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K1 boards open source?

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K1 boards open source?

Apologies in advance if this has been answered before. I can’t find it in the mailing list archives although surely it has come up already.

I have recently realized that I “need” a 30 + 17 meter band filter board for my 40 + 20 K1. Obviously I have had 15+ years to make this realization, but I’m slow. After the recent fire sale, it appears that no more K1 parts are available from Elecraft.

If they are no longer selling K1 kits, and have therefore apparently given up on the K1 as a profit-making activity, and given that the schematics and BOMs are already in the documentation, is there a source for the circuit board layouts so that third-party boards could be sourced? I suppose the board layout is copyrighted.

Or could Elecraft make a run of bare boards? It should not be too hard to collect the required parts if the boards were available.

Seems like there could be a small-volume continuing product availability stream somehow…

Thanks.

Doug, W0UHU.
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Mike Morrow-3

Re: K1 boards open source?

What you propose will very likely not be possible.

Elecraft has always been very "outside the norm" for contemporary QRP kit makers in NEVER providing PCB trace info for the kits that it sold. It is deliberate company policy.

I could have used such info a number of times after I built an early K1 some 19 years ago. The late great Tom/N0SS was a helpful source of physical high-quality photos of some of the PCBs that Elecraft made 15 years ago.

Mike / KK5F

>I have recently realized that I “need” a 30 + 17 meter band filter board for my 40 + 20 K1. Obviously I have had 15+ years to make this realization, but I’m slow. After the recent fire sale, it appears that no more K1 parts are available from Elecraft.
>
>If they are no longer selling K1 kits, and have therefore apparently given up on the K1 as a profit-making activity, and given that the schematics and BOMs are already in the documentation, is there a source for the circuit board layouts so that third-party boards could be sourced? I suppose the board layout is copyrighted.
>
>Or could Elecraft make a run of bare boards? It should not be too hard to collect the required parts if the boards were available.
>
>Seems like there could be a small-volume continuing product availability stream somehow…
>
>Thanks.
>
>Doug, W0UHU.

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rich hurd WC3T

Re: K1 boards open source?

Wayne has already addressed this, not too long ago. They aren't
considering opening the K1 not only because of the circuit board layout
(copyrighted) but also the IP embedded within the microcontroller.

It's dead, Jim.

On Mon, Jun 10, 2019 at 12:21 PM Mike Morrow <[hidden email]> wrote:

> What you propose will very likely not be possible.
>
> Elecraft has always been very "outside the norm" for contemporary QRP kit
> makers in NEVER providing PCB trace info for the kits that it sold. It is
> deliberate company policy.
>
> I could have used such info a number of times after I built an early K1
> some 19 years ago. The late great Tom/N0SS was a helpful source of
> physical high-quality photos of some of the PCBs that Elecraft made 15
> years ago.
>
> Mike / KK5F
>
> >I have recently realized that I “need” a 30 + 17 meter band filter board
> for my 40 + 20 K1. Obviously I have had 15+ years to make this realization,
> but I’m slow. After the recent fire sale, it appears that no more K1 parts
> are available from Elecraft.
> >
> >If they are no longer selling K1 kits, and have therefore apparently
> given up on the K1 as a profit-making activity, and given that the
> schematics and BOMs are already in the documentation, is there a source for
> the circuit board layouts so that third-party boards could be sourced? I
> suppose the board layout is copyrighted.
> >
> >Or could Elecraft make a run of bare boards? It should not be too hard to
> collect the required parts if the boards were available.
> >
> >Seems like there could be a small-volume continuing product availability
> stream somehow…
> >
> >Thanks.
> >
> >Doug, W0UHU.
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

--
72,
Rich Hurd / WC3T / DMR: 3142737
Northampton County RACES, EPA-ARRL Public Information Officer for Scouting
Latitude: 40.761621 Longitude: -75.288988 (40°45.68' N 75°17.33' W) Grid:
*FN20is*
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David Gilbert

Re: K1 boards open source?

In reply to this post by Elecraft mailing list

Unless I am mistaken (entirely possible), all of the K1 band filter
boards were essentially the same except for the coils. I'd bet that
there are several unused two band K1 filter boards out there ... the
result of owners upgrading to the four band module. For example, I have
an extra 40m/20m board left over from when I upgraded my K1, but I plan
to hang on to mine.

If you can find somebody willing to give theirs up, it shouldn't be too
difficult to find the coil winding instructions for the bands you're
interested in. There was even a guy who used to wind the coils for a
small fee, and if he's still around he probably still has the materials
for them.

After all, you don't need a run of boards ... you just need one module.

73,
Dave AB7E

On 6/10/2019 8:57 AM, Douglas Hagerman via Elecraft wrote:

> Apologies in advance if this has been answered before. I can’t find it in the mailing list archives although surely it has come up already.
>
> I have recently realized that I “need” a 30 + 17 meter band filter board for my 40 + 20 K1. Obviously I have had 15+ years to make this realization, but I’m slow. After the recent fire sale, it appears that no more K1 parts are available from Elecraft.
>
> If they are no longer selling K1 kits, and have therefore apparently given up on the K1 as a profit-making activity, and given that the schematics and BOMs are already in the documentation, is there a source for the circuit board layouts so that third-party boards could be sourced? I suppose the board layout is copyrighted.
>
> Or could Elecraft make a run of bare boards? It should not be too hard to collect the required parts if the boards were available.
>
> Seems like there could be a small-volume continuing product availability stream somehow…
>
> Thanks.
>
> Doug, W0UHU.

David Gilbert

Re: K1 boards open source?

Ahh ... very good point, Bob! I forgot that.

I assume crystals can still be had from somewhere, though. I wonder if
Elecraft kept their old stock of them.

I'm copying the list on your reply since it was someone else who needed
a new board, not me.

73,
Dave AB7E

On 6/10/2019 11:09 AM, Bob W7AVK wrote:

>
> Dave - To change bands with the K1 boards you also need to change the
> crystal.
>
> Good luck,
>
> 73 Bob W7AVK
>
>
> On 6/10/2019 10:33 AM, David Gilbert wrote:
>>
>> Unless I am mistaken (entirely possible), all of the K1 band filter
>> boards were essentially the same except for the coils. I'd bet that
>> there are several unused two band K1 filter boards out there ... the
>> result of owners upgrading to the four band module. For example, I
>> have an extra 40m/20m board left over from when I upgraded my K1, but
>> I plan to hang on to mine.
>>
>> If you can find somebody willing to give theirs up, it shouldn't be
>> too difficult to find the coil winding instructions for the bands
>> you're interested in. There was even a guy who used to wind the
>> coils for a small fee, and if he's still around he probably still has
>> the materials for them.
>>
>> After all, you don't need a run of boards ... you just need one module.
>>
>> 73,
>> Dave AB7E
>>