[Elecraft] Very Dissatisfied With Elecraft Support

[Don Wilhelm]

John,

Sorry to hear about your problems. Yes, the 20 meter Pre-Mixer Bandpass 
Filter in the K1 can be a bit difficult to align at times, but the 
situation is not as hopeless as you describe.
The K2 does come with parts to build up an RF Probe, and a replacement 
kit is available from Elecraft for $10 - the kit designation is RFPROBE 
and can be found in the K2 spare parts section of the website. Caution: 
This is a kit of parts only (no instructions), but is not difficult at all.

If you feel you cannot build it without instructions, contact me 
off-reflector - perhaps we can resolve this for you. An RF Probe is a 
good tool to have in your shack.

73,
Don W3FPR

Jon Perelstein wrote:
> 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
>   
>