K2 #4473 Is Alive and Kicking

[Dan Elliott-5]

Hello Elecrafters,

I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that K2 S/N 4473 passed "Test and Alignment III" tonight at about 10:30 PM EST.

It made it, even though the builder had his head up where the sun don't shine a couple of times. I relearned a lesson I learned a long time ago, 'It takes 10 times as long to unsolder a part as it did to solder it'. Somehow, I managed to
install both U4 and U5 backwards on the Front Panel board. If you look in the manual they even have a warning in bold face type. And of course, It couldn't have been a 8 pin DIP or even a 14 pin DIP. No Sir, it had to be 20 pin DIPs, two of'em. Didn't take me long to find them either. As soon as I had soldered the last pin and was checking my work, I realized what I'd done.Take my advice, don't even think about trying to salvage them. I gritted my teeth as I cut them out with the nippers. I can tell you one thing, a weeks a long, long time when your waiting for the replacements to come, but it's better than messing up such a high quality board.

The second time was when I was doing the resistance checks on the Front Panel board. Manual says that U1 pin 1 should read 25 - 35K to ground but I was reading open. Another instance of a sinking feeling in the pity of my stomach. Didn't take me long to find this one either, pin 1 on the U1 socket was not soldered. I could see it -- by looking under the LED diffuser and LCD that were installed. Lesson number two, 'Creative rework is some of the hardest work you'll ever have to do'! At least I didn't have to wait another week!!

The rest of the build was uneventful and it was the most fun I've had in years. I think I'm hooked on building these things. I already miss the smell of rosin coming off a hot iron and it's only been a couple of hours.

For those of you who haven't made up your minds yet about building a K2. They are every bit as good as everyone says they are. The manual is the best I've ever read, very complete. The engineering that went into this radio is on a level that I haven't seen in 20 or 30 years. The case work, circuit boards and component quality appear to me to be as good as the Mil Spec stuff I saw and worked with years ago and much better that the computer grade stuff I work with now. So, get yourself a good temp controlled iron, a DMM (Circuit Specialist will give you a DMM if you buy $50 or more and they have a temp controlled iron for $36), a good pair of flush cutting nippers and above all a good lighted magnifier and join the fun. I don't think you'll ever regret it.

Thanks Elecraft and Thank You Christina, you did a great job packing K2 4473.

Dan, N4FYS
K2 # 4473
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