[Elecraft] Very Dissatisfied With Elecraft Support

[n4lq]

Jon
I'm sure theres plenty of guys here that would be more than happy to help 
you get it going if you don't mind sending it to them. I have a K1 and would 
be glad to help you want to ship it to KY. There may be someone closer to 
your QTH.
That kit is a bit much for someone unfamiliar with electronics.

Steve Ellington
N4LQ at insightbb.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jon Perelstein" <jperelst at yahoo.com>
To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 9:22 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] Very Dissatisfied With Elecraft Support


>I ordered a K1 based that "They all . have built-in test equipment to 
>simplify alignment and
> testing" (from the Elecraft web site).  Now -- according to Elecraft 
> support -- I have to source
> obsolete parts from China, buy drill equipment and copper bathroom pipe, 
> and rip apart my
> television (or my computer) to cannibalize printed circuit boards.
>
> Either that or buy an oscilloscope that would cost me more than the K1.
>
> I'm building a 2 band K1 -- 40 meters (band 1) and 20 meters (band 2). 
> During receiver alignment,
> Band 1 (40 meters) seems to be working fine.  Band 2 (20 meters) however, 
> does nothing.
>
> The support guys are telling me that I have to build an RF probe for 
> further testing, and they've
> pointed me to a schematic in the K1 user manual and told me to go build 
> the probe from scratch.
> That's about as useful to me as pointing me to the schematic of the K1 and 
> telling me to go build
> the K1 from scratch.
>
> I'm a new ham (March, 2008).  I'm not a home electronic hobbyist.  I don't 
> have test equipment.  I
> have no experience at homebrew, nor do I have the knowledge to do so. I 
> bought the K1 as a starter
> to get my feet wet in working electronics.
>
> After a number of emails with support about how to build an RF probe (a 
> question that was
> repeatedly ignored), I was finally referred to a couple of different web 
> sites:
>
> -  The first site starts out with ". using an old piece of double-sided 
> printed circuit board that
> you have in your junk bin .".
>
> Where exactly do I have double-sided printed circuit board sitting around? 
> Do I hacksaw off a
> hunk from my television or from my computer?  Radio Shack doesn't sell it, 
> nor does Mouser.
>
> -  The next site also wants me to use double-sided printed circuit board, 
> plus they want me to
> insert it into a copper pipe and drill holes through the pipe.
>
> Riiiight . so in other words I have to go out and buy a drill that's 
> capable of drilling through
> copper.  And I have to buy the copper pipe and end caps.  Will I have to 
> get the pipe threaded in
> order to mount the end caps?
>
> -  Then there's the site that built the RF probe inside a ball-point pen. 
> The author of that site
> admitted that it took him a number of tries before he was able to build it 
> without breaking the
> diode, and that this is a project for the more advanced hobbyist.
>
> It also turns out that nobody carries the diode specified by the schematic 
> (1N34A).  According to
> Mouser, it's obsolete and out of stock, but if I want to pay a couple of 
> hundred bucks, they'll
> gladly source it from China.  Mouser will sell me something that they 
> claim is a replacement for
> the 1N34A, but all of the web sites I've been referred to tell me not to 
> use that specific
> replacement.
>
> I bought a kit because it comes with all the parts, has a pre-built 
> chassis, has pre-drilled
> holes, and includes complete and well-thought out instructions on how to 
> mount everything  -- as
> well as a commitment to provide support during the construction process.
>
> Maybe in two or three years I'll have the experience to build my own RF 
> probe, but in the meantime
> I'm stuck with a K1 that I can't finish without an RF probe, and there's 
> no way that I can build
> an RF probe without a trip to China.
>
> Anybody want a mostly complete K1?  Make me an offer -- I'll even throw in 
> shipping.
>
> Jon
> KB1QBZ
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 269.23.16/1434 - Release Date: 5/15/2008 
7:24 AM