Hi! As a previous builder of MANY Heathkits, 2 or 3 good sized Boats, a 3-car PoleBarn, a couple of Homes, and most recently K2 # 5422 - I had success with these methods:
Assumption: Elecraft's Christine and the other very smart Techs, rarely if ever seem to mispackage or short items from the various K2 section packages. I think in K2 # 5422 - I was short 1 small diode. 0. Get yourself a good set of basic TOOLS; a solder sucker, a good pair of small flush-cut dikes, a sharp knife, small tweezers, and very good low-rosin Kester Solder. A good sized hand magnifiying glass. Some rubber bands. Throw the de-solder braid, in the trash can. A good solder-station - can be found for $25. A good basic digital VOM, with C's measurent capability, also like $25. A jar of alcohol. Nice clean rag. Anti-static desk mat, wrist-strap. A good desk lamp. 00. Inventory MAJOR SECTIONS - are the PCB board there, are there bags for each section, etc. Are the chasis metal parts there? 1. Buy the Mr. TOROID Guy's toroid set, for your Elecraft kit. He does a much better job of building these critical L parts, than we will probably do. I felt this was the single most important decision I did - when I built K2 # 5422. If one is the least tired, or rushed - and trys to wind an important L toroid - good luck! Screwing just 1 up - will cause you all sorts of troubleshooting time. And mis-wound toroids may give you a K2 that may never really stack up among the best performers. 2. DO NOT do a complete INVENTORY of all the Elecraft Parts, when you start. I know this sounds dumb, but the chance of homogenizing all the parts together is too tempting and too possible. The risk of breaking or loosing parts is also risky. The risk of handling all those parts, probably without any static protection, could ruin semiconductor parts. I've felt it is very risky to attempt to INVENTORY all the K2 parts, at the start. First you probably haven't the foggiest which part is for what. And if you loose or homogenize them together - GOOD LUCK! (I'm still searching for that 1 small diode, that I had at the onset - but which vanished 3 weeks later) 3. Concentrate on building each K2 section alone. Work on it, check it, test it, perform whatever checks the manual calls for. The manual technique is organized that way. 4. Sort out those parts needed for that ONE SECTION, into small ceramic bowls: capacitors, diodes, resistors take care of themselves, mechanical fasteners, wire items, IC's & transistors, and misc devices. Have a "mechanical" bowl. As you near the completion of each K2 section - attempt to determine if you have any missing or broken parts to replace. GET THOSE ORDERS into Elecraft, and request FIRST CLASS US POSTAL delivery. The $5 postal fee is well worth it! Do this part-order process, like 5 days before you expect to complete a given section. 5. DO NOT use use Styrofoam containers to store parts - I tend to think this stuff stores static charge (Q), and can ruin semiconductor parts POW. Putting parts and devices into holes in cardboard - was not productive for me. If you sort into ceramic bowls - it forces you to recognize those parts you have to work with, and you will quickly learn the physical appearance of all these many many different parts. You will know what a "103" is, a "2N4446" is, etc. 5 or 6 ceramic bowls works. When the bowl(s) are empty - hopefully you are at the end of a build section, in the manual. 6. If you must retrace yourself, and install missing or broken parts in a previous kit section - make some notes in your manual, to point your way for going back - when the Elecraft parts package arrives. 7. By all means, take your time. Perhaps 2 hour sints at the most. If you start getting groggy or tired, you concentration will vanish - and mistakes will happen. EXPECT to make some builder mistakes. We are all human. 8. Enjoy the project - heck, we could probably buy a completed transceiver for a similiar price, and save the hundred hours it takes to build a K2. But, you will end up with an inferior commercial product, and one that you haven't the foggiest idea of how it's built or how it performs and operates. Melted solder smells good! :) Enjoy - Fred & 73's ... hit my thumb with my hammer, more than once! N3CSY .... FL, NY 8/2006 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.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
