Fred:
NEWS FLASH! Just got ANOTHER e-mail from Eric...
The K3 BPFs WILL be FULLY ALIGNED AND TESTED before they are shipped.
All other 'adjustments' will be performed under software control.
73,
Tom
At 10:40 09/05/2007, Fred (FL) wrote:
I've gotten used to the "pretested" "pre-created PCB"
and samo samo set of K3 parts and components and
PCB's and ............. in the K3 kit version.
I learned long time ago there are no dumb questions,
only poor souls who won't ask them.
I was hoping the front panel, and "control pcb
and display board" if there is one - are pre-made
and like all the other K3 boards, tested and
checked out to some Elecraft K3 standard.
And they ARE, Fred...
Maybe I wasn't specific enough... ALL (emphasis added here)
PC boards (including the Front Panel PC board) WILL be FULLY
ASSEMBLED and TESTED and PRE-ALIGNED...!!
Eric just wrote me with...
"The customer will have to do final alignment of the BPFs in
TX (like the K2), and will have to run the other alignment
routines like the VCO MD CAL *similar to CAL PLL in the K2)
routine. We'll do quick alignment in order to test everything,
but will not do a final, 'fine tuned' alignment."
The customer will also build their APP power cable. (So they
get to do -some- soldering!) - <G>
You, as the assembler, if you buy the kit, WILL have to install
the Front Panel PC board onto the metalwork named Front Panel Cover,
but there is NO soldering required.
As much
as we all like the smell of solder - seems to me,
the majority of problems with the K2 has always
been dumb or inept construction soldering and
component mistakes. So if I have to pay bigger bucks
for a better transceiver, and still not get 2m or
440 - I'd much rather get as much pre-tested
stuff, as the Elecraft principles think we
can handle. I want to end up with samo
and samo - as the "finishied K3" guys and
gals.
And there's NO REASON you shouldn't do just that,
with just a few hours of 'sweat equity' involved.
My dad, W2PZW from the spark 20's days, was
color blind. He couldn't get an early days
electronics job with the NBC radio companies
of those days because of his visual problem.
But I suspect he could have bought the K3 kit, and
ended up with a fully functional transceiver.
I'm not sure how dense the K3 is, it doesn't
appear too daunting - but if Icom had decided
to have hams build the IC-7000 from parts
as a solder-kit, I can imagine the success
and failure stories.
73,
Tom N0SS
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