K3 repair - a view from Europe

[G4PLZ]

One of the advantages of the Elecraft/user communication model is that
the advice on a repair is only an email away:

Recently, as a result of email exchanges with Gary Surrency, Dick
Dievendorff and Lyle Johnson, we identified the progressive failure of a
~$1 serial eeprom on the front panel in #900, although the only symptom
was a failure to complete the final step of the SubRx gain calibration.

The two-way shipping between Europe and Aptos would have added >$100,
plus repair cost, plus the turnaround time (no K3? ...the horror, the
horror) - so I took a look at the schematics, the data sheet and the
front panel. I located the 8-pin part as being accessible but not
wanting to trust my soldering skills at the pin pitch in that particular
location, I took the front panel and a new part to an electronics
contractor (Subtec Ltd) near my UK qth and they replaced it for the ~$38
minimum charge while I waited (including coffee!).

Upshot: my rig is now 100% again and I have learned much. This would not
have been possible without the K3 modular construction and, most
importantly, the incomparable Elecraft/user open communication model.

73, Pete G4PLZ/F5VNB


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[Johnny Siu]

Yes, it is an attractive selling point to overseas user like myself.

73

Johnny VR2XMC



----- 郵件原件 ----
寄件人﹕ Peter Connors <[hidden email]>
收件人﹕ [hidden email]
傳送日期﹕ 2010/7/5 (一) 4:57:05 PM
主題： [Elecraft] K3 repair - a view from Europe

One of the advantages of the Elecraft/user communication model is that
the advice on a repair is only an email away:

Recently, as a result of email exchanges with Gary Surrency, Dick
Dievendorff and Lyle Johnson, we identified the progressive failure of a
~$1 serial eeprom on the front panel in #900, although the only symptom
was a failure to complete the final step of the SubRx gain calibration.

The two-way shipping between Europe and Aptos would have added >$100,
plus repair cost, plus the turnaround time (no K3? ...the horror, the
horror) - so I took a look at the schematics, the data sheet and the
front panel. I located the 8-pin part as being accessible but not
wanting to trust my soldering skills at the pin pitch in that particular
location, I took the front panel and a new part to an electronics
contractor (Subtec Ltd) near my UK qth and they replaced it for the ~$38
minimum charge while I waited (including coffee!).

Upshot: my rig is now 100% again and I have learned much. This would not
have been possible without the K3 modular construction and, most
importantly, the incomparable Elecraft/user open communication model.

73, Pete G4PLZ/F5VNB


______________________________________________________________
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



     

______________________________________________________________
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