K3 STATUS -- a note from the lab

[Don Rasmussen]

If you own a K2 (or K1, KX1, etc.) you almost expect
that kind of attention to detail to every single new
K3.

Hand crafting these boards is obviously tedious and
time intensive but necessary.

Rumors have it that underpaid workers do this from sun
up to sun down, 7 days a week, for as little as one
U.S. dollar per day.

This would be highly illegal if it was not the company
owners doing the work. ;-)


[Elecraft] K3 STATUS -- a note from the lab
wayne burdick n6kr at elecraft.com
Fri Nov 2 13:56:32 EST 2007

 

Since the K3's PCB modules are pre-assembled, we have
to 100% test
them, whether they're destined for a kit or for a
fully-assembled unit.
I thought I'd give you some flavor of what goes into
this.

For the K3 RF Board, we use a computer-controlled
signal generator and
spectrum analyzer, along with the K3's built-in
true-RMS audio
voltmeter, to do MDS tests on each band (receive
mode). While the
process is partially automated, each unit's band-pass
filters, first
I.F. trap, and mixer balance must be carefully aligned
by hand. We also
sweep each band for return loss from the antenna
through the T-R
switch. During this test, some low-pass filter toroid
windings must be
hand-adjusted. In transmit mode, each band is checked
for drive range,
max power output, key-down current drain, spectral
purity, etc.

Performance tests of this kind are also done on all
other modules
(there are over a dozen in even a basic K3). The
results are highly
repeatable, ensuring that both kit and
factory-assembled K3s work
equally well.

However, this turns out to be very time-consuming, so
reducing test
time through automation is one of our major ongoing
efforts. I'm now
pitching in to help our manufacturing-engineering team
(Brian, W6FVI
and Rene, WR6MTR) by adding test firmware to the K3
itself. K3 owners
will benefit from this effort in another way, since
some tests are
added to the K3's POST routine (power-up self-test),
and all of the
added remote control commands can be used to advantage
in third-party
software applications.

That's the news from the lab. Back to work....

73,
Wayne
N6KR

---

http://www.elecraft.com











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[Thom LaCosta]

At 02:56 PM 11/2/2007, wayne burdick wrote:

>Since the K3's PCB modules are pre-assembled, we have to 100% test
>them, whether they're destined for a kit or for a fully-assembled
>unit. I thought I'd give you some flavor of what goes into this.
>However, this turns out to be very time-consuming, so reducing test
>time through automation is one of our major ongoing efforts. I'm now
>pitching in to help our manufacturing-engineering team (Brian, W6FVI
>and Rene, WR6MTR) by adding test firmware to the K3 itself. K3
>owners will benefit from this effort in another way, since some
>tests are added to the K3's POST routine (power-up self-test), and
>all of the added remote control commands can be used to advantage in
>third-party software applications.
>
>That's the news from the lab. Back to work....

Interesting....just curious....is one of the last steps before
packing and shipping to update the firmware?  Seems like you all make
a lot of changes, which will benefit all of us.  Seems that one of
the first steps after turning puppy on would be to check for an update?

73,
Thom k3hrn  

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[Jeff Stai]

Yes - updating the firmware would be recommended. Several of us early recipients did get an email to
that effect right after we got our K3s.

Like most companies, I suspect Elecraft will not release new firmware to manufacturing very often,
just doing so when it is called for. So, check for an update after you get yours working.
Fortunately this is very simple on an internet connected windows PC.

73! - jeff wk6i

ps: I'll be operating K3 #27 in the SS this weekend from SJV section. That'll be my lousy CW that
sounds so good...;)


Thom LaCosta wrote:
> Interesting....just curious....is one of the last steps before packing
> and shipping to update the firmware?  Seems like you all make a lot of
> changes, which will benefit all of us.  Seems that one of the first
> steps after turning puppy on would be to check for an update?
>
> 73,
> Thom k3hrn


--
Jeff Stai               [hidden email]
Twisted Oak Winery      http://www.twistedoak.com/
Winery Blog             http://www.elbloggotorcido.com/
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[wayne burdick]

On Nov 2, 2007, at 6:44 PM, Thom LaCosta wrote:

> Seems that one of the first steps after turning puppy on would be to
> check for an update?

Definitely, Thom. Easy to do, too, using our K3 download utility, which
does a few other things besides just download code.

73,
Wayne
N6KR


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