++++++++++++++++++++ Continuation of Building Notes See also Building Notes3 ++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 13:10:04 -0500 From: Tom Hammond =?iso-8859-1?Q?N=D8SS?= Subject: [Elecraft] Builder's service tip Greetings fellow Elecrafters: Last week, I had the pleasure of a visit from a new, local, K2 builder who had kinda shot himself in the foot while building his KSB2 option board. He had inadvertently installed the 12-pin SOCKET at P1, instead of the 12-pin PLUG. We debated for about two microseconds whether it was worth removing and replacing the socket with the plug, since they'd fit together EITHER WAY. I finally beat him into bloody submission, reminding him that if HIS KSB2 was the only board even installed in his K2, there'd be no problem,but that if he ever had the occasion to help someone else with their KSB2, theirs wouldn't fit in his K2 because of the 'gender problem'. Actually, I really fought long 'n hard to get him to allow me to desolder the socket so I could show off my new desoldering gun ... I'm sure he never suspected... Anyway, I heated up the desoldering gun, only to find that the tip of the gun was too darn big (I'm working on fixing that problem) to fit between the more tightly-packed components on the TOP of the KSB2 PC board, and I couldn't desolder from the bottom because the body of the socket covered the solder lands on the bottom of the PC board. So, I DISASSEMBLED the socket... It turned out to be THE way to handle the problem (NOTE: this method does NOT necessarily work on the PLUG side!): 1) Slip a knife blade between the PC board and one end of the socket body and LIFT (pry) up slightly. This should cause the body to raise a bit off the PC board, leaving the pins of the socket in place. BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT RISK DAMAGE TO THE PC BOARD! 2) Repeat step 1 at the other end of the socket. 3) Repeat steps 1 & 2 until the body of the socket slides up and off the pins which are still soldered to the PC board. 4) Using a pair of needle-nosed pliers (or hemostats), CAREFULLY grasp a single pin BY ITS FLAT(!) SIDE and then heat the joint from the solder side of the PC board with a soldering iron. Pull slightly and the pin will come out easily (DO NOT PULL!). PLACE THE PIN WHERE YOU CAN'T WIPE IT OFF THE DESK- TOP, ONTO THE FLOOR, LOSING IT FOR NEARLY FIVE MINUTES. (I'm not admitting to anything, but if you knew my shack, you'd understand!) 5) Repeat for all pins. 6) Once all pins have been removed and stored in a safe place, go back and de-solder each individual hole, to remove all traces of solder IN the hole. A de- soldering tool will work well, or a fairly QUICK application of desoldering wick will work as well. The important point is to use as little dwell-time ON each joint as possible. If the joint doesn't come clean within a few (304) seconds, let it cool, and then flow a bit MORE solder into it. Many times the addition of a bit more solder will allow the heat to flow much more readily, facilitating its removal. 7) CAREFULLY replace all the pins into the body of the socket, and then CAREFULLY force the all of the pins down onto a tabletop, to cause them to fully 'seat' into the body of the socket. SET THE SOCKET ASIDE 8) Install the PLUG!!! I have successfully used this same method on SOME SMALL (e.g. few pins) plug assemblies as well, but in general, the pins are MUCH more tightly bonded to the plastic body of the plug and it's easier to cause damage to the plug body when attempting a rescue. BUT... if there's no other easy to remove an errantly-installed plug, it still may be worth the attempt. Maybe this will help someone, somewhere... sometime. 73 - Tom Hammond N0SS p.s. The way I'm planning on 'fixing' this problem "NEXT time", is to buy a long, slender desoldering tip for my Hakko 808 desoldering gun. One's already on order. If anyone is interested in whether it helps to solve future problems, please drop me a DIRECT note, and I'll let you know once I've used it a few times. ++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 04:51:53 -0500 From: Tom Hammond =?iso-8859-1?Q?N=D8SS?= Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2#2032 - first question GM Bruce: >I've begun my K2 and I have a question...on p.14, right column, there's a >list of RPs....I have all installed except 2...RP1(770103392)(3.9K) & >RP3(10A3.473G)(47K)...the RPs I have left are 10 pins units and are marked >CTSK0012770103473(measures 47K between pins 1 & 2 therefore it's probably >RP3?) The last three digits "473" are the operative ones, and YES, you have the right one here. >and 10A3 392G 0013 (measures 3.9K between pins 1 & 2 therefore it's >probably RP1?) Right again, in this case, the "392" are the operative digits. Sometimes you have to look a bit to find the appropriate numerical groupings, but they're (almost) always there... somewhere... start by converting the value BACK to 3-digit code and then go on a search for the same three digits SOMEWHERE in the available markings. Damn... I REALLY wish manufacturers would get their collective 'stuff' together and STANDARDIZE on a numbering convention. >....the last time I built a big project RPs didn't exist so I'm learning >and I want to be sure I'm figuring this out right... So are we all... GOod luck, Tom Hammond N0SS ++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 16:24:23 -0400 From: "Don Wilhelm" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Where connect the antistatic wriststrap? Whether a mat alone is sufficient depends on the humidity and many other things. I can say that when I get out of my Mazda, I often get a static shock generated while just sliding out of the seat. So if you work on carpet, or sit on a fabric covered chair (or wear nylon garments), you could generate enough static to be harmful to active components. Whether you use a wriststrap or not will determine what extra precautions you should take when handling static sensitive devices. The advice given by Elecraft to "touch something grounded" is a good step, so if you touch your anti-static mat (which should be grounded through a 1 meg resistor), you might be OK (until you move on your chair). Most components will be adequately protected once they are installed as Bob AA4PB has stated, but some circuit boards may not provide a resistive path to ground for all IC inputs, and these can be static damaged simply by handling the circuit board itself. Use whatever precautions you feel are appropriate as long as you will be the one responsible to replace any damaged devices (It is your money for replacements ). Manufacturing plants and those who work on customer owned equipment usually have rules to protect their customers from folks who might be careless. If you are careful, you can do with less than the optimum protection - but do use reasonable caution in all cases if you value your components. As has been stated earlier in this thread - static damage is cumulative. You may end up reducing the life of a component rather than killing it. Today's components have an extremely long life expectancy unless they are subjected to stress (like static or voltage/currents in excess of their typical values). 73, Don W3FPR +++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 21:45:08 -0700 From: "David Castor" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 Problem/Question - "Birdy" at 14.011 MHz Mystery solved! After hours of checking every component on RF Board and Control Board, plus several hours of trying to trace source of noise, out of desperation I downgraded to my old PIC processor on the control board - birdy is gone. 20 meter is quiet. I almost tried this a couple of days ago, but seemed so unlikely, I didn't bother. I was sure I had made an error somewhere. Apparently my new processor chip is noisy and this was radiating directly into the RF section of receiver. I guess I can put it back together now and get back to work on the SSB board. Thanks to all those who sent ideas. 73, Dave - K7EL - ----- Original Message ----- From: "lhlousek" To: "David Castor" ; Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2001 4:21 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 Problem/Question - "Birdy" at 14.011 MHz > Hi David, > > Sounds very similar to the problem I had on 20 meters. Mine was > intermittent and was caused by a faulty capacitor in the PLL circuit. I > believe it was C74, 20 pF, one of the caps C70 thru C75 switched in and > out by relays K15, K14 and K13. > > Try touching or pushing on them while listening to 20 meters and see if > you detect a significant change or make it go away. Also try reflowing > the solder on them. I could touch the offending cap with the plastic > coil tuning tool and make it go away. > > Lou W7DZN. > +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: 22 Aug 2001 23:32:28 -0700 From: Don Wilhelm Subject: Re: [Elecraft] toroid question Bruce, The solder blob method works great IF: your iron is hot enough, you use an iron tip of sufficient size, and you work only as fast as the available heat will allow. I find a chisel tip iron is a must for me - about 1/8 inch wide is the minimum size IMHO, 3/16 is ideal for me. Anchor either the core or the iron (I prefer to just lay a set of pliers on the iron handle so it doesn't roll around), then melt a blob of solder on the flat of the iron tip (enough to make a large pool). Cut the leads about 1/2 inch longer than your finished lead length, and put the END of the lead into the blob - add a touch more solder to give it a fresh supply of flux, and you should see the insulation start to blacken and bubble off - then feed the remaining lead slowly into the solder blob watching the process as you feed it and judging the speed by how fast the insulation melts away. When you get to within 1/16 inch from the core, you are done. Any blackened insulation residue that might remain may be easily wiped away with a cloth while it is still hot, or may be gently scraped (or sandpapered)off when cool. 73 and good luck, Don W3FPR > > I'm winding the K2 toroids....when it comes to getting the enamel off > these small wires the manual suggests holding them in a "pool" of solder > on your iron...my iron is about a 20 watt one...well I must be doing > something wrong as it doesn't seem to work... Don Wilhelm W3FPR Wake Forest, NC ++++++++++++++++++++ NOTE: See "Building_Desoldering_Notes" file also ++++++++++++++++++++ ate: Sun, 9 Sep 2001 17:47:24 -0700 From: "Ron D' Eau Claire" Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Gluing Broken Toroids with Superglue > I elected to use > the "blob" method for applying the "super-glue" to 1/2 of the > toroid prior > to the reattachment step. > > 1. Following the "blob" application, I was then faced with the > need for a > "work-around" step to remove 1/2 of the toroid from my finger. > > 2. Whereupon, I extracted the toroid-half from my finger & > placed it on a > sheet of paper on a flat table top so as to properly align the two toroid > halves. > > 3. However, one half of the toroid was now attached to the paper via the > super-glue. > Hating to have things attached to my body at random, the use of "blob" and "super glue" in the same paragraph makes me shudder. If you use the very thin and quick-curing type of CA adhesive (so-called 'super glue') you can hold the core together and apply a small amount of it to the seam. It will be pulled in by capillary action and form a good bond. No mess outside the core. The gel sort of stuff is a BAD idea in this case, because it is very important NOT to have any "air" (or other dielectric such as a glob of glue) separating the halves of the toroid. You want that ferrous material to be continuous and consistent in density all around the toroid. Most CA's have a sufficiently-long curing time to allow you to actually place a bit of it on the broken surfaces if you like that idea better. Be SPARING with it. If you do attempt a repair holding a core or with it lying on the table, which can work just fine with a couple of heavy objects to hold the core together when you apply the glue, use some "cling wrap" to protect your hand or the table top. CA adhesives don't bond to that stuff well at all. Ron AC7AC K2 # 1289 +++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 12:13:44 -0500 From: "Timothy A. Raymer" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KSB2 & KAF2 Edmund, I would at least get the connectors from Elecraft for them, and add them to the boards while you are building them. Then, omit the parts that are later removed for the KSB2, and use the "un-modules" detailed at: http://mail.buttery.org/mark/unmodule/ to simulate not having the KSB2 in the radio for initial testing and setup. In addition, I also recommend following the grounding instructions from KI6WX at: http://home.pacbell.net/johngreb/KI6WX.html http://home.pacbell.net/johngreb/Mod_To_Improve_K2_CW_Filter_Rejection.pdf There is a capacitor that you have to remove when you install the KSB2, and the radio does fine without it in CW-only configuration, so you will want to omit it as well. I will let others on here fill in that information, as I don't have it handy. This will get you well down the road towards an "optimized" K2 configuration, with a miminum of muss and fuss later. Tim Raymer 73 de KA0OUV K2 #1383 At 09:33 09/26/01 -0700, Edmund T. Wright wrote: >I am currently building my K2. I am planning on adding a KSB2 ssb adapter >and the KAF2 audio filter. Would it be easier to build these two now, or >should I wait until the K2 is finished. I am just starting on the RF board >construction. ++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 07:27:55 -0400 From: "John J. McDonough" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Solder Paul I have to echo John's comments here. Silver solder looks nice, it makes for very shiny joints. A lot of people use it for that reason. I used it on my K1 - BIG MISTAKE. It borders on impossible to get the stuff out of the plated-through holes. I was very careful on the K1 not to make any mistakes, but installing the noise blanker and ATU both involve some desoldering. From time to time you are probably going to want to make some changes to your K2, certainly there are lots of options posted here. It is very hard to get silver solder out without damaging the board. Stick to a good quality 60/40 or better yet, 63/37, and get a nice, small diameter. I, too, use the .031 size and it seems to be about right. Personally, I haven't seen a big difference between Kester and other solders, but a pound of solder lasts a long time, so why not spend an extra buck and get the good stuff. 72/73 de WB8RCR http://members.home.com/wb8rcr/index.htm didileydadidah QRP-L #1446 Code Warriors #35 ++++++++++++++++++++++ From: "Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD" To: Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 09:58:48 -0500 Subject: [Elecraft] K2 #2462 On the Air I had a great time building K2 #2462, in about a week and a half of evenings. (See http://www.synergenics.com/k1rfd/k2/ ). I thought I would pass along some suggestions for anyone else planning to tackle it: 1) For sorting parts, "sewing organizers" were useful. I picked up three of these at the drugstore for about a dollar each. These are clear plastic boxes (trays) with a dozen or so rectangular compartments. I labelled each of the compartments with a number, and then noted the number on the parts list while doing inventory -- sounds tedious, but it was actually very fast and saved lots of time locating parts. Parts of different types, with no chance of confusion, can share a compartment. Better than small envelopes because you can see everything. 2) Of the various methods for stripping toroid leads, I had no success with the "solder blob" approach, for some reason, but I found that the butane-lighter-and-sandpaper technique was fast and completely effective. To each his own, I guess. I also found that a somewhat neater, tighter wind could be achieved by adding a couple of extra turns at the end, and then taking off the same number of turns from the beginning. 3) I found a capacitance meter helpful, for verifying some of the more ambiguous capacitor markings. I did not have this function in my DMM so I built the circuit in the ARRL Handbook while waiting for the K2 to arrive. This eliminated any guesswork. And definitely review the "standards" for capacitor markings. 4) The two screws which hold the control board to the front-panel board were difficult to install, because the threaded standoffs on the front-panel board were not quite vertical. This was due to the shape of the lockwashers underneath them. Before completing the front panel, I'd suggest checking to be sure these standoffs are exactly perpendicular to the board. 5) Before building the kit, I bought a PanaVise with the large "parts-tray" base and the wide, rubber-coated jaws. This was a worthwhile investment. The jaws open wide enough to hold the RF board by its edges. 6) It's been said before, but the Spectrogram technique for setting up the BFO is fast , easy, and evidently accurate. ++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 09 Aug 2002 02:23:55 -0500 To: "Tom Buchanan" , elecraft at mailman.qth.net From: Tom Hammond =?iso-8859-1?Q?N=D8SS?= Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KSB2 Module - board pad Tom: >While working on the SSB module I realized I had put C23 (an electrolytic >capacitor) in wrong. As I removed it the pads on the component side came >out with the capacitor. Nothing on the board is melted and the pads are >intact on the bottom side. Any suggestions as to how to correct this problem? So... the top pads are no longer attached??? They came completely off the PC board? One of the pads is ground, which can just as easily be soldered and connected to ground on the bottom of the board. The other lead is DC, and it has no connection on the bottom of the board, BUT the pad on the bottom of the board CAN stabilize the cap once it's installed. What I think I'd do is to solder a thin (BARE) wire, say something on the order of #24, maybe #26 to the POSITIVE lead of the cap, right up against the bottom of the capacitor case and in a physical position which will enable it to exit from under the cap so it will follow the land, or what's left of it. Then, some short distance from where the cap will mount, take a sharp blade and scrape away about 1/4" of the green solder mask from the remaining land. Tin the land. Then, insert the cap into its holes and solder in place. Finally solder the wire to the land. Good luck, Tom Hammond N0SS ++++++++++++++++++ From: "Tom Buchanan" To: , "Timothy A. Raymer" , "Ed Tanton" , =?iso-8859-1?Q?Tom_Hammond_N=D8SS?= Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KSB2 Module - board pad Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 21:20:01 -0500 Tim, Ed, and Tom This was my first post to the list and I appreciate the quick response and helpful information. I have just returned from the workbench and I am happy to say that it was flux on top of the pads. Although the pads appeared to be gone they were there under a very thin layer of flux. All day I thought about why did I mess up the pads? It was a relief to see them still there. 73, Tom K2 #2688 KG4KGY ----- Original Message ----- From: "Timothy A. Raymer" To: "Tom Buchanan" ; Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 9:00 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KSB2 Module - board pad > Tom, > > One thing to verify. Many times when doing rework, I have thought I did > the same thing, only to find out that the solder around the component lead > came off, and the pad was intact but covered in flux to make it look like I > ripped the pad off. Hopefully this is the case for you. You can check by > gently scraping with a dental tool, and looking under a magnifying glass at > the area. If the pads did come off, the board underneath will be green > fiberglass. > > If the pads did come off, Tom Hammond's instructions are the way to go, > unless some of our fellow listees come up with something better. > > The only thing I would add to Tom's instructions is that you need to be > cautious of the small sleve that is formed when the hole is plated > through. This may still be in the hole, or may have come loose with the > pad. You will want to be cautious and watch that it does not work loose > while you are reworking the connections, and short out across stuff. > > Good luck! > > At 23:58 08/08/2002 -0500, Tom Buchanan wrote: > > >While working on the SSB module I realized I had put C23 (an electrolytic > >capacitor) in wrong. As I removed it the pads on the component side came > >out with the capacitor. > > Timothy A. Raymer > Missouri Department of Health > and Senior Services +++++++++++++++++ From: "Don Brown" To: , "Elecraft" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Soldering Iron Temp. Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 07:38:18 -0600 Hi I would start out at 700 degrees. This is the best place for a beginner. = It is hot enough so you can get fast joints to prevent damage to the boar= d or component. Do not try lower temperatures you will make poor joints a= nd possibly damage the board. After you gain some experience you may like= 750 better. This allows a faster joint. The key is dwell time the faster= you can make the joint and still bring all of the metal up to soldering = temperature the less likely you will overheat the board or component. For= tinning the toroids use about 800 degrees just remember to reset the iro= n when you go back to making joints on the board. Don Brown KD5NDB +++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 20:27:19 -0600 To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net From: Tom Hammond =?iso-8859-1?Q?N=D8SS?= Subject: [Elecraft] "Soldering Tips" - Expanded Version Hi folks: A year or so ago, Wayne asked me to prepare a 1-page (front & back) set of soldering suggestions. That document has been on the Elecraft web site since that time. I recently was asked (by another party) to prepare a similar, but somewhat expanded document for their use. Which I did. The document is now 5 pages in length. I submitted the revised document, including five more pages of info on Elecraft 'Approved' Solders, to Elecraft as well and it now resides on the Elecraft website under the same name as the previous document: http://www.elecraft.com/TechNotes/N0SS_SolderNotes/N0SS_SolderNotesV6.pdf Hope someone finds the info of use. 73, Tom Hammond N0SS ++++++++++++++++++ From: "Lyle Johnson" To: "Elecraft" Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Removing Crystals Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2002 12:26:19 -0800 Hello Steve! > I wonder what most are using to remove the old crystals? Most > components you can cut out on the top and then use a solder > pullit or solder wik (I prefer solder wik) unfortunately the > crystals cannot be cut off, like a resistor or cap. The most important thing is to preserve the PC board - so plan to sacrifice the old crystal. I have used solder wick for this. Just use the right temp on the iron (700 degrees F is fine, but NOT 800!). Once you have the solder removed from the hole, clip the ground lead and see if the crystal comes out. If it does, proceed to the next one :-) If it doesn't, heat one of the two pins and push the crystal away from the heated pin. Then repeat from the other side on the other pin, back and forth, rocking the crystal until it comes free. +-----+ <-- push here | | | | | | +-----+ Crystal ========|===|=== PCB \<---- heat here If you keep the iron temperature low enough (and high enough!), and don't apply heat too long, you'll preserve the board and the crystal will come out easily. If you use too much pressure and not enough heat, the lead may pull out the plate-through in the PCB or lift a pad. If you use too high a temperature, you're likely to lift a pad. Neither problem is unrepairable, but both are avoidable. 73, Lyle KK7P ++++++++++++++++ From: "Don Brown" To: "David Schornak" , "Elecraft" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] discussing dislikes and likes Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 08:34:27 -0600 Hi There seems to be two marking methods used by capacitor manufacturers. One is to simply put the value in pf like 47. The other method is like resistors where the first two digits are the value and the third is the number of zeros. So 470 is 47 and no 0's. A 470 pf capacitor would have 471 on the capacitor or 47 and 1 zero. Unfortunately there is not a standardization between the two methods. At least they have dropped the nano farad marking that was popular a few years ago. I keep a small 7 power magnifier on the bench at all times for reading component values. I like the Hastings triplet type of magnifier because it has no distortion at the outer edges of the viewing field as most other simple magnifying glasses. Some people like the large magnifying lamps but it does not work for me. Others use the OptiVisor stereo magnifier and like them. You will find some form of magnifier is just about mandatory for building kits. Don Brown KD5NDB ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Schornak" To: "Elecraft" Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 7:53 AM Subject: [Elecraft] discussing dislikes and likes if you don't like the looks of a mod don't do it but if you really won't to complain about something try capacitors and their markings spent 4 hours sorting caps and trying to match them to the list on page 49 the 47 pF cap gave me the most problems as it is labeled 470 not 47 go figure and to top it all off those markings on the chips are so hard to read if you don't have a loop or magnifying glass forget it better off using a cap meter to measure the caps but you have to have a good battery in the meter (arg went dead 2 hours into the sorting last night) well lets get the cap manufactures to do a better job and get them all on the same page as to markings arg okay now that I got that off my back I go back and melt some more solder. 73's kg4lsk David K2 03027 p.s. I did find the elecraft cap chart this morning that helped me finish the id thanks elecraft +++++++++++++++++ To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 08:58:42 -0800 Subject: Re: [Elecraft] discussing dislikes and likes From: k6se at juno.com I agree with David, KG4LSK's assessment that identifying the tiny capacitors in his K2 kit can be very trying. What helped me over the "inventory" phase was my L/C Meter IIB, an inductance/capacitance meter produced by a company named "Almost All Digital Electronics". It accurately measures small values of capacitance that my DMM can't. For you avid kit builders, this highly useful meter comes in kit form. Of course, a hand-held magnifier is essential for us old farts with weak eyes, too. 73, de Earl, K6SE ++++++++++++++++++ To: , Subject: Re: [Elecraft] discussing dislikes and likes Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 11:46:03 -0600 Hi I totally agree with Earl on this one. I find the little L/C meter to be indispensable in my lab. It is a great little warm up kit if you want to build a little confidence in your skills before jumping into the K2. Two other kits I use all the time and are good starters are the OHR WM-2 watt meter and the OHR 100 watt dummy load modified to act as a power attenuator for the WM-2. Using the two together the WM-2 will read 0 to 100 watts on the 1 watt scale and its fairly accurate except on 10 meters where it rolls off a little but still quite useable Don Brown KD5NDB ++++++++++++++++++ From: "robert parker" To: "George, W5YR" , "n3drk" Cc: "elecraft" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] capacitors? Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 12:57:56 -0500 Almost All Digital Electronics http://www.aade.com/ Yes I agree it's a great instrument that is easy to use and takes the guess work out of guessing! Cheers, Robert VE3RPF ----- Original Message ----- From: "George, W5YR" To: "n3drk" Cc: "elecraft" Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 12:21 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] capacitors? > John, one of the best "tools" in my shack to deal with problems such as you > describe is the AADE LC meter. This handy little device will measure > inductance and capacitance with remarkable accuracy and is both inexpensive > and convenient to use. With the eyesight of an old timer, I use mine very > frequently to verify what I "think" that I am seeing on the cap itself! > <:} > > Seriously, you will find it to be indispensible as you work with the > Elecraft kits and other projects. > > Don't recall the AADE URL, but Morsex (N1FN - "ET") carries both the kit > and the finished meter. > > 73/72, George > Amateur Radio W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas > In the 57th year and it just keeps getting better! > Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13qe > K2 #489 Icom IC-765 #2349 Icom IC-756 PRO #2121 > > > n3drk wrote: > > > > I have two small capacitors and they are green with a black dot on the top. > > I cannot read the markings but it looks to be 303 or 3ii3 . Anyone know what > > the numbers for these are? ++++++++++++++++ From: "Rick" To: Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 13:05:00 -0600 Subject: [Elecraft] Wire splicing "how-to" link For those that need some help with wire splicing, here's a link that shows how. http://www.tpub.com/neets/book4/12t.htm 73's Rick KC0OV +++++++++++++++++ To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 10:22:10 -0600 From: Jeremiah J McCarthy Subject: [Elecraft] Re: Elecraft digest, Vol 1 #375 - 31 msgs Carl: There is a trick when working on something like this that I learned many years ago from a jeweler, and it has nothing to do with tools...Seat yourself at your work bench so that the work surface is about 6 or 8 inches below your chin so that you must rest your arms, spread out sideways, on the bench...This will reduce fatigue and the associated aches and pains that come from hours of working hunched over a bench that is too low, or a chair that is too high...It looks awkward to the casual observer, but it really works to reduce fatigue...I use a swivel secretary's chair that has adjustable height and set it so that the surface of the table is a little below the arm pits when seated...I have since noticed that most jewelers work this way... Jerry McCarthy, wa2dkg K2 #2549 +++++++++++++++++ From: "Dave" To: "Mike Lewis" Cc: Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Tips on safely Soldering X7 - X11 Grounding wires on K2 RF Board Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 22:40:29 -0000 Mike There are several places where components are quite tight in the K2, especially around the PA. In those tight areas it really does help to pre-plan which side you are "going in" with the soldering iron and solder. Consider rotating the board and do a mental check of what is at risk of being burnt by that soldering iron. An old tip (excuse the pun) is to not use a fine soldering iron tip when you have some space and need a quick job. There is nothing worse than messing around with a fine tipped iron taking several seconds trying to heat something larger than the bit was intended for. On Weller TCP irons, those conical (pencil) tips fall into that category. I built my K2 (and K1 and dozens of other projects) with a 25 Watt conventional iron with a variety of bits, even when I had a TCP1 available. Dave, G4AON ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Lewis" To: Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 9:07 PM Subject: [Elecraft] Tips on safely Soldering X7 - X11 Grounding wires on K2 RF Board > Hi, > > I am a first time K2 builer, and just joined the list. I am greatly > enjoying my kitbuilding experience so far, but I have a little +++++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 17:36:50 -0600 To: "Mike Lewis" , elecraft at mailman.qth.net From: Tom Hammond =?iso-8859-1?Q?N=D8SS?= Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Tips on safely Soldering X7 - X11 Grounding wires on K2 RF Board Hi Mike: I can appreciate your concern. Though I don't think you'll have any problems. Soldering the ground wires to the Xtal cane BEFORE you install them can be accomplished as follows: 1) Tin the end of ALL the wires you'll be using for the ground lead. Note that it's OK to leave a small amount of extra solder on the end of the wire. 2) Hold each xtal so it's on its side with one of the narrow sides facing up. If you have a small vise, use it. 3) Using your T/C iron (a wider tip if you happen to have one) at 700-725 F, clean the tip and apply a small amount of solder to the tip to ensure that it's well tinned. Tin the bottom edge of the xtal can, about 1/8" up from the bottom bead going around the can. This should take only 4-5 seconds, max. Repeat for the other side of the xtal can. Pre-tinning the can ensures that the solder will 'take' quickly in the next step AND it means that you didn't have to mess with a wire AND solder at the same time when trying to attach the wire itself. 4) With the Xtal still held in place, lay one of the tinned wired up against the tinned spot on the xtal case and touch BOTH the wire and the xtal can with the iron. You should see the solder from both tinned spots melt and 'sweat' the joint together. DONE. 73, Tom Hammond N0SS PS It works well for me... of course, YMMV. >I am a first time K2 builer, and just joined the list. I am greatly >enjoying my kitbuilding experience so far, but I have a little trepidation >in performing the crystal grounding steps for the 5 crystals that are >grounded on the sides of the case. I do have a temp controlled iron, and >have been running it at 700 degrees so far. I used a small amount of >liquid solder flux (only a small drop) on the tops of the crystal cans for >the previous crystals I have grounded, and the results seemed to be pretty >good, and did not require me to leave the iron on the crystal case for an >appreciable amount of time. I had also soldered the ground wires in before >the crytals in these earlier steps - that seemed to make life easier. I >guess I am a bit more jumpy on these last crystals because: > >1) Extra warnings in manual about excessive heat > >2) added complexity of soldering to both sides of crystal > >3) More awkward access, due to mount point on edge, and potential >interference from R pack SIPs on one side of crystals > >4) Extra difficulty in getting ground wires to lay close to the case > >So I was wondering at what techniques people had found for this that had >produced good results. Does it possibly make sense to try somehow to >solder the wires to the crytal case before the crystals are soldered into >the board? If not, is soldering the wires into the board first still seem >like a good approach? Is there some nice trick for getting the grounding >wire to lay against the side of the case prior to soldering? Any insights >would be appreciated. > >Tnx es 73 de KE0MF >Mike +++++++++++++++++ From: "Stuart Rohre" To: , Subject: Re: [Elecraft] How to check a diode? Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 12:02:27 -0600 If the diode does not have a very low resistance in parallel, a shorted one could be detected with the RX100 range of most Volt Ohmmeters. It would measure zero ohms. A good diode would test very low resistance with the polarity of the probes one way, and much higher resistance with probe polarity reversed. 73, Stuart K5KVH +++++++++++++++++++ From: "Don Brown" To: "n5gf" , Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Construction Question Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2003 08:26:47 -0600 Hi It is best to build the K2 and get everything working before installing any options. You can install all of the connectors on the RF board for the options while building the basic K2 but leave the jumpers in place until the basic radio is complete. Then add the options one at a time. Note your K2 is above 3000 so the spur and ALC mod are already on the board so ignore the mod kit that comes with the KPA100. For those with serial numbers below 3000 the spur and ALC mod for the KPA100 can be added to the basic K2 at the time of the basic assembly. If you add the mod later you will need to touch up the alignment again. Don Brown ----- Original Message ----- From: "n5gf" To: Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 8:01 AM Subject: [Elecraft] Construction Question I ordered my K2 with all the options except the 160 Meter module. I am in the midst of construction, nearly through with the RF board and notice that there are some component changes required for installing the 100 Watt PA. There may be other changes necessary for the other options. I haven't looked yet. The question is: Is it better to build the base K2 test it all out and then make the mods for adding the other options or should I just go ahead and include these changes in the original build? How will all this affect the test and check-out of the unit when the RF board is completed and before the options are plugged in? tnx es 73 de N5GF Ed K2 #3332 ++++++++++++++++++ From: "Don Brown" To: "Steve & Anne Ray" , "Elecraft" , Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Parts Storage Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 10:06:23 -0600 Hi I'm a little surprised after all the discussion about static problems the last few weeks that people would not realize that styrofoam blocks and plastic boxes are the worst possible thing you can use to store electronic parts in. The static fields that can build up on a styrofoam block can reach up into the 10's of Kilo volts. Even if the parts you are storing are not static sensitive just having such materials around the work bench is not a good idea. Taping the parts to a sheet of paper is also not wise. I have seen a demo of a strip of scotch tape after removing from the roll can have several Kilo volts on the tape. I leave the parts in the antistatic bags until ready to use or inventory and place them into an anti static tray or metal tray. I always ground myself to the tray before touching the part. Don Brown KD5NDB +++++++++++++++++++++ From: "Pauli Nunez EA3BLQ" To: "Tony Wells" , "Elecraft" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Need another name for K2OOL -/ K2 Dump and Save Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 16:05:06 +0100 Hi there friends What about K2TOOL? Best 73 Pauli, EA3BLQ K2 # 1044/100 URL: http://www.qsl.net/ea3blq/ ea3blq at menta.net ea3blq at qsl.net ++++++++++++++++++++ From: "Don Brown" To: "Morrow, Michael A." , Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Re:] K1 Front Panel missing IC Sockets ??? Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 16:45:07 -0600 Hi I absolutely agree. Back in the late 70's TI made an absolutely horrible IC socket. I was working for Tektronix and the 7000 series logic analyzer had about 150 TTL chips in those sockets. They were notorious for intermittent connections. Many times just removing and reinstalling the IC's would fix the problem. Then you would cross your fingers and hope it would work. Replacing the sockets was a difficult task because the circuit boards were 6 layers. If you broke a plated through hole then you were looking at a maybe $1000 board. ICs are almost as reliable as passive components once they are installed. You would not consider installing all of the resistors and capacitors in sockets, so why would you do the same for ICs unless they need to be changed out for some other reason like firmware upgrades. Even the requirement for firmware upgrades is going away with the newer flash MPU that can be reprogrammed in circuit. If you ever do need to replace an IC then clipping all of the pins next to the body and heating and pulling each pin out is safe and easy to do. You can clean the holes with a solder sucker or tooth pick and be ready to install the replacement IC. Anyway that's my opinion for what its worth Don Brown KD5NDB ----- Original Message ----- From: "Morrow, Michael A." To: Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 4:11 PM Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Re:] K1 Front Panel missing IC Sockets ??? >From Eric Swartz WA6HHQ - Elecraft: > We do not recommend adding any sockets. They introduce > reliability issues in some cases and also can add to > critical lead lengths in RF areas. > > Any problems caused by adding additional sockets to our > designs also will not be covered by warranty repair. Snip Socketing all ICs on a PCB is pretty much an obsolete, unnecessary, and potentially troublesome concept for production (de-bugged) PCBs like those of the K1. It's not unlikely that at some point one will have to replace front panel potentiometers (I had to replace my volume control after a year of operating), or the VFO pot, or some panel pushbuttons, or the phone jack. Anything with moving parts. But ICs?? Baring infant mortality or RF/lightening damage, it's very unlikely one will *ever* need to pull and replace any IC except those MCUs with updated firmware. Those are all socketed on the K1 except for the very simple KNB1 MPU, for which the need for a firmware update will not ever be likely. Anyway, that's my outlook. ++++++++++++++++ Reply-To: "Bob Lewis (AA4PB)" From: "Bob Lewis (AA4PB)" To: Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Re:] K1 Front Panel missing IC Sockets ??? Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 19:39:16 -0500 > It seems that many US "standard" ic sockets are exremely poor in quality > when compared with European No matter how good the quality, sockets still add capacitance and inductance due to the additional lead length and that has the "potential" for causing problems with RF circuits, especially if the circuits have not been designed with that in mind. Perhaps they do not completely kill the circuit but may cause performance degradation. +++++++++++++++++++