[Elecraft] Builder's Alert #1 KX3 Battery Holder screw length

[Rick Dettinger]

Don,
Thanks for the response.
My battery holder seems to be made of a rather hard plastic.  I am sure that I would strip the screw threads, or, much worse, the threaded inserts in the circuit board, if I tried to seat the screws without countersinking the holes.
I used a 5/32" drill bit to countersink the holes, by hand, until I got a flush fit with the flat head screws.  
I have installed my new NiMH cells, and everything seems to be working well.
The tip of the screwdriver didn't seem to make any depression in the plastic.


73,
Rick Dettinger  K7MW

Rick,

The plastic of the battery holders is normally soft enough that you 
should be able to drive the heads of the proper length screws into the 
plastic. Since you will have to apply a bit of extra torque, make 
certain you have a #1 Phillips screwdriver with a good tip to prevent 
the screwdriver from camming out of the screwhead. Countersinking the 
holes with the tip of the Phillips driver is certanly an alternative.

If there is any doubt about the screw length, I would suggest you obtain 
4 of the proper length screws from Elecraft.
Elecraft has tightened up on the length tolerance for those screws with 
the vendor, so the new screws may be the best answer.

73,
Don W3FPR