[Elecraft] kit building or buy ready for use

[Jim Brown]

On Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:03:49 +0100, Volker W„chter wrote:

>as far as I know, elecreft points out that a complete ESD equipment is 
>strictly recommended.

Yes, it is, and it is most critical in cold climates in the winter. But 
that ESD kit can be limited to a wrist strap and a conductive mat. It 
also helps to do your assembly work in a part of your home where ESD is 
minimal (for example, avoid carpets and upholstered furniture). 

I built two K3s, and I'm quite happy that I did. About 10 hours for the 
first one, 8 hours for the second one. The savings is considerable. 
You're simply fitting boards and chassis pieces together. No soldering. 
A few voltmeter and ohmmeter readings to verify that all is well. All 
of the boards are thoroughly tested at the factory. The only tricky 
part is fitting together some multi-pin connectors associated with the 
front panel, and the instructions provide entirely adequate guidance. 
The second receiver is also a bit of a close fit. If you're old and 
feeble, or have some sort of physical handicap, you could enlist the 
support of another person without that handicap for these tasks. 

Bottom line -- I STRONGLY recommend buying the K3 in kit form. 

73,

Jim K9YC