Missing thermal pad in KAT500 kit

[WM3M]

I just got my long awaited KAT500 kit today.
The thermal pad for R6, figure 12, is missing.
I checked and re-checked all packed areas, it is not there.
Can I proceed to assemble without it or use something else in its place?
I really would like to get it working today if possible and not have to wait till mid next week.
I don’t think there is any place near me where I could buy one.
Any help or ideas is appreciated.  Thanks 73
Emory  WM3M
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[Phil Hystad-3]

I also did not have the thermal pad in my KAT500 kit I received about two months ago.  And, I have heard that a number of others were missing the thermal pad.  I think that the thermal pad person had a particularly bad day or something like that.

When I built my KAT500 and did the inventory to discover the thermal pad missing, I sent an e-mail to [hidden email] and a few days later received the thermal pad in the mail.  I did not wait on my KAT500 build but did wait after I got to that point in the assembly where the thermal pad was applied to R6.  I only had to wait a day or two.

73, phil, K7PEH

On Dec 28, 2012, at 12:37 PM, WM3M <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I just got my long awaited KAT500 kit today.
> The thermal pad for R6, figure 12, is missing.
> I checked and re-checked all packed areas, it is not there.
> Can I proceed to assemble without it or use something else in its place?
> I really would like to get it working today if possible and not have to wait till mid next week.
> I don’t think there is any place near me where I could buy one.
> Any help or ideas is appreciated.  Thanks 73
> Emory  WM3M
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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

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[Jim Sheldon]

After I posted several queries about the same thing, I got an email back from Wayne concerning that thermal pad.  It seems it's not really needed unless the KAT500 is going to be used in an extremely high heat envrionment.  Wayne said something about the middle of summer in Death Valley.  

Mine was missing, and I'm no longer concerned about it.  The KAT500 has been runnining under heavy CW and RTTY use for over a month and a half now with no adverse effects.  The metal to metal contact between the tab on the resistor and the bottom cover appears to be completely sufficient to dissipate the necessary amount of heat.  


Jim - W0EB



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[WE5ST]

My KAT500 (283) is also missing the pad. I'm thinking a thin layer of thermal paste is a good replacement for the thermal pad. Wayne says it's not essential but I've got the paste.
Any reason why this might be a bad idea?

Thanks!
Jack - WE5ST