[Elecraft] K1-4 4 band version gone? (Hand SMT---Never)

[Jim Lowman]

I have to agree with Mike, especially with the assertion about SMT 
components being intended for robotic assembly.

Imagine all of the troubleshooting calls and e-mails that Elecraft would 
get if Joe Ham had to populate circuit boards with these miniature 
components.  Too much room for error.

While I'd prefer a through-hole kit where soldering was required 
(although I hate winding toroids!), like the K1 and K2, if the KX3 had 
even one SMT device, I would not have purchased one.

72/73 de Jim - AD6CW

On 7/20/2014 9:55 AM, Mike Morrow wrote:
>> ... perhaps it is time for Elecraft to start offering some "big boy" kits
>> that make full use of SMTs and other modern components.
> Some would likely take exception to that strong implication that one is
> not a "big boy" (whatever that means) if one rejects significant SMT hand application.  I've been a ham almost 50 years, commercial radiotelegraph licensed until standards dropped 20 years ago, and an electrical engineer
> for 40 years...is that "big boy" enough?  Perhaps not...yet I'm not hesitant to state that hand-application of SMT components is a "half-vast" :-)  misapplication of technique to devices designed solely for machine placement.  It should never be required in any step of production of a commercial
> product, even for hams.  So, to any enterprise proposing to *sell* something
> that requires significant SMT hand-application, I would *not* give such a
> product even a moment's consideration.  OTOH, supply the PCBs with SMTs
> pre-fixed by machine as designed, and I'll likely be very interested.
>
>> Any serious ham should have a good digital 'scope, and a hot air solder
>> station with a syringe of solder paste (which can be bought new for less
>> than $100).
> Well...there you go again.  I suspect most of us will just *never* qualify
> as a N4OI "serious ham", for lack of meeting these canonical and doubtless
> universally-recognized requirements for the title. :-)
>
> 73,
> Mike / KK5F
>
>