[Elecraft] KX3 2M module SMA connector loosening
Ryan Noguchi
ai6do at yahoo.com
Sat May 26 11:01:11 EDT 2018
I recently bought and installed the KX3-2M transverter module in one of my KX3s and am enjoying a much better experience receiving the downlink from the Mode B AMSAT birds, compared to the TH-F6A I was using previously. Sensitivity and ergonomics are a huge improvement.
Unfortunately, I find that the SMA connector loosens very quickly. I've already had to open the case and almost completely uninstall the transverter once (undoing and redoing everything except the internal coax connections) just to retighten the nut, and it's already worked itself loose again. Does anyone have a trick they used to keep the nut from loosening? I can't get a lot of leverage with needlenose pliers with such a skinny nut in such close proximity to fragile components, and the thin lockwasher doesn't seem to be very effective. I thought I had cranked it down pretty tight, but apparently not tight enough.
I seems that it would have been better to have the separate nut on the outside end of the connector (like the connectors on the PX3), since those can be tightened up very easily from the outside.
One option might be to use Blue Loctite. I don't think I'd ever need to remove it unless Elecraft comes up with a dual-band (2M and 70CM) internal transverter to replace it, but this option would likely be permanent since I don't think I could get enough mechanical leverage to break the Loctite and don't think heating up the connector to loosen the Loctite would be a good idea.
Any better ideas?
Thanks and 73, Ryan AI6DO
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