KXUSBC2 – Internal USB-C charger for the KX2

[G5OLD]

@IU1KGS

was that factory installed or added afterwards?

Added afterwards. I ordered it, came with instructions which I followed.

Initially though it was the connectors to board shorting, and they are now soldered in with heat shrink.

Elecraft admitted it was a problem….

[IU1KGS]

Thanks, I’ll take a good look at it.

[EI3LH]

Just wondering, once you have the board installed would it show as an option in the menu system like other add-on boards do?

I’m assuming not, unless you customised the firmware, which Elecraft wouldn’t be pleased about (maybe they might offer to help?).

[HB9DQM]

@G5OLD

The soldered wires on the back of the KXIBC2 board are not flush, especially the live terminals used to wire to the board and that was intermittently causing a short against the side panel.

Thanks! Yes, one must be careful to trim those fairly close to the board after soldering, also with the KXUSBC2. It’s easy to do and then there’s plenty of clearance, but we need to add a reminder about this to the user guide.

@EI3LH

Just wondering, once you have the board installed would it show as an option in the menu system like other add-on boards do?

The KX2 firmware does not detect whether options are installed or not. You simply set the menu option for KXIBC2 to “nor”, and then the features enabled by that (RTC and battery voltage display) will also work with the KXUSBC2.

[WN1C]

It seems like the KX3 is ripe for a similar board to the KXUSBC2 using the 3D-printed tray that N6MTB has since there’s still side panel space for a USB socket to poke through. Or maybe leave enough space for the USB plug to poke into, requiring a bigger hole in the KX3 non-RF side panel. Throw some USB-UART in there; the scope creep could be endless!