ELECRAFT XV Series User manual

Elecraft Transverter Model XV432
Assembly Manual
Rev C, April 2006
Copyright © 2006, Elecraft; All Rights Reserved

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................................................................1
Customer Service and Support............................................................................................................................................................................................1
Repair Service .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................1
PREPARING FOR ASSEMBLY ..................................................................................................................................................2
Overview of the Kit...............................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Tools Required.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Preventing Electrostatic Discharge Damage.......................................................................................................................................................................3
Unpacking and Inventory.....................................................................................................................................................................................................3
Identifying Parts...................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
Assembly Process ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Forming Component Leads .................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Step-By-Step Procedures....................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Soldering, Desoldering and Plated-Through Holes.............................................................................................................................................................6
PARTS INVENTORY...................................................................................................................................................................7
BOARD ASSEMBLY PROCEDURE .........................................................................................................................................17
Front Panel PCB................................................................................................................................................................................................................17
RF PCB Assembly.............................................................................................................................................................................................................22
Final Assembly...................................................................................................................................................................................................................40
TEST AND ALIGNMENT...........................................................................................................................................................43

- 1 -
Introduction
This is the assembly manual for the Elecraft XV432 transverter kit. A
separate manual covers the assembly of the Elecraft XV50, XV144 and
XV222 transverters.
Full details of the Elecraft transverters including specifications,
installation, operation, circuit descriptions, options, troubleshooting and
maintenance instructions are included in the Owner’s Manual which
accompanies this kit.
This is an intermediate-to-advanced kit, yet you'll be surprised at how
uncomplicated it is to build. All of the radio frequency (RF) circuits are on
one printed circuit board (PCB). A second smaller PCB holds the
microcontroller and front-panel LEDs. High-quality, double-sided PCBs
are used, with plated-through holes for optimal RF performance. Point-to-
point wiring is minimal. All components to be installed have wire leads;
the few surface-mount devices required are pre-installed on the PCB.
Customer Service and Support
Whether you build the kit or buy a factory-built transverter, you’ll find a
wealth of information on our web site at www.elecraft.com. Among the
materials there you’ll find the latest application notes, photographs, any
updates to this manual, and information on new products. We also have a
popular e-mail forum, for which you can sign up from the web site. It's a
great way to interact with other Elecraft owners, exchange ideas and find
answers to many questions.
You can also get assistance by telephone or by sending an e-mail to
[email protected]. E-mail is preferable because it gives us a written
record of your question. Telephone assistance is available from 9 A.M. to
5 P.M. Pacific time, Monday through Friday (except US Holidays) at 831-
662-8345.
Repair Service
Contact Elecraft before returning your equipment to obtain the current
information on repair fees and the address where you should ship your
unit.
To ship the unit, first seal it in a plastic bag to protect the finish. Use a
sturdy packing carton with at least 3-in (8 cm) of foam or shredded paper
on all sides. Seal the package with reinforced tape. (Neither Elecraft or the
carrier will accept liability for damage due to improper packaging.)
Elecraft 1-Year Limited Warranty
If building a kit, complete the assembly, carefully following all instructions
in the manual, before requesting warranty service.
What is covered: During the first year after the date of first consumer
purchase, Elecraft will replace defective parts free of charge (post-paid).
We will also correct any malfunction caused by defective parts and
materials. You must send the unit at your expense to Elecraft. We will pay
return shipping.
What is not covered: This warranty does not cover correction of assembly
errors or misalignment; repair of damage caused by misuse, negligence or
builder modifications; or any performance malfunctions involving non-
Elecraft accessory equipment. The use of acid-core solder or any
corrosive or conductive flux or solvent will void this warranty in
its entirety.Also not covered is any reimbursement for loss of use,
inconvenience, customer assembly or alignment time, or cost of
unauthorized service.
Limitation of incidental or consequential damages: This warranty does
not extend to non-Elecraft equipment or components used in conjunction
with our products. Any such repair or replacement is the responsibility of
the customer. Elecraft will not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental
or consequential damages, including but not limited to any loss of
businesses or profits.

- 2 -
Preparing for Assembly
Overview of the Kit
The Elecraft XV transverters use modular construction, both physically
and electrically. This concept extends to the chassis. Any chassis element
can be removed to provide access for troubleshooting.
Figure 1. XV Transverter Modular Cabinet Parts.
There are two printed circuit boards (PCBs) in the transverter: the front
panel PCB, which sits vertically behind the front panel, and the large RF
PCB.
The PCBs are interconnected using board-to-board connectors which
eliminates the need for a wiring harness. Gold-plated contacts are used on
these connectors for reliability.
Tools Required
You will need the following tools to build this kit:
•Fine-tip temperature-controlled soldering station with 700 or
800°F tip (370-430°C). Do not use a high-wattage iron or gun
with small components since this can damage pads, traces, or the
parts themselves.
•IC-grade, small-diameter (.031”) solder (Kester #44 or
equivalent).
•Desoldering tools and supplies are invaluable if you make any
modifications or need to do any repairs. Narrow solder wick or a
good vacuum desoldering tool such as the Soldapullt® model
DS017LS are recommended. See Soldering, Desoldering and
Plated-Through Holes, on page 6 for more information.
iDO NOT use acid-core solder, water-soluble flux solder,
additional flux or solvents of any kind. Use of any of these will void
your warranty.
•Screwdrivers: a small, #2 Phillips and a small flat-blade for
slotted screws.
•Needle-nose pliers.
•Small-point diagonal cutters, preferably flush cutting.
•Digital Multimeter (DMM) for voltage checks and confirming
resistor values. A DMM with capacitance measurement
capability is desirable, but not required.
•Noise generator (Elecraft N-Gen or equivalent1) or signal
generator with output in the RF frequency range of the
transverter.
•RF power meter capable of measuring RF power levels up to 25
watts at the RF frequency used by the transverter.
•50-ohm dummy load capable of handling 25 watts, minimum,
suitable for 500 MHz.
Refer to www.elecraft.com for tool sources and solder recommendations.
1Check www.elecraft.com for availability.
BACK PANEL
LEFT
SIDE PANEL TOP
COVER
FRONT
PANEL
BOTTOM
COVER
(RIGHT SIDE
PANEL NOT
SHOWN)

- 3 -
Preventing Electrostatic Discharge Damage
Your XV transverter uses integrated circuits and transistors that can be
damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD). Problems caused by ESD can
be difficult to troubleshoot because components may be degraded but still
operating, rather than fail completely.
To avoid such problems, simply touch an unpainted, grounded metal
surface before handling any such components and occasionally as you
build, especially after moving about.
For maximum protection, we recommend you take the following anti-
static precautions (listed in order of importance):
1. Leave ESD-sensitive parts in their antistatic packaging until you
install them. The packaging may be a special bag, other container
or the leads may be inserted in conductive foam (Figure 2). Parts
which are especially ESD-sensitive are identified in the parts list.
2. Touch an unpainted metal ground before handling any sensitive
parts or wear a conductive wrist strap with a series 1 megohm
resistor. DO NOT attach yourself directly to a ground as this
poses a serious shock hazard.
3. Make sure your soldering iron has a grounded tip.
4. Use an antistatic mat on your work bench.
Figure 2. A common antistatic packaging is conductive foam which
keeps all of the terminals of a device at the same potential.
Unpacking and Inventory
We strongly recommend that you do an inventory of the parts before
beginning to assemble the kit. Even if you don’t count all the parts, an
inventory is helpful to familiarize yourself with them. A complete parts
list is included in the next section.
Identifying Parts
The parts list contains illustrations of the parts to help you identify them.
Identifying marks on the individual parts are shown in the text in
parenthesis. For example, “Transistor Q4 (PN2222)…” indicates a
transistor, Q4, which may be located in the parts list that has the
characters shown in parenthesis printed on it. Sometimes these letters are
not obvious. For example, they may be printed in light gray on a black
body. Also, there may be other marks on the device in addition to the
letters listed.
Identifying Resistors
Resistors are identified by their power capacity and their resistance value.
The power rating in watts determines the physical size of a resistor. The
most common resistors are 1/4 watt. Higher wattage resistors are
proportionately larger. The resistance value and wattage of each resistor
is shown in the Parts Lists and in the individual steps of the assembly
procedures. The silk-screened outlines on the PCBs indicate the relative
physical size of the resistors as well.
Most resistors use a color code. The color bands are listed in the text
along with the values of each resistor. For example, “R4, 100k (brn-blk-
yel)…” indicates a 100k ohm resistor and the colors to look for are
brown, black and yellow, starting with the band nearest the end of the
resistor.
Some resistors use numbers instead of color bands. For example, an 820
ohm resistor might be stamped with the digits 821 instead of having gray,
red and brown color bands. Some larger resistors have their value in
ohms stamped on the body using numbers. For, example the 820 ohm
resistor would be stamped with 820 instead of 821 as described above.
Normally, when the value is shown in ohms it will be followed with the
word “ohms” or the Greek letter omega: Ω

- 4 -
Reading Resistor Color Codes
It is very helpful if you learn to read the color codes. A color code chart
showing how to read the four color bands on resistors with a 5% or 10%
tolerance is shown in Figure 3. 1% resistors are similar except that they
use a fifth band to provide a way of showing another significant digit. For
example, a 1,500 ohm (1.5 k-ohm) 5% resistor has the color bands brown,
green and red signifying one, five and two zeros. A 1,500 ohm (1.5 k-
ohm) 1% tolerance resistor has the color bands brown, green, black and
brown signifying one, five, zero, and one zero.
The optional band shown in Figure 3 indicates other performance
specifications for the resistor. When used, it is separated from the other
color bands by a wider space.
iIf in doubt of a resistor’s value, use a DMM. It may be difficult
to see the colors on some resistors, particularly 1% tolerance resistors with
a dark blue body. Do NOT be concerned with minor deviations of your
DMM reading from the expected value. Typical errors in most DMMs and
the tolerances of the resistors normally produce readings that are slightly
different from the value indicated by the color bands.
Identifying Molded Inductors
Small molded inductors have color bands that use the same numeric
values as resistors but they start near the center of the inductor and work
toward the end. These colors are listed in the text after the value of the
inductor, for example: 27µH (red-vio-blk). The red stripe would be near
the center of the inductor and the black stripe would be closer to the end.
On very small chokes, the first color will be only slightly farther from one
end than the last color. There may be a variety of other stripes on
inductors as well, indicating their tolerance, conformance to certain
specifications and other data.
FIRST DIGIT TOLERANCE:
OPTIONAL
SECOND DIGIT
MULTIPLIER
Black
Brown
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Violet
Gray
White
Silver
Gold
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
-
-
X 1
X 10
X 100
X 10K
X 10K
X 100K
X 1M
-
-
-
X 0.01
X 0.1
COLOR DIGIT MULTIPLIER
GOLD = 5%
SILVER = 10%
Figure 3. Resistor Color Code.
Identifying Capacitors
Capacitors are identified by their value and the spacing of their leads.
Small-value fixed capacitors usually are marked with one, two or three
digits and no decimal point. The significant digits are shown in
parenthesis in the text. For example: “C2, .01 (103)”.

- 5 -
If one or two digits are used, that is always the value in picofarads (pF).
If there are three digits, the third digit is the multiplier. For example, a
capacitor marked “151” would be 150 pF (15 multiplied by 101).
Similarly, “330” is 33 pF and “102” is 1000 pF (or .001 µF). You may
think of the multiplier value as the number of zeros you need to add on to
the end of the value.
Note: In rare cases, a capacitor manufacturer may use “0” as a
decimal placeholder. For example, “820” might mean 820 pF rather than
82 pF. Such exceptions are usually covered in the parts lists. If possible,
measure the values of all capacitors below .001 µF. Most DMMs include
capacitance measurement capability.
Fixed capacitors with values of 1000 pF or higher generally use a decimal
point in the value, such as .001 or .002. This is the value in microfarads
(µF). Capacitors also may have a suffix after the value, such as “.001J”.
The lead spacing is noted in the Parts Lists for most capacitors. If two
different types of capacitors have the same value, the lead spacing will
indicate which one to use. When the lead spacing is important, both the
value and the lead spacing is shown in the assembly procedure. For
example, “LS 0.1” means that the Lead Spacing is 0.1 in.
Hard-to-Identify Capacitor Values
2.2 pF: These are “disc ceramic” capacitors with round, pillow-shaped
bodies about 1/8” (3 mm) in diameter and a black mark on the top. The
capacitor should be labeled “2.2” but the marking sometimes requires a
magnifying glass to see clearly.
150 pF: These capacitors are marked “151” on one side, but the other side
may be marked #21ASD. The “#21” may look like “821”.
Assembly Process
There are four steps in the transverter assembly process:
1. Front panel PCB assembly.
2. RF PCB assembly.
3. Final assembly.
4. Test and alignment.
Follow the assembly process in the order given. Each part builds on what
has been completed before it. For example, the front panel PCB assembly
procedure contains details about installing certain parts that are not
repeated when similar parts are installed later.
Forming Component Leads
Sometimes the space provided for a component on the PCB is larger than
the distance between the leads on the part itself. In such cases, you’ll
need to carefully bend the leads out and then down to fit the given space.
Always use long-nose pliers to accomplish this task, and bend the leads –
don’t tug on them. This is especially important with capacitor leads,
which are fragile.
Step-By-Step Procedures
Perform the assembly steps in each procedure in the order given, and
do not skip any steps. Otherwise you may find that you’ve installed
one component that hinders the installation of another. When groups
of components are installed, they are listed in a logical order as you work
around the PCB to reduce the time needed to find where each part goes.
Each step in the assembly procedures has a check box.
Some steps have more than one task. For example, you may be installing
a number of components listed. When a step has a number of tasks, each
task is indented with space for a check mark:
Check off each task as you complete it.

- 6 -
Soldering, Desoldering and Plated-Through Holes
CAUTION: Solder contains lead, and its residue can be toxic. Always
wash your hands after handling solder.
The printed circuit boards have circuitry on both sides (“double sided”).
Boards of this type require plated-through holes to complete the electrical
connections between the two sides.
When you solder components on these PCBs the solder fills the plated
holes making excellent contact. This means that you do not need to leave
a large “fillet” or buildup of solder on top of the pads themselves. A small
amount of solder will do for all connections.
Unfortunately, removing components from double-sided PCBs can be
difficult. To remove a multi-pin component you’ll need to get all of the
solder out of every hole to free the leads. You will need to use solder wick
or a vacuum desoldering tool (see Techniques below).
The best strategy for avoiding desoldering is to place all components
properly the first time. Double check values, component placement and
orientation. Take care to avoid ESD damage to components.
Techniques to Avoid Damaging the PCB when Desoldering
•Don’t pull a lead or pin out of a hole unless the solder has been
removed completely, or you are applying sufficient heat melt the
solder. Otherwise you can pull the entire plating out of the hole.
•Limit soldering iron contact to a few seconds at a time.
•Use small size solder wick, about 0.1” (2.5 mm) wide. Use wick
on both the top and bottom solder pads when possible. This helps
get all of the solder out of the hole.
•Buy and learn to use a large hand operated vacuum desoldering
tool such as the Soldapullt® model DS017LS. Small solder
suckers are not effective.
•When removing ICs and connectors, clip all of the pins at the
body first, then remove each pin one at a time, working slowly.
You may damage pads and traces by trying to remove a
component intact, possibly leaving a PCB very difficult to repair.
•Invest in a PCB vise with a heavy base if possible. This makes
removing parts easier because it frees up both hands.
•If in doubt about a particular repair, ask for advice from Elecraft
or someone with PCB repair experience. Our e-mail reflector is
an excellent source of help.

- 7 -
Parts Inventory
You should do a complete inventory. Contact Elecraft if you find anything missing.
iLeave painted panels wrapped until they are needed during assembly. This will protect the finish.
Cabinet and RF PCB components
Picture Ref. Designator(s) QTY Description Part #
1
RF Printed Circuit Board, XV432
iHandle with care – ESD Sensitive. This PCB is supplied with a
number of surface-mount devices (SMD) pre-mounted. Some of these
components are static sensitive and vulnerable until other parts are installed
on the PCB. There are temporary jumpers across the solder pads for L1 and
R13 to prevent static damage to Q3. Do not remove these jumpers until
instructed to do so. Take ESD precautions (see page 3) when handling.
E850218
1 Front Panel E100153
1 Rear Panel E100154
XV432
1 Front Panel Label, XV432 E980062
2 Side Panel E100140
1 Top Cover E100267
See Figure 1 1 Bottom Cover E100268
1 Heat Spreader E100156
8 2-D Fastener E100078
2 Right Angle Bracket E700073
40 Pan Head Black Machine Screw, 3/16 inch. 4-40. E700015
5 Pan Head Zinc or Stainless Machine Screw, 5/16 inch, 4-40 E700077
2 Pan Head Black Machine Screw, 1/2 inch, 4-40 E700030
4 Pan Head Black Machine Screw, 5/8 inch, 4-40 E700114