[Elecraft] K2 lifespan

[Jim Wiley]

Shane -


I understand what you are saying, but there may be more you can do.  For 
example, building the kit does indeed give you insight on how it works, 
how it is aligned (tuned up), and how the parts look and feel and fit 
together.  Not  unimportant by any means.   You gain lots of confidence 
for when it comes time to repair of modify the thing  - -  But as the 
Ronco ads used to say, "There's more!!"


If you really want to  get inside the nuts and bolts of your radio, look 
into purchasing a book called "The Electronics of Radio", by David 
Rutledge.  This book is available from various vendors, including 
Amazon.com (no connection).  The book breaks down each circuit and how 
it works, and you really learn something.  The book is designed to be 
used while building  (or at least having available for testing) a Norcal 
40A


Here is the blurb from the Amazon page: 

_______


This innovative book provides a stimulating introduction to analog 
electronics by analyzing the design and construction of a radio 
transceiver. The author provides essential theoretical background at 
each step, along with carefully designed laboratory and homework 
exercises. This structured approach ensures a good grasp of basic 
electronics as well as an excellent foundation in wireless 
communications systems. The author begins with a thorough description of 
basic electronic components and simple circuits. He then describes the 
key elements of radio electronics, including filters, amplifiers, 
oscillators, mixers, and antennas. In the laboratory exercises, he leads 
the reader through the design, construction, and testing of a popular 
radio transceiver (the NorCal 40A), thereby illustrating and reinforcing 
the theoretical material. A diskette containing the widely known circuit 
simulation software, Puff, is included in the book. This book, the first 
to deal with elementary electronics in the context of radio, can be used 
as a textbook for introductory analog electronics courses, or for more 
advanced undergraduate classes on radio-frequency electronics. It will 
also be of great interest to electronics hobbyists and radio enthusiasts.

______


As far as I know, the 40A is still available from vendors such as 
Wilderness Radio.  Designed by Wayne Burdick, of Elecraft fame, too. 
<grin>    This may be the answer to what you are looking for.   The book 
is in the $55 range, the transceiver in the 150's plus postage.  An 
excellent investment if you want to really understand what is going on.


The Wilderness Radio Norcal 40A page is at:  
http://www.fix.net/%7Ejparker/wilderness/nc40a.htm 
<http://www.fix.net/%7Ejparker/wilderness/nc40a.htm>


But, don't give up on building a K2.  The build is enjoyable, and you 
end up with one of the nicest little sets around. 


- Jim, KL7CC





Shane wrote:
> Are you really learning anything from the assembly process. My career
> in not at all in hardware, I'm totally 100% a software person, and
> though I understand the concepts at a high level … after I saw how
> many pieces came w/ this radio … I started looking to see if the
> factory would build it.
>
>