[Elecraft] K3 Synthesizer Stiffener Plate Mod

[Lu Romero]

All:

A local friend just received his K3 Kit and took some photos
of the assembly.  I noticed the stiffeners right away and
contacted Gary at Elecraft Support regarding aquiring two
for my rig.  I seem to have some annoying birdies and
figured this shielding would help in at least reducing them.

Gary mentions in his email that they would do nothing for
the birdies.  He sent along a pictorial of a Italian gent
who has rerouted his TMP cables in such a way to
substantially reduce receiver birdies.  This is on my "to
do" list for the radio next time I take it offline.  But,
frankly, its much more fun to USE it than to WORK on it! 
(as an ex Triumph Spitfire owner, I've been there and have
several hundred T-Shirts!) 

I had stopped considering the shields... But Wayne inferred
here that they *DO* add shielding... And with the size of
the birdies, some shielding is better than no shielding!
(PS, I *HATE* the software birdie removal... It punches
holes in the bands! I would rather put up with the birdies
than mask them!)

So, Elecrafters, do we need these "stiffener plates" for
sheilding or for the removal of microphonics, or do they
contribute to both?  (BTW, I dont expect them for free, but
I dont expect to pay $50 plus shipping for them, either!)

I never use the rig with the internal speaker, as I have
external speakers and 99% of the time I use a headset... 
But I might take it portable someday. 

Yes or no on this "modification"?  Will it or will it not
help the annoying birdies?  

I work hard to keep my rig at the latest "factory standard".
 Is this an "elective" or a "requirement"?

-lu-W4LT- 
K3 #3192

***** 

Message: 13
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:53:20 -0700
From: Lyle Johnson <kk7p at wavecable.com>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Synthesizer Stiffener Plate Mod
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Message-ID: <4C865FF0.9040904 at wavecable.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

  Loud internal speaker audio can cause small VCO sidebands.
 If 
present, it causes them on receive as well as transmit.

73,

Lyle KK7P
> As you say you only transmit on the "main VCO"  so putting
the shield on
the
> main vco would deal with speaker rumble issue so putting
it on the subvco
> maybe to improve shielding?