[Elecraft] KX3 shipping status update

[Gary K9GS]

I'm in the contract electronic manufacturing business and I've been with 
the same company for ~26 years.  I see a LOT of new manufacturing 
projects crossing my desk each year.  This is nothing unusual and it's 
why you do prototypes.  Most people don't realize the manufacturing 
process steps needed to build a PCB, particularly a multilayer board.

I agree Fred...there does need to be some hand-holding between design 
and manufacturing engineering.  My favorite saying is that, "anyone can 
build one, but can you build 1000?"

I mentioned this to Wayne at Dayton last year...the company that 
fabricates and assembles Elecraft's PC Boards is absolutely first rate.  
I examined the K3 boards under a magnifying lens.



On 3/18/2012 10:18 PM, Fred Jensen wrote:
> Just part of manufacturing and production engineering. :-)  We had
> 4-layer boards [signals on the outside, pwr and gnd in the middle to cut
> down crosstalk], and in the prototypes, multiple thrus got plated to the
> inside layers.  Hey ... prototypes ... we used a couple of marine 12V
> batteries and burned the plating off so we could use them for testing.
> The board house sweated the bullets and fixed it for our customers.
>
> I've always thought the design engineers should spend some time with the
> manufacturing engineers.  Just because you can think it up doesn't mean
> you can make it, in quantity, at a profit.  For the record, I'm retired
> from neither design nor manufacturing engineering.  I just admire my
> E-radios.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred K6DGW
> - Northern California Contest Club
> - CU in the 2012 Cal QSO Party 6-7 Oct 2012
> - www.cqp.org
>
>
> On 3/18/2012 7:04 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
>
>> Yes. And sweating bullets. Our normally very reliable PCB fabricator
>> mis-drilled one of the boards and is working overtime replacing them.
>> (No, we won't be posting their phone number on this list :)
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-- 


73,

Gary K9GS

Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org
Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com
CW Ops #1032   http://www.cwops.org

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