[Elecraft] KIO3B repair

[Bayard Coolidge, N1HO]

 I used John's report as an incentive to investigate my own KIO3B failure, hoping that his symptoms reflected what happened to mine, and that I could effect a similar repair.
Alas, it was not - I discovered cracks in the leads for J101 (the ~square USB-A output jack), on the top side of the board, as well as a cracked solder joint on one of the tie-down connections to the shield can. It was, in my case, probably caused by too many cable insertions/removals over the years, as this rig has been travelling with me between Florida and North Carolina for a dozen years.
In trying to fix it today, it managed to break off entirely, and since I'm getting ready to waddle back to Florida, I'll contend with fixing it later this winter. (The K3 is my backup rig, and the one I usually use for 630m operating; my K4D is my "daily driver" on the HF bands). I haven't measured D1 or R27 yet, but I didn't see anything visually obvious when I looked at them today while examining J101.
Thanks, John, and 73 to all,
Brandy, N1HO (EM85sg -> EL96xh)
    On Sunday, May 11, 2025 at 10:42:01 AM EDT, John Canfield <bucket at janeandjohn.org> wrote:  
 
 My KIO3B suffered the typical USB failure a few years ago but 
fortunately Elecraft was still repairing the K3s then...