I have to agree with Mike, especially with the assertion about SMT
components being intended for robotic assembly.
Imagine all of the troubleshooting calls and e-mails that Elecraft would
get if Joe Ham had to populate circuit boards with these miniature
components. Too much room for error.
While I'd prefer a through-hole kit where soldering was required
(although I hate winding toroids!), like the K1 and K2, if the KX3 had
even one SMT device, I would not have purchased one.
72/73 de Jim - AD6CW
On 7/20/2014 9:55 AM, Mike Morrow wrote:
... perhaps it is time for Elecraft to start offering some "big boy" kits
that make full use of SMTs and other modern components.
Some would likely take exception to that strong implication that one is
not a "big boy" (whatever that means) if one rejects significant SMT hand
application. I've been a ham almost 50 years, commercial radiotelegraph licensed until
standards dropped 20 years ago, and an electrical engineer
for 40 years...is that "big boy" enough? Perhaps not...yet I'm not hesitant to state
that hand-application of SMT components is a "half-vast" :-) misapplication of technique
to devices designed solely for machine placement. It should never be required in any step of
production of a commercial
product, even for hams. So, to any enterprise proposing to *sell* something
that requires significant SMT hand-application, I would *not* give such a
product even a moment's consideration. OTOH, supply the PCBs with SMTs
pre-fixed by machine as designed, and I'll likely be very interested.
Any serious ham should have a good digital 'scope, and a hot air solder
station with a syringe of solder paste (which can be bought new for less
than $100).
Well...there you go again. I suspect most of us will just *never* qualify
as a N4OI "serious ham", for lack of meeting these canonical and doubtless
universally-recognized requirements for the title. :-)
73,
Mike / KK5F
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