[Elecraft] K2 Crystal Grounding Leads

[Don Wilhelm]

Jim,

That will work, and I have heard of some who did it that way.

I find it is easy (even in the close quarters with the R-Paks) to solder 
the wires to the crystal cans after the crystals are mounted.
My technique is to solder in the ground wires (don't trim the leads on 
the bottom of the board yet)  Above the board, cut the wires to about 
1/4 inch, then use a small flat screwdriver to force the wire in contact 
with the crystal quite close to the base.
Tilt the board so the ground wires so bent are facing sort-of upward - 
place the length of the solder tip alongside the wire and crystal and 
apply a bit of solder to the junction.  Then hold the end of the rest of 
the solder on the crystal case slightly away from the wire.  When that 
solder melts, add a bit more to the wire/can junction and move on to the 
next crystal.

I ground all the K2 crystals near the base.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/20/2011 7:39 PM, Jim Stephens wrote:
> Building a K2.  (Having great fun doing so!)  Working on the RF board.  At
> the point of installing crystals X1-X11.  These have one or two ground leads
> each.  Any reason not to solder the ground leads on the cases first and then
> install the crystals?  This would involve routing three or four leads per
> crystal through the PC board.  Particularly I am thinking of X7-X11 which
> sit right next to RP4 and RP5.  These are close quarters for me.  Thanks and
> 72!
>