Building the K2

Last Update: January 25, 2002

Here are some shots of my K2 (serial number 2462), now complete and on the air!.

After opening the box.  The kit contains nearly 700 parts, not including hardware!  The three circuit boards are at left, the largest being the RF board.  Parts for stuffing each board are shipped in separate bags.  One bag contains wire for winding each of the toroids and other inductors.  The option kits are not shown.  Note the 807 at the top right -- this is not supplied with the kit, but is required for successful assembly.

A technique for organizing parts.  I used an inexpensive plastic "sewing organizer" from the drugstore.  Each of the compartments is numbered, and noted in the parts list during inventory.  This may seem excessive but it is actually quite efficient and greatly simplifies locating parts during assembly.  Capacitors and transistors, in particular, are segregated by value.

The completed Control Board, held in the jaws of my PanaVise.  This board, which fits behind the front panel board, hosts a microcontroller which is the "brains" of the K2.  It also hosts the built-in digital voltmeter and frequency counter, which are used during alignment.