WOW! Great job Steph! I happen to have a 3-pin socket handy here. I think add the diode to the RF board and follow your example on the stock K2 cover too.
Plus the 9-volt snap connector is fast. Also allows 1 or 2 quick contacts with a 9 volt transistor radio battery in a real emergency. Neat idea! Tom K2TA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephanie Maks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 3:53 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K1 with internal battery > > > > The KBT1 should have been made easily removable so that the > > compromises associated with having it installed need only be > > suffered when absolutely needed. The KBT1 *should* attach via a > > cable with a polarized two-pin female connector to a male connector > > *anchored* on the RF board. This would allow easy removal at any > > time. The current design has the connections made by soldered > > connections, and even if you jury-rig in a connector in the power > > leads, one side of the connector will then be floating ar > > ound creating potential shorts when the KBT1 is removed. > > > > 73, > > Mike / KK5F > > I got the KBT1 kit but haven't really used it yet. I have made some > modifications though that will make using it much easier, including > adding my own jack on the RF board so that I can add / remove the > entire battery kit without soldering. > > Where the two solder points are to wire in the auxiliary 12 volts, > the + point is directly under the switch, but the - point was next to > the switch. I got a 3-pin female socket, similar to the one you get > with the ATU - it's a 0.1" spacing 3 conductor socket. Anyhow I > drilled a hole in the RF board, and mounted the 3-pin socket there. > The two outside pins are both ground, and the centre one is for +12 > volts. (not quite as good as a polarized plug, but I just used the > parts I had laying around). I used the special diode they supplied > with the KBT1 to go from the centre pin of my 3-pin connector, to the > power switch - rather than having the diode being part of the KBT1 > assembly itself, this means the diode is right on the RF board, on > the bottom. Finally, I used some hot-melt glue on the top side to > provide additional strength to the 3-pin socket. > > For the wiring from the KBT1 bracket I used the supplied red and > black wiring, and just terminated it on a 3-pin header. > > The last thing I changed was rather than using discrete AA sized > rechargables, I had a battery pack assembled. This allowed me to use > the larger diameter AA type cells. Without the plastic battery > holder there is more room for batteries. So I have a 9.6v 2000 mAh > battery pack made up. On its terminals I added a '9-volt' style snap > connector, and to the KBT1 switch I put another '9-volt' style snap > connector. This lets me easily pull the battery pack out and drop it > into my Maha quick charger, without removing the KBT1 bracket etc. > I still have the 8-AA plastic holder of course, and with another 9- > volt style snap connector on that, I can just as easily drop that in > and load it with off the shelf AAs if needed. > > In the meantime, I also used two small strips of brass to add a > little 'lip' to the stock K1 top cover, because I like the ease of > opening it with just the two knurled thumbscrews at the back. > > So now the whole process of switching from the 'normal' K1 to the > battery powered unit takes me under a minute - just unscrew the > thumbscrews, remove the stock lid and speaker, drop in the KBT1 > bracket, plug in the speaker, plug in the power cable, and put on the > KBT1 lid and screw it down. No tools required at all. > > 73 de > Stephanie > va3uxb > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: [email protected] > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [email protected] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
