KX1 battery holder screws too short!

[ke9uw]

The supplied screws have about 0.1 inches of thread. The battery holders use up most of that save about one thread to screw into the bottom cover. Not enough. I would like about 0.15 or 0.16 inches which is what I used. Works great. Uses all the threads in the bottom cover.
Small issue, but frustrating finding suitable 2-56 screws...any one like to try finding them at your local Best Hardware store? 4-40, yes, 2-56 no!

[VK7JB]

I found the same in the KX1 kit I've just finished - they were way too short to do the job any which way I tried. I finished by replacing them with longer steel fittings and hex nuts. It made me wonder whether the screws in my kit were the wrong spec, or whether the profile of the plastic battery holders had changed. Either way, I found a fix that works. Took me a while before I would believe that the supplied screws just weren't going to do it!  A lot of fiddling and futile attempts at grinding down the nubs on the holders.

73
John
VK7JB

[ke9uw]

Yes grinding down the nubs on the holders would allow another thread or two, but eliminates the room under the holder for the wires. I considered milling down the screw area from the top of the holder, but that would decrease the meat between the holder and the nub.
They are just the wrong screws. The parts list says 1/8 inch length which is .125 inch, but they are actually about .102 inch or so from the underside of the pan head. Another .050 or .060 is required to do the job properly.

An additional item I have is the sanding or scraping of the paint around the screw holes. I guess it's not too much to ask, but all the time you do it, you remember the wonderful tape over those areas on some of the other Elecraft products cabinets. I found that a #15 scalpel worked best for me, the sand paper is just too awful looking after getting down thru the paint. Would I pay an extra $50 if Elecraft paid the painters to tape those areas? I think I would, but I wouldn't know it :)

Scraping the paint on the W2 case holes was painful as well.

Chuck, KE9UW
aka Jack, BMW Motorcycles BMWMOA #224

________________________________________
From: [hidden email] [[hidden email]] on behalf of VK7JB [[hidden email]]
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 2:46 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX1 battery holder screws too short!

I found the same in the KX1 kit I've just finished - they were way too short
to do the job any which way I tried. I finished by replacing them with
longer steel fittings and hex nuts. It made me wonder whether the screws in
my kit were the wrong spec, or whether the profile of the plastic battery
holders had changed. Either way, I found a fix that works. Took me a while
before I would believe that the supplied screws just weren't going to do it!
A lot of fiddling and futile attempts at grinding down the nubs on the
holders.

73
John
VK7JB

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[VK7JB]

Chuck,

Yes - grinding down the nubs was a bad move. I didn't measure my screws, but they were too short to even get one turn into the threaded hole. Like you, I suspect they are just too short for the job.

To remove the paint from the case, I found the easiest way was to use a Dremel tool with a fine wire brush. I've used that method before on other projects requiring similar surgery. Makes For pretty quick work compared with sanding. Another effective way is to use those long, industrial strength emery boards that beauticians use for filing down women's acrylic fingernails. They are long, flat and flexible and rip through paint and lacquer coatings in a flash. They're also great for removing enamel coating from toroid wire if you don't want to crank up the soldering iron to burn it off. I use them a lot and a friend who is in the industry keeps me in supply.

73
John
VK7JB

[Don Wilhelm-4]

It is unfortunate, but screw manufacturers do not specify tolerances on
the length of the screws, so yes, the length will vary from batch to
batch.  If the "1/8 inch" screws were really 1/8 inch long, there would
be no problem.

Since I build and repair a number of KX1s, I have ordered some black
2-56 x 3/16 inch screws and some black 2-56 nuts from McMaster-Carr just
for the purpose of repairing loose battery holders.  You can order from
the same source, but you have to order a box of 100.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 6/7/2012 9:05 AM, VK7JB wrote:
> Chuck,
>
> Yes - grinding down the nubs was a bad move. I didn't measure my screws, but
> they were too short to even get one turn into the threaded hole. Like you, I
> suspect they are just too short for the job.
>
>
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