[Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
Ok, folks - this is off topic, but since y'all have been a font of knowledge about kit building, I thought I would try this question... How hard is SMT soldering, really? I've been lusting after the TAPR Software Defined Radio kit,(http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/Fdsp10.html) but it's majority SMT. I'm in my 30's, with fairly steady hands and decent vision... with the proper tools, should I be able to do this? Any experienced SMT builders out there got any pointers? Please respond to me directly - I'll summarize for the list later if there's interest. Now, for the other shoe - I just ordered a KX1 to go with my now almost 5 year old K2 (#668). This should be fun! 73 DE KF4BAL/V73 Richard Perry ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] Elecraft parts
Do we know that Elecraft wants to be in this business? I have assumed this was a service they provided as an accommodation to their customers. And, they certainly provide superb service in every regard. My thought has been that I would prefer to source parts elsewhere before I bother Elecraft with a request. If, in fact, Elecraft would NOT like to be the first place one turns to for parts, they could facilitate that by providing listings on their websites of the correct catalogue numbers for Mouser, Digi-Key, and others. If Elecraft DOES wish to be in the replacement parts business, then there is no reason for them to provide that information. 73 de Brian W3BW -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Don Wilhelm Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 10:40 PM To: Elecraft Discussion List Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft parts Folks, I too agree - Ordering parts from Elecraft is not only easy, but you do receive personalized service too - Scott and Richard do a fantastic job, part numbers help a lot to avoid ambiguities, but they are available and receptive with information about a particular part should the part number not be readily available, one will not find that level of service at Mouser. Now, I do order often from Mouser (and Digi-Key too) and they also are really fine folks to deal with. If I am ordering in quantity for my parts stock or for a non-Elecraft project, they will be my primary choices, but if I need a particular part for a K1, K2 or KX1 (or any of the options), I pick up the phone and talk to the fine folks at Elecraft - it arrives in the mail within a week (OK, this is location sensitive, and parts from Mouser or DigiKey arrive in 3 business days for me, but the shipping cost is more than from Elecraft). 73, Don W3FPR - Original Message - I cannot fault your logic ONE BIT! Elecraft's ALWAYS been there for me, faster, AND more economical than Mouser... But... there ARE times when Mouser does come in handy. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft parts
Steve wrote: While I agree that Mouser is a super parts source, nothing beats buying Elecraft parts from ... Elecraft! I wonder about a couple of things: (1) Is the supply of parts at least a financial break-even enterprise for Elecraft? Or is it a service provided at a net loss? (2) Should Elecraft consider carrying parts that are frequently upgraded beyond the stock parts supplied with a kit. (Frankly, the only item that comes to mind that has had considerable appeal is the metal shaft VFO pot for the K1.) Perhaps there could be an option to select the upgrade part at time of kit purchase. 73, Mike / KK5F ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] Elecraft parts
I really can't speak for the folks at Elecraft, but ... I take the fact that Elecraft has provided an Elecraft part number in the manuals as 'living proof' that they DO understand they have a need to be in the REPLACEMENT parts business. That assures continuing quality and uniformity of the parts though the product line. It is also a necessary part of product support. So if you need a part for an Elecraft product, why not order from Elecraft? I assume that the parts are priced to be profitable, but I also know from experience that shipping a large number of small orders is labor intensive and can become a real pain - that is why many parts suppliers have found a need to establish minimum order levels or add handling charges to small orders (I really don't understand how Mouser has avoided doing that). Since Elecraft part numbers are already available, providing (and keeping current) a cross reference list of Mouser (or other supplier) part numbers would require a lot of people-hours to create and support. Now if someone would volunteer their time and effort to create such a list, I'm certain it would be appreciated by the Elecraft community, but it should be monitored and double checked for changes every time that supplier issues a new catalog - I would not want to assume that ANY supplier's part numbers are a constant thing, they have been KNOWN to change. 73, Don W3FPR - Original Message - Do we know that Elecraft wants to be in this business? I have assumed this was a service they provided as an accommodation to their customers. And, they certainly provide superb service in every regard. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
Richard, SMT work requires some parts handling techniques and a few pieces of extra equipment if one is to be successful. If you are going to be building electronic equipment, it is something you may want to persue. The first thing needed is to develop a gentle hand with the tweezers to adequately hold those small parts without having them fly off into 'never-never-land' when you try to pick them up. The second thing needed is a 'third hand' - to hold down the part while you use one hand to hold the soldering iron and another to apply a small bit of solder - a fixture that holds a vertical rod (stainless steel is a good choice) and applies a few ounces of pressure straight down (and not sideways) is a nice thing to have. A well lighted work area and a magnifier are quite desirable too, but that is not unique to SMT construction. Those are the essential things - some folks have developed exotic tools for SMT work, but you could get by with these basic essentials. Give it a try - you could see the availability of thru-hole parts dry up in your lifetime as more automated processes move to SMT. 73, Don W3FPR - Original Message - How hard is SMT soldering, really? I've been lusting after the TAPR Software Defined Radio kit,(http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/Fdsp10.html) but it's majority SMT. I'm in my 30's, with fairly steady hands and decent vision... with the proper tools, should I be able to do this? Any experienced SMT builders out there got any pointers? Please respond to me directly - I'll summarize for the list later if there's interest. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 L25 and L26
Hi, Bob- The K2 set that you have, with L25, L26 each consisting of 16 turns, is for K2 kits that have serial numbers below 3000. Did you buy this set from me? I ask because I keep these older toroid variations in a separate area and only get them out when it is requested of me by a builder with an older kit. This sort of request is rare. Based on the serial number that you have given, L25 should have 14 turns and L26 should have 12 turns. Regardless of how you acquired the parts, I will send you the two correct toroids at no charge if you will supply me with your shipping particulars. 73, Mychael AA3WF K2#1025 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
SMT work requires ... a few pieces of extra equipment if one is to be successful One useful piece of 'extra equipment' is a vacuum cleaner with a piece of nylon stocking stretched over the nozzle. Then instead of spending 30 minutes on your hands and knees looking for the SMD component that you just dropped (and is almost certainly the only one for which you have no spare), a quick swipe with the Hoover should find it. 73 Steve, G4GXL ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help!
Hi Guys: I had my K2 (S/N 2528) opened up to replace the thermal pads on Q7 and Q8. This was in the aftermath of installing the KPA100 option. Everything worked fine for a few weeks after installing the KPA100, but I needed to change out the pads as the old ones had gotten threadbare. I am pretty sure I didn't have this problem before I did that, but I am not 100% positive. Suddenly, I have birdies all over the place, on almost every band, and spaced out across the bands. The birdie is clearly associated with the KIO2 interface that is part of the KPA100. When I unplug the digital cable either from the PC or from the back of the K-2, the birdies disappear. However, I still have the birdies even if I shut down the PC, another PC in the shack, and both monitors. I have them when I move to battery power. I have tried shutting down everything in the area, with no change. I tried placing rf suppressing toroids and split rings on the line to the PC with no effect. I have changed COM ports with no success. Unplugging the KAT100 makes no difference. The birdies are at times steady and at times pulsating --- whoop whoop whoop --- about 2 per second. The pattern can change based on what I am doing on the PC. But, the birdies are there with the PC totally shut down, monitor as well. It acts like the KIO2 (the one that is built into the KPA100 is generating it's own oscillations, but only with the control cable connected. The configuration of my K2: KPA100 KAT100 KNB2 KDSP2 K160RX K60XV Any thoughts much appreciated. Thanks. de Brian W3BW ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help!
No it is not connected. Thanks for the quick response --- it reached me before my own post reached me! Brian -Original Message- From: W9DHI [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:41 AM To: 'Brian Wruble'; 'Elecraft Discussion List' Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help! Brian do you have the freq. counter lead still plugged into test point 2...it's been mentioned before, especially with the KPA100 installed that you could create problems. However I've been under the impression that the problems would be on the cleanliness of the transmitted signal...just a thought. Gregg R. Lengling, W9DHI, Retired Administrator http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org K2/100 S#3075 KX1 S# 57 Member: ARRL, RSGB, RCA, WERA and ORC -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Wruble Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:37 AM To: 'Elecraft Discussion List' Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help! Hi Guys: I had my K2 (S/N 2528) opened up to replace the thermal pads on Q7 and Q8. This was in the aftermath of installing the KPA100 option. Everything worked fine for a few weeks after installing the KPA100, but I needed to change out the pads as the old ones had gotten threadbare. I am pretty sure I didn't have this problem before I did that, but I am not 100% positive. Suddenly, I have birdies all over the place, on almost every band, and spaced out across the bands. The birdie is clearly associated with the KIO2 interface that is part of the KPA100. When I unplug the digital cable either from the PC or from the back of the K-2, the birdies disappear. However, I still have the birdies even if I shut down the PC, another PC in the shack, and both monitors. I have them when I move to battery power. I have tried shutting down everything in the area, with no change. I tried placing rf suppressing toroids and split rings on the line to the PC with no effect. I have changed COM ports with no success. Unplugging the KAT100 makes no difference. The birdies are at times steady and at times pulsating --- whoop whoop whoop --- about 2 per second. The pattern can change based on what I am doing on the PC. But, the birdies are there with the PC totally shut down, monitor as well. It acts like the KIO2 (the one that is built into the KPA100 is generating it's own oscillations, but only with the control cable connected. The configuration of my K2: KPA100 KAT100 KNB2 KDSP2 K160RX K60XV Any thoughts much appreciated. Thanks. de Brian W3BW ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help!
Brian do you have the freq. counter lead still plugged into test point 2...it's been mentioned before, especially with the KPA100 installed that you could create problems. However I've been under the impression that the problems would be on the cleanliness of the transmitted signal...just a thought. Gregg R. Lengling, W9DHI, Retired Administrator http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org K2/100 S#3075 KX1 S# 57 Member: ARRL, RSGB, RCA, WERA and ORC -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Wruble Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:37 AM To: 'Elecraft Discussion List' Subject: [Elecraft] K2 Multiple Birdies Suddenly Appeared. Help! Hi Guys: I had my K2 (S/N 2528) opened up to replace the thermal pads on Q7 and Q8. This was in the aftermath of installing the KPA100 option. Everything worked fine for a few weeks after installing the KPA100, but I needed to change out the pads as the old ones had gotten threadbare. I am pretty sure I didn't have this problem before I did that, but I am not 100% positive. Suddenly, I have birdies all over the place, on almost every band, and spaced out across the bands. The birdie is clearly associated with the KIO2 interface that is part of the KPA100. When I unplug the digital cable either from the PC or from the back of the K-2, the birdies disappear. However, I still have the birdies even if I shut down the PC, another PC in the shack, and both monitors. I have them when I move to battery power. I have tried shutting down everything in the area, with no change. I tried placing rf suppressing toroids and split rings on the line to the PC with no effect. I have changed COM ports with no success. Unplugging the KAT100 makes no difference. The birdies are at times steady and at times pulsating --- whoop whoop whoop --- about 2 per second. The pattern can change based on what I am doing on the PC. But, the birdies are there with the PC totally shut down, monitor as well. It acts like the KIO2 (the one that is built into the KPA100 is generating it's own oscillations, but only with the control cable connected. The configuration of my K2: KPA100 KAT100 KNB2 KDSP2 K160RX K60XV Any thoughts much appreciated. Thanks. de Brian W3BW ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
With all due respect to those of us who have to squint ever harder to see what used to stand out clearly: I, for one, would be delighted to have a kit based primarily on SMT devices to try my hand at. I have a fine-tip iron and an Optovisor at hand, and I love to build kits, so if SMT is the coming thing, let's have at it! It may not be everybody's cupp'a'tea but new things are interesting and exciting to try, and isn't that what it's all about? Perhaps a kit of, say, the K1's complexity to start with. The TAPR project described below is a pretty big gulp to start with, so perhaps something a little less complicated would be in order for a first project. What say, Elecraft guru's, I bet the challenges of designing an SMT kit project would be exciting on your side as well!? 73 de W1WCG Frank Van Cleef - Original Message - From: Richard T Perry [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 5:29 AM Subject: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? Ok, folks - this is off topic, but since y'all have been a font of knowledge about kit building, I thought I would try this question... How hard is SMT soldering, really? I've been lusting after the TAPR Software Defined Radio kit,(http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/Fdsp10.html) but it's majority SMT. I'm in my 30's, with fairly steady hands and decent vision... with the proper tools, should I be able to do this? Any experienced SMT builders out there got any pointers? Please respond to me directly - I'll summarize for the list later if there's interest. Now, for the other shoe - I just ordered a KX1 to go with my now almost 5 year old K2 (#668). This should be fun! 73 DE KF4BAL/V73 Richard Perry ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
I would *never* buy any kit that requires more than an item or two of SMT work. SMT construction is specifically designed *only* for machine assembly. IMO, any SMT kit must come with almost all the SMT components pre-assembled to the PC boards to be acceptable. I'm not against SMT. In fact, I wish the K1 or KX1 were available with most of the generic components in SMT, pre-assembled. (MFJ has almost the correct mixture in their Cub kits.) That would be more reliable, quicker to build, eliminate much error, reduce monotony in assembly, simplify kit parts inventory, etc. But a kit with many SMT parts that must be assembled by the builder grossly degrades, rather than improves, **all** of these areas, in comparison with conventional components. 73, Mike / KK5F ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
Mike, - Original Message - From: Mike Morrow [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 9:34 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? I would *never* buy any kit that requires more than an item or two of SMT work. SMT construction is specifically designed *only* for machine assembly. IMO, any SMT kit must come with almost all the SMT components I must respectively disagree with this statement. SMT parts are quite regularly hand soldered in a professional production environment. -- 73, Rod N0RC ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
Lesee... The design of clocks, especially mechanical watches, has always fascinated me. I built a 24-inch long model of the USS Constitution once with about half a jillion tiny knots in the rigging, all done by hand using tweezers. With that background, I simply found the advent of SMC's interesting. I already had an optivisor. My first experience was with removing and replacing them on pc boards with no specialized tools while repairing land mobile radios in the 80's. Later it was doing the same thing sitting cross-legged on a cold steel floor using a porta-sol butane iron and a small flashlight clamped in my teeth while servicing electronics on ships. At least in the land mobile shop I had a soldering station, comfortable bench and good light, but the shipboard experience proved that with enough practice one can get good results in very primitive conditions. Patience, good vision aids (if you're old enough that you can't focus on the tip of your nose any longer), a solder sucker or braid and sharp knife, and a pair of tweezers are the basics, in my experience. Oh, and a pair of soft-soled shoes helps. If you pick up a pebble on your shoe, you can be sure it's a resistor or a capacitor. Removing 'em, I use braid or a sucker to take all the solder off I can. Usually the part is still stuck by a tiny thin film of solder at each terminal bonding it to the board. A razor blade or very sharp hobby knife run along that seam will separate the part from the board without damaging either. Be sure to hold the part down with a small screwdriver or one blade of the tweezers when you remove the last bit of solder or you may have to pick it off of the bottom of your shoe eventually. Putting an SMC on, I hold the part in place with the tip of the tweezers, then tack solder one end using just the iron with a tiny amount of solder on it. Then I let go of the tweezers and properly solder the other end before going back to the first tack solder spot and finishing it, if needed. If the pad/part are tinned properly, just touching it with the iron the first time often solders it FB. You don't need a lot of solder. Make sure any solder on the pc-board pads is VERY thin. You don't want the part held off the board on islands of solder or stressing a terminal by pushing down on it after one end is soldered with the part not lying flat on the board. When replacing parts, I often use a bit of solder braid heated by the iron to dry the board pads as much as possible before installing the new part. Multi-pin transistors and I.C.s work just the same, but with more terminals. There are specialized irons that will heat both terminals on an SMC cap or resistor simultaneously, or even a whole I.C. If I were to do a lot of SMC work on my bench, I'd probably get one. Like any soldering, taking parts off cleanly is more work than putting 'em on. Frankly, most SMC's are too cheap to worry about much, unless I want to check the part out-of-circuit after it's off. So I worry about the board and I'm quick to sacrifice the part during removal if that makes things easier. In that regard, it's no different than replacing through-hole parts. Prefer Grandfather clocks to watches? Then at least through-hole and possibly vacuum tube stuff is likely a much more interesting project G. Ron AC7AC -Original Message- ...How hard is SMT soldering, really? I've been lusting after the TAPR Software Defined Radio kit,(http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/Fdsp10.html) but it's majority SMT. I'm in my 30's, with fairly steady hands and decent vision... with the proper tools, should I be able to do this? Any experienced SMT builders out there got any pointers? Please respond to me directly - I'll summarize for the list later if there's interest. Now, for the other shoe - I just ordered a KX1 to go with my now almost 5 year old K2 (#668). This should be fun! 73 DE KF4BAL/V73 Richard Perry ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
G'day, I would *never* buy any kit that requires more than an item or two of SMT work. SMT construction is specifically designed *only* for machine assembly. IMO, any SMT kit must come with almost all the SMT components pre-assembled to the PC boards to be acceptable. Well I guess through hole is going to vanish sooner or later, probably sooner, so we had better get used to it. Yes, I would buy a kit that uses SMT components. A right royal pain in the butt no doubt, so I would like to start small (no pun intended). Regards, Mike VP8NO #1400 + re-heat ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 L25 and L26
I have just read Mychael's comments about L25 L26. I appear to have missed the change in the Low-Pass Filter components when I upgraded my Revision A PCB to Revision B. I see from the latest circuit diagram that the filter is labelled 40/60m. What is the reason for the change in the filter components, and is the change recommended for the Revision A K2? Thanks de David G4DMP In a recent message, Mychael Morohovich [EMAIL PROTECTED] said The K2 set that you have, with L25, L26 each consisting of 16 turns, is for K2 kits that have serial numbers below 3000. Did you buy this set from me? I ask because I keep these older toroid variations in a separate area and only get them out when it is requested of me by a builder with an older kit. This sort of request is rare. Based on the serial number that you have given, L25 should have 14 turns and L26 should have 12 turns. Regardless of how you acquired the parts, I will send you the two correct toroids at no charge if you will supply me with your shipping particulars. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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] SMT Kits
G'day, Thinking on this, how about: Remote antenna switch. 1. Activated by a dc signal applied via the main co-ax. 2. Drops to an internal load. 3. Sniffs the rf in a tune cycle to determine the frequency. 4. Selects via latching relay the designated output port (co-ax socket) 5. Switches through. 6. Goes to sleep until activated again. Could be powered by a remote battery, possibly charged via a very small photo panel. Just a thought, needs some polish. Regards, Mike VP8NO #1400 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
- Original Message - From: Mike Morrow [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 11:34 am Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? SMT construction is specifically designed *only* for machine assembly. IMO, any SMT kit must come with almost all the SMT componentspre-assembled to the PC boards to be acceptable. Misinformation. When I was in college, a bunch of radio club members decided to get the NorCal SMK 40m kits. Some of those guys had little to no soldering experience, but all of us had our rigs working FB in a couple of hours with no problems. A little how-to info is all you need: http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~fvandenb/work/robot/SMT-GuideV1-3.pdf I like SMT much better... No board flipping and lead clipping. 73, Blake N4GI ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
Actually, I find surface mount components much easier to replace in most cases than through hole parts. Especially when you are prototyping and you have to change components often. No holes to clean out, no plate throughs to damage, no leads to clip. Once you get used to the size of the parts and a little different technique in building, it's easy. As to the comment about it being for machine assembly only, we hand build all prototype pcb's at work. Very high density stuff too. Not that big a deal once you have done it a few times. The K1 could probably be the size of the KX1 if all SMD's were used... 73's Trev - K6ESE http://www.qsl.net/k6ese dit dididit dit dit dit ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] K2 L25 and L26
Thank you, Don. I do indeed use the K60XV but have missed any reference to the need to change the LPF. Could you tell me please, where this information was published? 73 de David G4DMP In a recent message, Don Brown [EMAIL PROTECTED] said The change was made to allow for 60 meters. If you add the K60XV you will need to change the filter. Don Brown - Original Message - From: David Pratt I appear to have missed the change in the Low-Pass Filter components when I upgraded my Revision A PCB to Revision B. I see from the latest circuit diagram that the filter is labelled 40/60m. What is the reason for the change in the filter components, and is the change recommended for the Revision A K2? ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
One reason I don't care with SMD stuff, is the cost of proper soldering gear for them! The Optivisor and magnafier florescent lamps I have, who can spend many times more than a kit would cost for an SMD soldering station? (Not to mention looking for missing parts on my unclean room workshop!!) Big smile ;^) 73, Sandy W5TVW - Original Message - From: Frank C Van Cleef [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 10:20 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? | | With all due respect to those of us who have to squint ever harder to see | what used to stand out | clearly: I, for one, would be delighted to have a kit based primarily on | SMT devices to try my hand at. I have a fine-tip iron and an Optovisor at | hand, and I love to build kits, so if SMT is the coming thing, let's have at | it! It may not be everybody's cupp'a'tea but new things are interesting and | exciting to try, and isn't that what it's all about? | | Perhaps a kit of, say, the K1's complexity to start with. The TAPR project | described below is a pretty big gulp to start with, so perhaps something a | little less complicated would be in order for a first project. | What say, Elecraft guru's, I bet the challenges of designing an SMT kit | project would be exciting on your side as well!? | | 73 de W1WCG | Frank Van Cleef | | - Original Message - | From: Richard T Perry [EMAIL PROTECTED] | To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net | Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 5:29 AM | Subject: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? | | | Ok, folks - this is off topic, but since y'all have been a font of knowledge | about kit building, I thought I would try this question... | | How hard is SMT soldering, really? I've been lusting after the TAPR Software | Defined Radio kit,(http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/Fdsp10.html) but it's | majority SMT. I'm in my 30's, with fairly steady hands and decent vision... | with the proper tools, should I be able to do this? Any experienced SMT | builders out there got any pointers? | Please respond to me directly - I'll summarize for the list later if there's | interest. | | Now, for the other shoe - I just ordered a KX1 to go with my now almost 5 | year old K2 (#668). This should be fun! | | 73 DE KF4BAL/V73 | Richard Perry | ___ | Elecraft mailing list | Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net | 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net | 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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] SMT kits and Elecraft
Regarding SMT (surface-mount technology): We will obviously have to use many more SMDs (surface-mount devices) in future kits. But they will all be pre-installed, with rare exceptions. While it is possible to install and remove SMDs by hand, it can require a lot of practice, patience, steady nerves, unimpaired vision, and specialized tools. Only a small fraction of kit builders has all of these *and* the desire to build kits with SMDs. (I can do it, but I don't like to :) That said, we may offer small SMD-based accessory kits someday for those who are interested in learning and applying the necessary skills. 73, Wayne N6KR --- http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
Now that Wayne Burdick has a great idea. An introductory kit to SMT devices. That is why I like Elecraft. Thinking folks. As the cordinator for a build day for our local radio club, I embarked upon a small inexpensive kit search that would give our novice builders the biggest bang for their buck ($27) and something that hopefully could be completed in a day. As a result 11 RockMites were ordered from Dave Benson at Small Wonder Labs. The RockMite has one surface mount device. That gets installed first and the rest of the kit then builds around it. I am anxiously awaiting the day when we have 11 builders of various expertise gluing that one in. Fortunately we have planned elmers into the project so there will be an experienced builder at every table to guide faltering hands. Jim, W4ATK K2/100 4028 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] SMT kits and Elecraft
wayne burdick wrote: Regarding SMT (surface-mount technology): We will obviously have to use many more SMDs (surface-mount devices) in future kits. But they will all be pre-installed, with rare exceptions. While it is possible to install and remove SMDs by hand, it can require a lot of practice, patience, steady nerves, unimpaired vision, and specialized tools. Only a small fraction of kit builders has all of these *and* the desire to build kits with SMDs. (I can do it, but I don't like to :) That said, we may offer small SMD-based accessory kits someday for those who are interested in learning and applying the necessary skills. 73, Wayne N6KR Well I for one would like to try this SMD construction. I have worked in a service environment with probably the first SMD devices, which I guess were quite big by modern standards. Are there any kits available right now to make an interesting project? 73, Deni GM3SKN F5VJC ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sandy W5TVW Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 7:18 PM To: Frank C Van Cleef; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? One reason I don't care with SMD stuff, is the cost of proper soldering gear for them! The Optivisor and magnafier florescent lamps I have, who can spend many times more than a kit would cost for an SMD soldering station? (Not to mention looking for missing parts on my unclean room workshop!!) Sandy Good lighting and inspection capability is essential for any construction work, through hole or SMT. You would actually find less issues with lighting on SMT work although in some cases you are correct, because of the reduced pitch of the parts, especially IC pins, a good magnifier can become essential. Big smile ;^) Only as long as you do not drop any parts (especially MLCC's as they have no markings!), then its frown time! There is still a lot to be said for all the parts having the value marked well, and Elecraft do well by supplying the through hole parts on bandolier from a sequencer so they can be removed in line with the assembly manual, not so easy to do that with SMT. This was missed in the earlier posts. John (GM1BSG) 73, Sandy W5TVW - Original Message - From: Frank C Van Cleef [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 10:20 AM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? | | With all due respect to those of us who have to squint ever harder to see | what used to stand out | clearly: I, for one, would be delighted to have a kit based primarily on | SMT devices to try my hand at. I have a fine-tip iron and an Optovisor at | hand, and I love to build kits, so if SMT is the coming thing, let's have at | it! It may not be everybody's cupp'a'tea but new things are interesting and | exciting to try, and isn't that what it's all about? | | Perhaps a kit of, say, the K1's complexity to start with. The TAPR project | described below is a pretty big gulp to start with, so perhaps something a | little less complicated would be in order for a first project. | What say, Elecraft guru's, I bet the challenges of designing an SMT kit | project would be exciting on your side as well!? | | 73 de W1WCG | Frank Van Cleef | | - Original Message - | From: Richard T Perry [EMAIL PROTECTED] | To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net | Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 5:29 AM | Subject: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? | | | Ok, folks - this is off topic, but since y'all have been a font of knowledge | about kit building, I thought I would try this question... | | How hard is SMT soldering, really? I've been lusting after the TAPR Software | Defined Radio kit,(http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/Fdsp10.html) but it's | majority SMT. I'm in my 30's, with fairly steady hands and decent vision... | with the proper tools, should I be able to do this? Any experienced SMT | builders out there got any pointers? | Please respond to me directly - I'll summarize for the list later if there's | interest. | | Now, for the other shoe - I just ordered a KX1 to go with my now almost 5 | year old K2 (#668). This should be fun! | | 73 DE KF4BAL/V73 | Richard Perry | ___ | Elecraft mailing list | Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net | 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net | 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
Who needs an expensive soldering station for SMT? I've built a couple of SMT projects with a standard soldering station (using a fine tip)with no problem. If one looks for excuses, one can find them, and never do or learn anything new! There are many cheap and easy tricks for SMT work, if one only cares to look a bit! 73 de John N4FLJ - Original Message - From: Sandy W5TVW [EMAIL PROTECTED] One reason I don't care with SMD stuff, is the cost of proper soldering gear for them! Big smile ;^) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] SMT kits and Elecraft
Wayne wrote: ...it can require a lot of practice, patience, steady nerves, unimpaired vision, and specialized tools. --- Good points, especially when it comes to identifying parts. My experience has been mostly in fixing something. I replace one or two SMDs and I'm done. But reading the identifying marks on some of them darn near requires a microscope! Building a whole rig from a box (or thimblefull) of 100 or 200 such devices might be a bit more of a challenge... Also, I cringe when I find a dense board mixed with through-hole stuff. The big parts almost always make it really tough and time-consuming to work with SMDs using simple, non-specialized tools. Ron AC7AC ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
Richard, I already sent you my comments directly as you requested, but feel I should respond to some of the comments posted here. By way of background, the only SMT parts I had used previously were mounting 5 SMT caps on an Inrad roofing filter kit for my Orion. That went well so I began looking for another SMT kit to try. I decided to try KD1JV's AT Sprint II which is described here: http://www.al7fs.us/AL7FS5ATSprint2.html The ATS-2 is a quasi-competitor to the KX1 in that it covers 80/40/30/20 and comes in a very small lightweight package for $205 shipped. I was particularly interested in the weight since I've gotten interested in the Adventure Radio Society's Spartan Sprints, which place a premium on weight. My ATS-2 including paddle, earphones, modules for 80/40/20 and a 9V battery (good for 2.5W for the 2 hour Sprint duration) altogether weighs 0.59 pounds. Steve KD1JV has now ended production of the ATS-2 in favor of an ATS-3 which should be even lighter! Construction was really a non-event and it was actually fun to build. I was initially worried about the AD9834 DDS chip which has extremely small leads but even that was no problem. The only trick to SMT is to use the proper tools--a magnifying visor (I got one for $4.95 plus shipping), 0.015 solder and a needle point tip on a standard solder station (mine is the $35 Circuit Specialists version) are the only musts . Special SMT soldering equipment is NOT needed. I also did NOT use any hold-down device although it is very easy to construct one with several web references (one on AL7FS's site above). Bottom line for me: SMT is nothing to be afraid of if you use the proper tools (which are neither expensive or specialized). I'm now just waiting for KD1JV to bring out his ATS-3 and get my weight down WELL below 0.5 pounds for more Spartan Sprints. 73, Bill W4ZV (K2 #4119) ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
A trick that I learned was to take a long piece of solid bell wire or hookup wire (copper) about 6- 8 inches long. Remove the insulation and wrap a coil around your soldering iron tip. Bring the last bit of wire out, parallel to the axix of the soldering iron. Plug the iron, in, let the wire heat up, cut the tip to the length you want and you have a very fine tip for soldering SMD devices. I wouldn't want to build a kit this way; but if you only have a couple devices to solder it works pretty good. 73 de Larry W2LJ - Vivat Morse! © ® [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.qsl.net/w2lj ARRL Lifemember QRP ARCI #4488 NJQRP #47 FISTS #1469 QRP-L #778 FP #612 QRPp-I #759 ARS #1528, AmQRP, CQC #746 K1 #1647 - K2 #4090 for QRP Icom IC-751A for QRO Butternut HF9V and G5RV antennas - Original Message - John Payne wrote: Who needs an expensive soldering station for SMT? I've built a couple of SMT projects with a standard soldering station (using a fine tip)with no problem. If one looks for excuses, one can find them, and never do or learn anything new! There are many cheap and easy tricks for SMT work, if one only cares to look a bit! 73 de John N4FLJ ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] SMT kits and Elecraft
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 11:34 PM To: 'Elecraft Mail list' Subject: RE: [Elecraft] SMT kits and Elecraft Wayne wrote: ...it can require a lot of practice, patience, steady nerves, unimpaired vision, and specialized tools. --- Good points, especially when it comes to identifying parts. My experience has been mostly in fixing something. I replace one or two SMDs and I'm done. But reading the identifying marks on some of them darn near requires a microscope! Ron You usually do not get identification marks on chip capacitors, melf/SOD80 diodes or SOT23 parts (transistors etc) This is what I see as the biggest issue to SMD kits as there is no visual way for the builder to validate he has the correct parts in the correct place so its all down to getting these in the right place first time. This might seem to contradict some of my earlier comments in some ways but of read in context it only means you need to concentrate a little harder and employ a slightly different methodology for the assembly of the 2 technologies. I already know 1 builder who had some problems that ended up being a misplaced part, a very easy thing to do. The part size chosen for a kit will make a big difefrence in parts managability but will make the inventory for compiling the kit for sale as you cannot sequence the parts as easily on tape as on a bandolier. John Building a whole rig from a box (or thimblefull) of 100 or 200 such devices might be a bit more of a challenge... Also, I cringe when I find a dense board mixed with through-hole stuff. The big parts almost always make it really tough and time-consuming to work with SMDs using simple, non-specialized tools. Ron AC7AC ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] SMT kits and Elecraft
Ouch! The stuff that I've see so far has numbers - but really, really, REALLY small in many cases. Ron AC7AC -Original Message- Ron You usually do not get identification marks on chip capacitors, melf/SOD80 diodes or SOT23 parts (transistors etc) This is what I see as the biggest issue to SMD kits as there is no visual way for the builder to validate he has the correct parts in the correct place so its all down to getting these in the right place first time. John ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE: [Elecraft] SMT kits and Elecraft
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 1:25 AM To: 'Elecraft Mail list' Subject: RE: [Elecraft] SMT kits and Elecraft Ouch! The stuff that I've see so far has numbers - but really, really, REALLY small in many cases. Ron Yeah mostly chip resistors have numbers using standard conventions, except Rohm/Eurohm who can have a really funky system, don't expect 102 to be 1K from some of these guys. But MLC caps 1206 (3.2 x 1.6mm) and below are rarely marked, but depends on manufacturer, 0805 (2.0 x 1.25mm) have never had markings as far as I recall. These I would view as big passive parts, excluding chip electrolytic/tantalums. Was that your definition of small?, normally we use 0603 (1.6 x 0.8mm) or 0402 (1 x 0.5mm) every day. No metric comments please ;-), its an affliction but I am used to it. John (GM1BSG) Ron AC7AC -Original Message- Ron You usually do not get identification marks on chip capacitors, melf/SOD80 diodes or SOT23 parts (transistors etc) This is what I see as the biggest issue to SMD kits as there is no visual way for the builder to validate he has the correct parts in the correct place so its all down to getting these in the right place first time. John ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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] Fw: Perseid Meteors and a Big Sunspot
G'day, This might be of interest: snip | Space Weather News for August 10, 2004 | http://spaceweather.com | BIG SUNSPOT: Sunspot 649, which unleashed several powerful solar flares | in July, is back and it's growing again. The large spot has a complex | magnetic field that harbors energy for X-class solar flares. It's easy to | see, but never look directly at the blinding sun. Check SpaceWeather.com | for safe solar observing tips. snip Regards, Mike VP8NO #1400 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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] XG1 and K2 Signal Tracing
Hi gang, I bought and built the K2 with the idea that I'd not only have a pretty decent rig, but that I'd also learn something along the way. With that goal in mind, and realizing that I certainly have a lot to learn, I'll respectfully ask the members of this list, what probably is a pretty basic question: I've also built the XG1 signal generator and would like to trace the signal through my K2. I've read through the Troubleshooting section of the K2 Manual (Revision B) and it explains how to build a signal generator. Of course having the XG1, I didn't build the one in manual. However, the signal generator shown in the manual seems to have a variable output. For example, step 5 in the low pass filter section (page 11 of the troubleshooting section) says to adjust the signal generator to 0.14 Vrms and then check various pins to see if the voltages are at certain levels as described in the manual. The XG1 is not variable in its output, so would the voltages be more or less in the same proportion to those in the manuals which started with a signal of 0.14 Vrms? (I'll be honest I didn't check the XG1 to see what the Vrms output is on it.) Or is there a better approach I should be taking to this whole thing? As I said earlier, the K2 is working fine, I just would like to poke around and see if I can wind up learning something when I'm done. Thanks for any help or ideas you might have to offer. Tom WB2QDG k2 1103 -- Daddy, why do they call it the World Series if its always played in the Bronx? ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits?
I have an old Ungar Princess that might work? Someday I mat try SMD out, but I suspect I'll sooner or later drop some parts and probably never find them! 73, Sandy W5TVW - Original Message - From: John Payne [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Sandy W5TVW [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Frank C Van Cleef [EMAIL PROTECTED]; elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 5:12 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? | Who needs an expensive soldering station for SMT? I've built a couple of | SMT projects with a standard soldering station (using a fine tip)with no | problem. If one looks for excuses, one can find them, and never do or learn | anything new! There are many cheap and easy tricks for SMT work, if one | only cares to look a bit! | | 73 de John N4FLJ | - Original Message - | From: Sandy W5TVW [EMAIL PROTECTED] | | | | One reason I don't care with SMD stuff, is the cost of proper | soldering gear for | them! Big smile ;^) | | | | ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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] Re: XG1 and K2 Signal Tracing
On Aug 10, 2004, at 6:04 PM, Tom Mc wrote: I've also built the XG1 signal generator and would like to trace the signal through my K2. Hi Tom, The signal put out by the XG1 is so low in amplitude that the only point in the circuit you can trace with it is the audio amplifier, and perhaps the output of the product detector. It is intended for calibration at signal levels usually only seen in on-air operation (1 to 50 microvolts). If you'd like to trace signals through the rest of the receive chain, you'll need a signal in the 10s or 100s of millivolts. That's where the oscillator in Appendix E comes in. We provided a full list of signal-tracing points based on the use of this oscillator and the RF probe supplied with the K2. 73, Wayne N6KR --- http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
RE:[Elecraft] XG1 and K2 Signal Tracing
Tom wrote: The XG1 is not variable in its output, so would the voltages be more or less in the same proportion to those in the manuals which started with a signal of 0.14 Vrms? (I'll be honest I didn't check the XG1 to see what the Vrms output is on it.) Tom in a lot of cases, the answer would be yes, but you must take into consideration other contributing factors that may distort the result. For instance AGC applied to a reciever stage would reduce the gain of that stage. I have found a great thing to do is to using the equipment you have at hand, ie the XG1, make you own measurements at the points suggested and record them. Walk through the whole procedure doing this. Now you have a baseline for your rig using a specific array of test equipment. Once you have done this, then as you re-align, fix, repair you always will have a reference point utilizing your equipment. You will know whether the performance has been enhanced or degraded. A lot of time we will spin our wheels trying to get some reading in a published procedure that is given to us only as a guideline. You are on the right track. Get familiar with your equipment and keep a log of what you find. You will be rewarded for your efforts. Good Show OM! 73 and Have Fun. Jim W4ATK K2 #4028 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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] FS:Elecraft EC-2 Enclosure and ETS15 Tilt Stand
I have 3 EC-2 enclosures complete with ETS15 1.5 tilt stands for sale. All are NEW with all hardware packs and instructions. 55.00 USD each plus $5.00 USD shipping anywhere in North America. I accept PayPal. Please contact me off the reflector if interested (with the word Elecraft in the subject line -- otherwise your e-mail may be blocked by my SPAM filter) Regards Dave VE6DRW ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
Re: [Elecraft] SMT kits and Elecraft
On Tue, Aug 10, 2004 at 07:15:01PM -0700, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: Nope. Those are smaller than anything I've used! Yeah, I'm aware that many (most?) of the numbers I've seen have nothing to do with any parts I.D. conventions that I know! As a technical writer I work in metric all the time. I have to convert back to English more than go the other way. Most people here don't realize that the standard system of weights and measures in the USA is metric. We converted by an act of Congress to Metric over 100 years ago. The problem was that Congress didn't make the old English system illegal. Still wish they would G. Me too. I recall hearing that Jefferson proposed it in the early years of this country, but was unable to push it through. One Interstate (I-19 in Arizona) has metric signage, however. Never say an American can't be stubborn. (Lessee 3/32 inch times 9/16 inch ...eh...). I thought it somewhat amusing that the Brits still use miles, although they have converted most other things (except for Imperial pints of beer, of course). Bob, N7XY ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net 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
