[Elecraft] K3 Kit Wisdom

[Don Wilhelm]

John,

As for the advice about screwdrivers, yes, get yourself a quality, new 
#1 phillips.  I like the ones from Ace Hardware with the blue handles 
(Pro Series), and I like the 8 inch length, just because I learned to 
use that length many, many years ago - pick whatever length you are 
comfortable with,but do buy a quality screwdriver from a reputable 
supplier - a bargain bin screwdriver tip is usually not cut with 
adequate precision.  If you can see shiny spots on the corners of the 
tip, it is not adequate for the task, it will slip and strip your 
screwheads.  My method of judging a phillips tip driver is if it does 
not hold a 3/16 inch phillips head screw when it is held horizontally, 
it is time for that screwdriver to be replaced.

I take issue with the suggestion to use magnetic holders and the insert 
bits.  I prefer not to have any magnetic tools at my electronics 
workbench, they attract stray bits of cutoff component leads and other 
things stick to the tools.  YMMV on that one - take your pick.  I use 
several magnetic holders to great benefit in the woodworking shop, but 
never at the electronics workbench.

As for anti-static, yes take measures - a wrist strap is a minimum, if 
you have an anti-static mat at the workbench, work on that surface, 
especially when handling unmounted boards.  Do NOT work on a completely 
conducting surface such as a bare metal desktop or cookie sheet, or 
aluminum foil or whatever - fully conductive surfaces can also create 
static damage when they contact that fully conductive surface and are a 
safety hazard if there are live power sources anywhere near.  Newspapers 
misted with a spray of water in addition to the wrist strap can be more 
effective than a fully conducting surface.  If you have no other 
alternative, cut open one of the black anti-static bags that the boards 
are packed in, connect it to a 1 megohm resistor with a clip lead, and 
ground the far end of the 1 megohm resistor to the center screw on an AC 
receptacle cover plate (your wrist strap can ground to the same place).

As has been said about the egg cartons, stay away from most plastic 
containers for sorting because plastics and foam stuff attracts a static 
charge.  If you need to sort the hardware into the various sizes, use 
metal tins (Altoids tins?) or paper cups.  If you are adept at spotting 
a screw size and length 'by eye', you can just dump all the hardware 
into a large box and pick the right ones from there.  Those having long 
term experience with woodworking measurements or metalworking will have 
that ability.
Make such judgements based on what you know about your abilities.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 5/3/2014 3:51 PM, John, 9H5G wrote:
> Gentlemen,
>
> Thank you for a fantastic list of hints and tips so far!
>
> As Gary, KI4GGX, pointed out I should have mentioned the options that I have coming. It's a K3/100 with a KRX3 and a handful of filters. Simple but very effective, I'm sure.
>
>