Actually, 'Tom, that is likely just what they are.  You can buy threaded 
pop rivets and they are installed with a gun just like the ordinary 
ones.  YOu have to get them just right or they will fall out or turn in 
the hole.  A neat idea when they work.
73
Butch
WA0VJR
Node 3148
Wallace, ks.


On Thu, 12 Mar 2015, Tom Behler 
wrote:

> Ed:
>
> I don't know how else to describe the nuts, but to call them pop rivets.
>
> They are round, but one side is a bit smaller, which is where they
> supposedly fit back into the chassis.
>
> All I know is that between myself and my sighted XYL, who is also a ham, we
> could not get them to stay in the holes.
>
> The guy I talked to at Ameritron said he had seen this sort of thing before,
> but not quite to the extent that I have experienced it, with four of the
> nuts not staying in place.
>
> Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Ed Malmgren
> Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2015 2:55 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Oh, those nagging quality control concerns
>
>    Tom, I have not ever seen that kind of fastener, A pop rivet served as a
> nut but if that is the case it would be very easy to re pop rivit the
> existing holes with new ones.  Just a thought.  good luck.
>
>
>
> ED K7UC
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Behler
> Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2015 12:40 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Oh, those nagging quality control concerns
>
> Hi, everyone.
>
>
>
> As most of you know, I recently purchased an MFJ 998 auto-tuner, and an
> Ameritron ALS600 solid-state amplifier as new additions to my station here
> at the home QTH.
>
>
>
> I have been in the process of re-configuring my station setup, getting the
> equipment installed, and testing the equipment to be sure it is totally up
> and running.  I now think I'm just about ready to put everything on the air
> in a sustained way, but wanted to report on a few nagging quality-control
> concerns that I've experienced over the past few days.
>
>
>
> First,  I ordered an MFJ 5114K Kenwood interface cable to connect between my
> TS590, and the MFJ 998 auto-tuner.  One thing I immediately noticed when I
> took the cable out of the package was that the molex connector that plugs
> into the TS590 was not securely fastened to the interface cable.  The wires
> were all connected, but the shrink tubing on the cable was not close enough
> to the connector to insure sufficient strain release for the connections.
> Fortunately, I had some shrink tubing here, and was able to firm up the
> connection, and secure it further with electrical tape.  I guess that's
> cheaper than sending the cable back to HRO for a replacement, although I
> don't think this is something I should have had to do.
>
>
>
> Secondly, I ran into an interesting problem with my new ALS600.  I purchased
> and installed the 10 and 12-meter modification for the amplifier, and to
> install it, I had to remove the amplifier cover.  This should have been a
> simple process, right?  Well, installing the mod was actually quite simple,
> but where I ran into problems was when I tried to put the cover back onto
> the amplifier.  There are 22 screws that are used to fasten the cover to the
> amplifier, and all went well, until I got to the four screws on the very
> bottom right-hand side of the amplifier case.  The screws simply would not
> re-fasten to the chassis.  It turns out that there are little pop rivets
> that are fastened to the holes on the chassis, and these serve as nuts for
> securing the screws.  Those nuts had fallen out when I initially loosened
> the screws, and I have been unable to fit them back into the chassis holes.
> Of course, the cover is still very securely fastened to the amplifier unit
> via the 18 remaining screws, but it simply seems to me that, after paying
> $1349 for the amplifier, this kind of problem should not happen.  I called
> Ameritron Technical support, and they assured me that this will not affect
> the safe operation of the amplifier, so I am not going to pay the money to
> send the amp back to them for a warranty repair.
>
>
>
> I guess this all goes to show you that they simply don't make things like
> they used to.
>
>
>
> Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>
>