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Newbie requests advice

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recarter

Newbie requests advice

Ron D'Eau Claire-2

RE: Newbie requests advice

I just received my new K2, SSB and 160M options too. I've also ordered the
rework eliminator kit. I've redlined my insructions with errata and rework
updates. Assembly starts tonight.

I've hunted around for a general advice thread, but there is so much
information out there I can't seem to sift out what I'm looking for. I know
the hot end of a soldering iron from the cold end, and I have some test
quipment including scope and signal generator. If anyone out there has
adice or can point me to the right place, please reply. In particular, if
anyone has experience with the rework eliminator please reply. I'm
concerned that the test and alignment procedure may not work as it should
with these mods.

----------------------------------------------------

Success building a K2 is fun and easy!

1) Incorporate the errata items into your K2 manual and build the basic K2.

2) Do the inventory. Even if you don't count all the parts, be sure you know
which is which before you start stuffing the boards. There is a lot of good
info about identifying parts in the front of the manual.

3) Follow the instructions *exactly* as given in the manual. Do not skip
steps.

4) Take time and care to ensure you have every part in the right place,
oriented correctly when orientation is important (those parts are carefully
identified in the manual).

5) Make sure you soldered all leads and pins as directed. Personally, I
install and solder each part individually. I find it far too easy to miss
leads when I "gang solder" lots of component leads at once or parts move
enough before I've soldered them that they are not longer properly
positioned down against the board.

6) Do all the in-process resistance, voltage and operational tests as you
come to them! Keep in mind that when a resistance is given as more (>) or
less (<) than some value, ANY value that is either more or less than that is
fine. That is, if something says the resistance is "> 100 k ohms" a value of
infinity on your meter is just fine!

7) If you find a problem, solve it before proceeding! Once you go on with
the build, it may be very difficult to find the problem later. You can post
any questions you have here. Of course, advice directly from Elecraft is
available by e-mail from: [hidden email]

7) When you have completed the basic K2 and it is working per the manual,
start adding the SSB and 160 meter options by first incorporating any errata
items in their manuals, then doing the build and test. Do one module at a
time before going onto anything else. You can do them in any order you like.

8) The "rework eliminators" come from another group. I haven't used them.
Apparently they do make troubleshooting a little easier by making it simple
to remove a module to ensure it is not the source of a problem. I haven't
had any problems (other than cockpit trouble) with my K2 built in 2000, so I
can't comment on how valuable they are. I have *not* seen anyone posting
problems resulting from incorporating them during the build. If you want to
do that while you are doing the original build, that's your choice.

Good luck, OM! Give as name/call sometime when you post a message again <G>.

Ron AC7AC

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Craig Rairdin

RE: Newbie requests advice

In reply to this post by recarter

When building my K2 I found it helpful to look at photos of other K2's if I
was confused about a part. I couldn't always find exactly the view I was
looking for, so I took my own page-by-page photos of my K2 being built. Go
to www.craigr.com/coppermine and select the Ham Radio, 2005 category. You'll
find the K2 pictures in there.

Have fun!

Craig
NZ0R
K1 #1966
K2/100 #4941

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email]
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 12:05 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] Newbie requests advice

I just received my new K2, SSB and 160M options too. I've also ordered the
rework eliminator kit. I've redlined my insructions with errata and rework
updates. Assembly starts tonight.

I've hunted around for a general advice thread, but there is so much
information out there I can't seem to sift out what I'm looking for. I know
the hot end of a soldering iron from the cold end, and I have some test
quipment including scope and signal generator. If anyone out there has
adice or can point me to the right place, please reply. In particular, if
anyone has experience with the rework eliminator please reply. I'm
concerned that the test and alignment procedure may not work as it should
with these mods.

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Rob Locher W7GH

Re: Newbie requests advice

In reply to this post by recarter

I've used the Rework Eliminators, and the only trouble I've had with
testing and alignment is remembering to plug the Rework Eliminators in
first. (You shouldn't leave them in when installing parts, because some
are easily damaged if you rest the RF board on the bench upside down.)

- Rob W7GH
K2 #5004 (Stage III Alignment & Test in progress)

On Fri, 27 Jan 2006 10:05:29 -0800, <[hidden email]> wrote:

[a chunk of R.E.'s post was snipped]

> In particular, if anyone has experience with the rework eliminator
> please reply. I'm concerned that the test and alignment procedure may
> not work as it should with these mods.

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Gary Hvizdak

Re: Newbie requests advice

In reply to this post by recarter

Rich wrote ...
In particular, if anyone has experience with the rework eliminator
please reply. I'm concerned that the test and alignment procedure may not
work as it should with these mods.

Rob wrote ...
I've used the Rework Eliminators, and the only trouble I've had with
testing and alignment is remembering to plug the Rework Eliminators in
first. (You shouldn't leave them in when installing parts, because some are
easily damaged if you rest the RF board on the bench upside down.)

1) Rob, thank you for the suggestion. This issue came up during Beta
testing and was supposed to have been added to the instructions. I'll
update the Companion Guide to remove the headers after phase II alignment
and test, and then reinstall them prior to phase III alignment and test. An
updated PDF will be available on our website within the next 12 hours.

2) Rich, to answer your question in detail, most of the mods to the K2 are
"un-done" by the un-module headers themselves. The few that aren't are
instead "un-done" by the firmware as follows ...

C13 & C14
=========
These two caps are part of the 160 meter bandpass filter, so they are
only "in circuit" when you are on 160 meters, and the firmware will only
attempt to operate on 160 meters when it detects the K160RX on the AUXBUS,
(i.e. when the K160RX option is installed).

C71
===
Changing the value of this cap from 82 to 120 pF requires that you
"inform" the firmware that you have done so. This is accomplished by
changing the Extended VFO Range (D19) secondary menu setting per the
instructions in the Companion Guide. (The firmware in older K2s (pre-4060)
did not have this secondary menu setting, however your K2 has the latest
firmware.)

C75
===
This cap is only "in" the synthesizer circuit when the K2 is on 160
meters.

--- - - - ---

Ken is now shipping the remainder of our new "Stock K2 PCB Upgrade Parts
Kits" product line. I'll be updating our website within the next 12 hours
to reflect our updated shipping status.

To learn more about our accessory products and supporting documentation,
visit our website at http://home.cfl.rr.com/garyhvizdak/KI4GGX/unpcbs/

73,
Gary, KI4GGX
K2 #4067

Rework Eliminator, Rework Eliminators, and unpcbs are trademarks of Ken
Kaplan and Gary Hvizdak. (I'll be updating our website this weekend to
include the unpcbs trademark claim on every page.)

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Geoffrey Mackenzie-Kennedy-2

Re: Newbie requests advice

In reply to this post by Rob Locher W7GH

Rob Locher W7GH wrote on Friday, January 27, 2006 9:56 PM

> I've used the Rework Eliminators, and the only trouble I've had with
> testing and alignment is remembering to plug the Rework Eliminators in
> first. (You shouldn't leave them in when installing parts, because some
> are easily damaged if you rest the RF board on the bench upside down.)
>
>

---------------------------------------------------------------

To protect parts when working on a PCB I add legs to both sides of the board
using hexagonal metal spacers - the type that have a tapped hole at one end
and a threaded part at the other end - and using the holes near the edge of
the PCB that would normally be used for fastening the PCB to its box or
whatever. With the K2's RF board I used four pairs of legs near the PCB's
edge and added a fifth pair near the centre of the PCB for extra support.
Each pair of legs consists of spacers that connect via a suitable hole in
the PCB so that a leg is attached to the top of the PCB, and another to the
underside. Using spacers that mate, the legs can be made long enough so that
the tallest components on the top or underside of the board are well
protected, and the PCB is kept clean. With small boards like the KNB2's PCB
I use one pair of legs, one hole, with one of the pair held by a small (but
heavy) vise, sometimes by a *Third Hand*.

73,
Geoff.
GM4ESD

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