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K2 minor build caveat: C135 in the transmitter area

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Mark Petrovic

K2 minor build caveat: C135 in the transmitter area

I'm in the home stretch of building my K2, and wanted to point out
something that might help others as they assemble the transmitter portion
of the radio.

C135 ("103"), which sits adjacent to the 2D heat sink fastener, needs to be
installed as close to the board as possible. Check that it is lower than
the 2D fastener, otherwise the heat sink panel may not make good contact
with Q7 and Q8. My C135 sat a tiny bit higher than the 2D block; I ended
up shaving a very thin layer of the capacitor body with a razor blade so
that it cleared the 2D fastener.

Mark
AE6RT

--
Mark
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Re: K2 minor build caveat: C135 in the transmitter area

C135 on my K2 RF board sits 1.1mm higher than the 2d fastener. Is it safe shaving that much material off the capacitor body, or should I replace it with a different 103?

I'm one PA transistor away from being able to inspect, test, and align my K2; I don't want to do anything rash.

Thanks,
--mark/ae0mm

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
On July 17, 2018 11:55 AM, Mark Petrovic <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I'm in the home stretch of building my K2, and wanted to point out
> something that might help others as they assemble the transmitter portion
> of the radio.
>
> C135 ("103"), which sits adjacent to the 2D heat sink fastener, needs to be
> installed as close to the board as possible. Check that it is lower than
> the 2D fastener, otherwise the heat sink panel may not make good contact
> with Q7 and Q8. My C135 sat a tiny bit higher than the 2D block; I ended
> up shaving a very thin layer of the capacitor body with a razor blade so
> that it cleared the 2D fastener.
>
> Mark
> AE6RT
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Mark
>
> 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]

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Don Wilhelm

Re: K2 minor build caveat: C135 in the transmitter area

Mark,

The answer is "Maybe".

I have heard of some builders who have reduced the height of C135, but
that is a risky situation, you may short the plates of the capacitor
rendering it useless.
A better solution is to replace it with a capacitor that is smaller.
Do you have the KSB2 kit? If so, there is a spare small 0.01 uF
capacitor in that kit. It has leads for .1 inch lead spacing, but
spread them out so they will go into the holes in the RF board.

If you do not have the KSB2, but do have the KPA100, you can borrow one
of those small capacitors from the KPA100 kit and order a replacement
p/n E530019 - 0.01uF capacitor 0.1 inch lead spacing from
[hidden email].

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/14/2018 8:37 PM, AE0MM via Elecraft wrote:

> C135 on my K2 RF board sits 1.1mm higher than the 2d fastener. Is it safe shaving that much material off the capacitor body, or should I replace it with a different 103?
>
> I'm one PA transistor away from being able to inspect, test, and align my K2; I don't want to do anything rash.
>
>
> Thanks,
> --mark/ae0mm
>
>
>
> ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
> On July 17, 2018 11:55 AM, Mark Petrovic <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> I'm in the home stretch of building my K2, and wanted to point out
>> something that might help others as they assemble the transmitter portion
>> of the radio.
>>
>> C135 ("103"), which sits adjacent to the 2D heat sink fastener, needs to be
>> installed as close to the board as possible. Check that it is lower than
>> the 2D fastener, otherwise the heat sink panel may not make good contact
>> with Q7 and Q8. My C135 sat a tiny bit higher than the 2D block; I ended
>> up shaving a very thin layer of the capacitor body with a razor blade so
>> that it cleared the 2D fastener.
>>
>> Mark
>> AE6RT
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> 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]
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

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wayne burdick

Re: K2 minor build caveat: C135 in the transmitter area

Administrator

All bottom-side components must be less than 0.25” in height so they don’t touch the inside of the bottom cover. You can fold parts over, but I would never, ever attempt to modify their height by removing material. If you feel compelled to do that, better to just request a lower-profile replacement lower profile part from Elecraft.

Wayne
N6KR

----
http://www.elecraft.com

> On Sep 14, 2018, at 6:45 PM, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Mark,
>
> The answer is "Maybe".
>
> I have heard of some builders who have reduced the height of C135, but that is a risky situation, you may short the plates of the capacitor rendering it useless.
> A better solution is to replace it with a capacitor that is smaller.
> Do you have the KSB2 kit? If so, there is a spare small 0.01 uF capacitor in that kit. It has leads for .1 inch lead spacing, but spread them out so they will go into the holes in the RF board.
>
> If you do not have the KSB2, but do have the KPA100, you can borrow one of those small capacitors from the KPA100 kit and order a replacement p/n E530019 - 0.01uF capacitor 0.1 inch lead spacing from [hidden email].
>
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
>
>
>> On 9/14/2018 8:37 PM, AE0MM via Elecraft wrote:
>> C135 on my K2 RF board sits 1.1mm higher than the 2d fastener. Is it safe shaving that much material off the capacitor body, or should I replace it with a different 103?
>> I'm one PA transistor away from being able to inspect, test, and align my K2; I don't want to do anything rash.
>> Thanks,
>> --mark/ae0mm
>> ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
>>> On July 17, 2018 11:55 AM, Mark Petrovic <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>> I'm in the home stretch of building my K2, and wanted to point out
>>> something that might help others as they assemble the transmitter portion
>>> of the radio.
>>>
>>> C135 ("103"), which sits adjacent to the 2D heat sink fastener, needs to be
>>> installed as close to the board as possible. Check that it is lower than
>>> the 2D fastener, otherwise the heat sink panel may not make good contact
>>> with Q7 and Q8. My C135 sat a tiny bit higher than the 2D block; I ended
>>> up shaving a very thin layer of the capacitor body with a razor blade so
>>> that it cleared the 2D fastener.
>>>
>>> Mark
>>> AE6RT
>>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> Mark
>>>
>>> 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]
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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]
>
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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]

Elecraft mailing list

Re: K2 minor build caveat: C135 in the transmitter area

Don had a great suggestion. The KSB2 kit has a spare 103 that is significantly smaller than the K2 103s.

Thanks everyone,

--mark/ae0mm

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
On September 14, 2018 11:14 PM, Wayne Burdick <[hidden email]> wrote:

> All bottom-side components must be less than 0.25” in height so they don’t touch the inside of the bottom cover. You can fold parts over, but I would never, ever attempt to modify their height by removing material. If you feel compelled to do that, better to just request a lower-profile replacement lower profile part from Elecraft.
>
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> http://www.elecraft.com
>
> > On Sep 14, 2018, at 6:45 PM, Don Wilhelm [hidden email] wrote:
> > Mark,
> > The answer is "Maybe".
> > I have heard of some builders who have reduced the height of C135, but that is a risky situation, you may short the plates of the capacitor rendering it useless.
> > A better solution is to replace it with a capacitor that is smaller.
> > Do you have the KSB2 kit? If so, there is a spare small 0.01 uF capacitor in that kit. It has leads for .1 inch lead spacing, but spread them out so they will go into the holes in the RF board.
> > If you do not have the KSB2, but do have the KPA100, you can borrow one of those small capacitors from the KPA100 kit and order a replacement p/n E530019 - 0.01uF capacitor 0.1 inch lead spacing from [hidden email].
> > 73,
> > Don W3FPR
> >
> > > On 9/14/2018 8:37 PM, AE0MM via Elecraft wrote:
> > > C135 on my K2 RF board sits 1.1mm higher than the 2d fastener. Is it safe shaving that much material off the capacitor body, or should I replace it with a different 103?
> > > I'm one PA transistor away from being able to inspect, test, and align my K2; I don't want to do anything rash.
> > > Thanks,
> > > --mark/ae0mm
> > > ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
> > >
> > > > On July 17, 2018 11:55 AM, Mark Petrovic [hidden email] wrote:
> > > > I'm in the home stretch of building my K2, and wanted to point out
> > > > something that might help others as they assemble the transmitter portion
> > > > of the radio.
> > > > C135 ("103"), which sits adjacent to the 2D heat sink fastener, needs to be
> > > > installed as close to the board as possible. Check that it is lower than
> > > > the 2D fastener, otherwise the heat sink panel may not make good contact
> > > > with Q7 and Q8. My C135 sat a tiny bit higher than the 2D block; I ended
> > > > up shaving a very thin layer of the capacitor body with a razor blade so
> > > > that it cleared the 2D fastener.
> > > > Mark
> > > > AE6RT
> > > >
> > > > Mark
> > > > 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]
> > >
> > > 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]
> >
> > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> > https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> >
> > Elecraft mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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