[Elecraft] K3, KX-1 Inductors

[charlie carroll]

A couple of stories regarding the travels of my K3.  Earlier this month
I was on Montserrat doing the ARRL SSB contest.  The day we left for
home, I had to stop at the local market on the way to the airport.  As
with many things on Montserrat, the market is on a hill with a driveway
that inclines upwards in the 30 degree'ish area.  When I stopped at the
market, the back gate of the car popped open and out came the pelican
case holding my K3.  Three bounces later, the case came to rest. So much
for the shock test.

The same K3 has traveled around Florida numerous times in my car doing
the Florida QSO Party.  That's the vibration test.

Frankly, I'm not losing any sleep over inductor failures.  I'm more
inclined to fail rather than the radio.  Numerous pelican-case
tripsaround the Caribbean for the K3 and even a trip to St. Croix in my
back pack. Will it ever break?  Maybe, but not going to look for a
problem when one doesn't exist.

73 charlie, k1xx/vp2mmf


On 3/26/2016 12:24 AM, Scott Ellington wrote:
> My K3 hasn't traveled much, but if it did, I'd be very concerned about
> all the inductors supported only by their leads.  It seems certain
> that vibration would result in leads breaking.  However, there's a
> note in the KX-1 assembly manual specifically warning against
> fastening the inductors to the board with adhesive.  (That's exactly
> what I was planning to do.)  Why not?  I doubt the reason is
> electrical, unless it's stray capacitance.  The only other reason I
> can think of is that those handling power might get hot enough to melt
> an adhesive.  If that's the case, I'd really like to find another way
> to secure them.  Any suggestions?
>
> Or maybe someone can assure me that with all those K3 getting shipped
> all over the planet for DX-peditions, etc., none of those wires ever
> break.  Ever.  (I'd still take along some magnet wire.)
>
> 73,
>
> Scott  K9MA
>