[Elecraft] KX1 Battery Pack Connection Broke

[Don Wilhelm]

Matt,

If your wire leads are more than 1.5 inches long, the original builder 
did not dress the wires under the battery holders correctly. refer to 
the manual instructions for the battery holder installation for the 
proper way to route the battery wires.

Properly routed, the connector pulls off when you remove the back cover, 
and it is easy to put back on its mating connector after you change the 
batteries.  If the wires are not routed properly, you have to "fuss" 
with them every time you remove/replace the back cover.

Yes,many builders have trouble with not only the proper installation of 
the crimp pins, but also the routing of the battery wires.  My method is 
to mount the right battery holder, then push its red wire under the 
holder (up to the point where the heat-shrink has been added), then hold 
the black wire from the left battery holder under the holder in 
approximately the correct position and fasten that holder loosely with 
the screw closest to the edge of the cover.
Now, you can fiddle with the wires - the black one from the right holder 
is routed around the corner of the holder - that is usually not a 
problem.  The black wire from the right holder is routed outside the 
black wire from the left one, and goes behind the mounting foot 
projection - you can lift the edge of the battery holder a bit and slide 
a thin screwdriver point in to position that wire.  The short red wire 
from the left holder goes under the holder and behind the round tab, 
exiting the battery holder about the same place as the black wire.

Look at the diagram in the manual.

If your wires are not routed like that, I strongly recommend you arrange 
then that way - they will give you fewer problems in the future.

On 8/9/2012 6:25 PM, Matt Hancock wrote:
> Got it. Bottom line is, even after cutting and adding the new crimp
> pins, I'll have enough wire to open the back.
>
> Will make sure to disconnect the connector from the board when opening
> up in the future!
>
> ... Matt
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Aug 9, 2012, at 12:10 PM, Don Wilhelm <w3fpr at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Matt,
>>
>> If I understand you correctly, the answer is no, you would cut off the old crimp pins and solder the wires to the new ones.  There is a diagram in the Final Assembly section of the manual.
>> If (and only if) you have the proper crimping tool, you may crimp the leads instead of soldering, but very few have that tool.
>>
>> The leads must be short - there is not much extra space inside the KX1.- only about 1 1/2 inches should be free.  When you remove the back to change the batteries, you would normally just remove the connector from the KX1 board.
>>
>> Many builders do not insert the crimp pins into the housing correctly.
>>
>> There are small tabs that must lock into the rectangular holes in the back of the housing.  You must slide the crimp pins in with some pressure toward that side of the housing - there are slots on the inside of the housing where the "flanges" of the crimp pin slide.
>>
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>>
>> On 8/9/2012 12:00 PM, Matt Hancock wrote:
>>> That sounds like a good idea. Just to be clear, the second set of crimp
>>> pins would plug into the first set, in the housing, thereby giving the
>>> leads enough space to bend when the back cover is opened and I'm replacing
>>> the batteries?
>>>
>>> ... Matt
>>>
>>> On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 7:23 AM, Don Wilhelm <w3fpr at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Matt,
>>>>
>>>> I would cut the black wire off at the same point, then order 2 of the
>>>> crimp pins and if you cannot get the old pins out of the housing, order a
>>>> new housing too.
>>>>
>>>> See the KX1 manual for assembly of the housing.
>>>>
>>>> It makes no sense to me to replace the entire battery pack, you would just
>>>> have to assemble it even with all new parts.
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>> Don W3FPR
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 8/8/2012 8:06 PM, Matt Hancock wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi there,
>>>>>
>>>>> I recently purchased a slightly used KX1.
>>>>>
>>>>> Went to use it in the field last week, and as I was popping in
>>>>> batteries to the internal pack, the red wire broke at the point at
>>>>> which it it is soldered to the little whit clip that connects to the
>>>>> transceiver.
>>>>>
>>>>> Can I easily replace the battery pack with a new one?
>>>>>
>>>>> 73,
>>>>>
>>>>> Matt, AC9BQ
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
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