I FIXED My Elecraft KH-1! We're Back On The Air!

On a recent SOTA attempt video I ran into an issue with my new #Elecraft KH-1. After some working with the Elecraft support team it was determined to be a TINY part! They said "Go ahead and try to fix it yourself!" - So I did! NOTE: This part is subbed out on the final retail units and you all will not experience this I issues I had with it!
📻 Want the best HT antenna? Signal Stuff Signal Stick signalstuff.com/?ref=622 (This is an affliate link)
📻 The Coax I use is ABR Industries (10% off with code: "abr10hrcc"): abrind.com/?sld=6
📻 I use Ham Radio Deluxe: www.hamradiodeluxe.com/aff/2D...
📻 You can find some of my favorite radios and gear at GigaParts: www.gigaparts.com/nsearch/?lp...
📻 Good Value HTs: HTs: www.buytwowayradios.com/?cmid...
📻Check out Radioddity ham radio radios and get a discount: Xiegu G90: radioddity.refr.cc/hoshnasi
📻 Support Ham Radio Crash Course Content 📻
Patreon - / hoshnasi (includes monthly newsletter, stickers and Patron perks)
📸KZbin - / hamradiocrashcourse (includes early access to videos, membership YT badge and custom emojis)
Shop HamTactical: www.hamtactical.com
Shop Our Affiliates: hamradiocrashcourse.com/affili...
Shop Our Amazon Store: www.amazon.com/shop/hamradioc...
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
★ FOLLOW ME HERE ★
🪩 Website………………………► hamradiocrashcourse.com
📸 KZbin..................► / hamradiocrashcourse
💻 Twitch......................► / hamradiocrashcourse
Podcast………………………► hamradiocrashcourse.podbean.com/
💻 Discord………………….► / discord
📸 Facebook................► goo.gl/cv5rEQ
📸 Twitter.....................► / hoshnasi
📸 Instagram................► / hamradiocrashcourse
📨 Physical Mail...........►Josh Nass P.O Box 5101 Cerritos, CA 90703-5101
Music by Sonic D:
Soundcloud.com/sncd
Twitter.com/sncd
Facebook.com/djsonicd
#HRCC #hamradio #amateurradio

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

NOTE: This part is subbed out on the final retail units and you all will not experience this I issues I had with it!

[@the_mad_swimbaiter455]

Bro, I've Benning doing smd and you just enlightened me to ceramic tweezers, mind blown! I'm a neanderthal lol

[@jeffjohansen4945]

Great video ! Great channel !

[@AD6DMDennis]

Tough work, and well done. Especially on-camera.

[@JamesHannibalKH2SR]

Great job with that repair Josh! 👍🏽

[@thuff3207]

You did a good job getting repaired. Awesome and yes always clean the pads first.

[@Dreamlgider]

Some years back, one or two knobs on my KX3 broke, they send me new ones for free ! 73 de OY1R

[@michaelmacleod]

Nice job, no tracks lifted, rig works, great success!

[@jameski5oeb668]

Well done!

[@davidsradioroom9678]

I don't think I could do what you did. Great job!

[@MaryBrownForFreedom]

I give you a 7 out of 10 for the soldering LOL I did it for a living and that is better than most factory repairs I saw! Takes VERY steady hands and I notice you do not have them! The guys who do it best can drink 3 cans of coke in an hour and not shake at all! I was watching my brother try to start a screw last summer... dang he shakes! I had to do it for him!

[@vicrod74]

"Man Portable" 😂😂😂 Good job on the soldering, but yes, you should of cleaned off the excess soldering. Overall awesome job!!

[@KeepEvery1Guessing]

Congratulations!

[@borewyrm]

Just passed my Tech & General last night. As a prior I&C Tech/Electrician for a power utility, now a Dispatcher, I am not sure why I never got into this hobby earlier.

[@WillShattuck]

Congrats! I can’t wait to get one but I promised my Elmer I would get Extra first.

[@scottgarvy]

Nice job Josh.

[@miccowolf4601]

👍👍 good job I know you can do it

[@K7EFW]

Great job on the repair, especially considering the contortions required to film it, hi hi. 73

[@N4DJC]

No way I’d attempt it, that is one small component. Nice job regardless!

[@KC2BKM]

Man If they get you on the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast we will all got broke in the "must have gadgets" portion of the show. Nice job! I could not get my ham hands in there for that on my best day. -kc2bkm

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

LMAO, yeah I have seen me do that :D

[@EvanBoyar]

Nice, we've got fan spin

[@boots_n_coots]

Elecraft customer support ranks very high. Your experience is a good example.

[@genepaceky9468]

Dang, that's a tiny component. And I thought the NucleoTNC I assembled with the Mobilinkd PCB was kinda small.

[@prestonm4s]

I always find with a pen style that It is either too big or small but not hot enough and good Solder and flux is tricky to find

[@digitaldreamer5481]

Aloha Josh, I was just doing some soldering yesterday with tiny parts and I don’t own nearly as nice tools that you have. The secret to my soldering gun is using lots of flux and a bright headlamp. Great job but better you than me. 🤣😂🤣😂 I was wondering, it seems that would be the part to upgrade your power output, you think they will have the option in the future? 🤔

[@MaryBrownForFreedom]

Part may be in the tuner or SWR measuring circuit, no way is it a final transistor.

[@Ammed_KN6STX]

Glad you fixed it Josh.

[@DD5LP]

Nice job Josh but did Elecraft say what caused the original MOSFET to fail? Hopefully the new part won't fail after a few weeks. 73 Ed

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I was told it’s more robust 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@DD5LP]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse so the new part was a different one to the original. I guess if this part works out it'll be used by Elecraft in production from now on. Ed

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Yes that is exactly what I told. I hope you are doing well Ed!

[@Insaniac99]

Is that any specific reason you didn't use your hot air soldering tool?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I don’t want desolder the other parts really.

[@MaryBrownForFreedom]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse Didn't your hot air tool come with smaller tips to direct air more precisely? Tiny spot flow and high heat so quick in and out... the 5mm nozzle should do the trick but a 3mm would be better if they make one that small... I have reduced the size by ordering a replacement nozzle and slitting it then rolling it to overlap the slit edges... had to do that for a diode that was the size of a pepper flake... factory forbid the use of an iron on that circuit because of static issues... I was SOOOO happy when they scrapped that board and came out with a replacement with all the fixes! Part of a slot machine so we had to follow whatever the factory said to keep them certified.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It does come with very small tips. My concern is that the shape of the radio, proximity to the tuner board and the shape of it basically being a shoebox was that adjacent parts would heat up quickly.

[@willian.direction6740]

Josh be brave on the CW like you are poking a Soldering Iron on those small components.

[@pablod6872]

It's like a game of "Operation," except if you screw up you could be out $1,100...

[@TONYFROMC137]

So small and nerve wrecking tbh.

[@yakovdavidovich7943]

That joint really *doesn't* look that great. I do almost 100% SMD stuff these days, and I wouldn't be satisfied with that. It's easy to fix though -- dab that pin with a bit of flux, and just touch the iron to it. The flux will clear off any oxides and the solder that's already there will reflow and make nice welds.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

lol, ok

[@yakovdavidovich7943]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse sorry, not trying to be a jerk. Would hate for it to work ok for awhile and then fail again in the field for a dodgy solder joint! Kudos to you for working on it in the first place!

[@japanham5973]

Might help to clean you iron tip before hand.....

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I did.

[@japanham5973]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse Really? Wow, that thing was black.... But, in the end it worked, so congrats!

[@MaryBrownForFreedom]

@@japanham5973 lighting... looked black but wasn't

[@user-el2fd2ll1i]

This radio - feels like a rip-off at this price. I don't like it at all.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

The wonderful thing about the state of our hobby, lots of mainstream radios and lots of cool niche radios. You can buy what you think is best!

[@jeffdhartman]

We have all been on pins and needles waiting to hear about your feelings.

[@MaryBrownForFreedom]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse if they add SSB transmit...