[Elecraft] kit building or buy ready for use

[Ed Muns]

Hi, Phil.  The vast majority of K3 kits are assembled with no problems.
K6LL's experience is rare.  I personally value the kit building experience
more than Dave indicated.  OTOH, I can also see the comfort in the integrity
of a factory-built/tested K3.  So, it really comes down to each individual's
preferences and what they each value as most important.  There is not a
single right answer for everyone.

The point that Dave and I are making is that saving some cost on the kit is
not the only consideration.  The value of the factory-built K3s is not just
the assembly time and labor but also the system testing.

Ed - W0YK
-----------------------------------------------
Ed Muns
Muns Vineyard - www.munsvineyard.com 
FaceBook - www.facebook.com/munsvineyard 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Phil Hystad [mailto:k7peh at comcast.net] 
> Sent: Sunday, 20 December, 2009 18:40
> To: w0yk at msn.com
> Cc: 'Dave Hachadorian'; 'Elecraft Reflector'
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] kit building or buy ready for use
> 
> I would like to see more comments from K3 kit builders to 
> counter these points being made here.
> 
> I am also planning on getting the K3 and there is only one 
> thing that is holding up my order right now and that is 
> trying to figure out when I can spend the time to put it 
> together.  But, I am also a little bit wondering if the cost 
> differential of kit versus factory built is worth the 
> learning experience when you contrast that with the hassles 
> of potential problems.
> 
> If the kit cost versus factory built cost were different by a 
> wider margin it would be an easier decision.
> 
> phil, K7PEH
> 
> 
> On Dec 20, 2009, at 6:27 PM, Ed Muns wrote:
> 
> > This is an important point and one that should be considered in the 
> > decision to get the factory-built K3 or the kit.  Actually the 
> > sub-assemblies are tested as individual units.  But the set of 
> > sub-assemblies in a kit have not been tested together as a system.  
> > The factory system tests are more rigorous than what most 
> of us can do 
> > with the kit and certainly more rigorous than the kit instructions 
> > provide.  And, while rare, it is possible that sub-assembly 
> tolerances 
> > can combine in a way that causes a system problem.  
> (However, most, if 
> > not all, of such system issues are resolved via email or phone with 
> > Elecraft support.)
> > 
> > So the key considerations are money saved and K3 learning vs. the 
> > value of the factory system testing.  Of course, you can 
> always send 
> > your kit K3 to the factory for the system test but that is 
> likely to 
> > be more expensive than getting the factory-built unit in 
> the first place.
> > 
> > Ed - W0YK
> > -----------------------------------------------
> > Ed Muns
> > Muns Vineyard - www.munsvineyard.com
> > FaceBook - www.facebook.com/munsvineyard
> > 
> > K6LL wrote:
> >> I recommend that you buy it factory-built, at least for the basic 
> >> unit.
> >> 
> >> I have two K3's.  One I bought second-hand, and one I built. 
> >> The one I built had a missing major part, which caused a 
> delay, and 
> >> then didn't work when it was finished. It turned out that 
> there was 
> >> an unsoldered component on the motherboard, which was 
> undetectable in 
> >> factory subassembly testing.
> >> 
> >> Although you save $200 by building it yourself, you really don't 
> >> learn much in the process, and you have to spend about
> >> $25 for an ESD mat. If you have to ship it back to the factory, it 
> >> will cost you $50 in the USA, and much more from overseas.
> >> 
> >> There is no substitute for the final system tests that the 
> >> factory-assembled units get. Subassemblies are not tested 100%.
> > 
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