Well the Assembly so far has gone pretty well; other than the odd hardware dance. This is an area that can be improved dramatically without being overly complex. There's apparently one set of Stainless hardware and the rest are zinc. I infer from the assembly that all (or nearly all) hardware that is on the OUTSIDE or mates to outside screws/bolts is stainless. Everything internal ONLY is zinc.
My Hints/Tips: 1. Wear surgical/rubber gloves - During assembly I suggest wearing thin rubber gloves (lowes, home depot..etc.. ). That helps keep oil/fingerprints off of everything and you get a slight better grip. 2. Use a magnetic parts tray - even for the SS hardware it helps as they have some slight carbon content. 3. Use a magnetic tipped screwdriver. 4. User gravity to put/keep washers on the screws - don't be afraid to pick up the assembly you're working on and position it such that gravity helps keep parts where they need to be. Keep it Simply Simple. 5. Work in a well-lighted area and I'd even suggest a desk/work lamp. I have plenty of light in my office and the addition of a desk lamp made a dramatic difference to my work. 6. Don't mix bags - keep hardware from one bag in it's own container. Don't mix zinc and stainless J 7. Don't be distracted - ask the wife, kids, pets, ..etc.. to leave you be for a bit. I had to dis-assemble/re-assemble the front panel several times because my better half wanted to share details of something. Being that she has the higher priority I listened and inadvertently assembled some parts incorrectly and caught it on verification. Well I'm past the resistance and first power-on test. Just need to figure out if/how they packed the TCXO. I have the KREF3 module but can't locate the TCXO.. not many parts left, 3 modules, the 100w PA and sheet metal mmmm. Jerry Moore AE4PB, K3S SN# 10324 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
