exactly the  
> right one
> for me. I am going to have to do without this modification unless I  
> can find
> a way to do it without risk of harming the K3 and without requiring  
> any
> special equipment. I have had enough feedback to suggest that my  
> idea should
> work (though still suggesting that I should try it first on something
> disposable.)

You might want to get a SoftRock lite board. They are cheap and very  
cool to play with. You can get your feet wet with both SMT and SDR all  
at once and all for the cost of about $30(us).

--

Brian Lloyd                         Granite Bay Montessori
brian AT gbmontessori DOT com       9330 Sierra College Blvd.
+1.916.367.2131 (voice)             Roseville, CA 95661, USA
                                    http://www.gbmontessori.com

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . .
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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--

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