Hi all, Built my KX3 yesterday, and I have to say I'm really impressed. Well done, Elecraft. The clarity of the build instructions, the photographs, and all the tips and caveats for each step were very helpful. I think I'll be even more impressed once I can find a BNC-SO239 adapter so I can put an antenna on it ;-)
The main thing that I ran into trouble with was sorting out the lengths of the tiny screws. which brings me to my first "tip" for the next guy who runs into the same thing: if you get to the step where you're trying to attach the screws and bolts to Q6 and Q7 (page 28 in my book), and you find the screws that you have aren't long enough to catch the bolts, or they just barely do, then you've put the wrong screws in your heat sink. The short ones you're trying to put in for Q6 and Q7 belong to your heat sink, and the long ones you've put in your heat sink belong to Q6 and Q7. (Incidentally, the only thing I'd suggest doing differently for this kit would be segregating parts by type; e.g., all the #2 lock washers in one packet, the #4s in another, etc.; that way, someone like me who has trouble discerning lengths of screws can start out by putting the parts in individual trays (I think those weekly "pill reminder" things might work well for this) and then have a little more certainty that a part is the right one. It's a very minor nit, and one that obviously didn't stop me.) My other "tip" is more of a temporary, non-technical one: our Walgreens (Northern California) had four-packs of 2400mAh Duracell NiMH batteries on sale today for $11. You can tell the 2400's vs the 2000's by the "AA" being written in green lettering instead of orange. Funnily, they're also selling 2000's for $11, so it pays to look through what they have on the shelf. If you need a fresh set of batteries... I 'm being long-winded though, so I'll just say I'm pretty stoked to have a new toy to play with for now. 73, Nick / N6OL -- *N6OL* Saying something doesn't make it true. Belief in something doesn't make it real. And if you have to lie to support a position, that position is not worth supporting. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
