[Elecraft] KSB2 board issue (K2 SSB)

[W3FPR]

Gil,

Caution - those holes are thru-plated.  That means you should not drill 
them out.
Try heating the solder in the hole to see if it opens up.
If it does not, then your best approach is to solder the diode from the 
top of the board as you indicated.

You may want to contact support to see if you can get a replacement kit,

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/18/2026 7:15 AM, Gil Stacy via Elecraft wrote:
> After 23 years since assembling #3104 in CW mode only, I obtained the SSB
> kit a few years ago and have begun assembly.  I'm at diode installation and
> have run into a "through hole" problem on the circuit board.  The anode
> hole of d12 is incomplete.  It's dimpled on each side. but not drilled
> through.  I have ruled out solder plugging with solder removal efforts.   I
> see two potential solutions:  1)using a pin vise, hand drill the hole
> avoiding high rpm which could cause problems going haywire cutting traces
> or 2) Trim the anode lead slightly longer than the diode which would allow
> the lead to sit on top of the incomplete hole on top the dimple and tack it
> topside of the board affixing to the incomplete hole.  The diodes sit on
> the board in vertical, not horizontal, orientation with the anode lead bent
> parallel to the diode with the leads in the board holes.  The diode is the
> IN4007.   If drilling as described above is the better choice, what size
> bit and available bit source?  Thanks.  73 Gil NN4CW
>