I've been looking for a while for a good tube integrated amp for my turntable. I've got it routed through my 5.1 home theater setup now and I know that it could be so much more. A recent discovery is the elekit TU-8200 kit: https://tubedepot.com/products/elekit-tu-8200-stereo-tube-amplifier-kit
It looks great but I've never done any soldering or, really, any DIY electronics projects. I am keenly interested in getting into it so I would really appreciate any recommendations for resources to get me started; books, sites, recommended basic toolkit, etc.
Thanks!
It looks great but I've never done any soldering or, really, any DIY electronics projects. I am keenly interested in getting into it so I would really appreciate any recommendations for resources to get me started; books, sites, recommended basic toolkit, etc.
Thanks!
Soldering is as much an art as a skill and so like any other, it takes practice. The biggest mistake beginners make is trying to 'carry' solder on the iron to the joint to be worked on rather than heating the joint and at the same time feeding a little solder on to the tip and parts being worked. That and trying to 'wipe' solder onto the parts.
I would probably recommend you buy some really cheap general electronics kit/projects to practice. Wrong location but such things exist,
SKP101 - UNBRANDED - BISTABLE/SOLDERING PRACTICE KIT | CPC UK
If you are going to go into this properly then I would recommend an adjustable temperature controlled soldering station rather than a fixed temperature iron. Soldering 'big stuff' like sockets and valve bases saps the heat from the bit, so you need something decent.
Tools should consist of a set of small pliers, tweezers are useful, and of course a pair of really good side cutters to trim component leads and so on.
And then its practice practice practice. It would be worth just soldering cheap components to strip board to really get the art of soldering to a high level. Snip the leads of some resistors and make a 1cm cube from the offcuts by neatly soldering all the joints 😉
I would probably recommend you buy some really cheap general electronics kit/projects to practice. Wrong location but such things exist,
SKP101 - UNBRANDED - BISTABLE/SOLDERING PRACTICE KIT | CPC UK
If you are going to go into this properly then I would recommend an adjustable temperature controlled soldering station rather than a fixed temperature iron. Soldering 'big stuff' like sockets and valve bases saps the heat from the bit, so you need something decent.
Tools should consist of a set of small pliers, tweezers are useful, and of course a pair of really good side cutters to trim component leads and so on.
And then its practice practice practice. It would be worth just soldering cheap components to strip board to really get the art of soldering to a high level. Snip the leads of some resistors and make a 1cm cube from the offcuts by neatly soldering all the joints 😉
Great advice, Mooly. I'll look around locally for a practice kit like the one in your link. Thanks!
Do enough soldering, and sooner or later you will get burnt. Do enough electrical work, and sooner or later you will get shocked.
DO study and heed applicable safety precautions!
Soldering is IMO like riding a bicycle. It takes practice, and practice only, to learn but once you do it will seem easy. And you'll carry the skill with you for the rest of your days.
DO study and heed applicable safety precautions!
Soldering is IMO like riding a bicycle. It takes practice, and practice only, to learn but once you do it will seem easy. And you'll carry the skill with you for the rest of your days.
The Electronics Goldmine has a bunch of practice soldering kits.
Electronic Kits-Electronic Goldmine
Electronic Kits-Electronic Goldmine
Best solder practice is to get some junk electronics from the thrift store and practice removing and resoldering parts. If you mess up, no loss. Myself I like a hot 800F iron with a fairly pointy tip. To get in get it done quick and get out. Most lost solder pads result from long heat exposure. Put iron on backside of lead and feed solder from front side. Maybe just a touch of solder where tip touches lead to get joint started, then move solder to front side. Use damp sponge to clean tip as you pull it out of holder. Put iron back unwiped. Solder on tip will help tip from oxidising so they last longer. For big jobs, use a beefier iron, or even a gun. But don't use a gun on small electronics. Likewise don't expect a 30W iron to fit all needs.
Weller makes the best, but are pricey. But for a nice little bench iron I just tried out an Aoyue 469 I bought from Amazon that I'm very impressed with for a cheap temp controlled iron and station.
Use a solder fan!
Doc
Weller makes the best, but are pricey. But for a nice little bench iron I just tried out an Aoyue 469 I bought from Amazon that I'm very impressed with for a cheap temp controlled iron and station.
Use a solder fan!
Doc
I thought I could solder and in my view solder quite well.
I moved into digs (1980 to 1982) for a temporary job up in the North East corner of Scotland.
Soon after arriving I took some of my electrical hobby work with me. Not much to do away up there north of Halkirk !
She (my landlady) saw my part assembled PCBs and in shock said something along the lines of "what the f..k, is that?"
She had been an assembler at the Borders PCB factory. No longer there, maybe because she left !
Her standards were a little bit better than mine.
Getting old. My joints aren't as purdy as they once were. I think about the days when I successfully swapped 128 pin flat packs without a problem, but last SOT-8 I mounted almost defeated me. Once had a NASA licence to solder. Now I'm content if they just don't look too ugly and let trons pass.
Doc
Doc
Pick up the latest edition of "Starting Electronics" by Keith Brindley; lots of good advice there on electronics and soldering .
You can start with a $15 Stahl station from Parts Express , a set of various tips for a few bucks , and a as a previous poster mentioned practice desoldering and soldering on an old discarded piece of gear . I used an old console record player that had been thrown out . Make sure you are following safety procedures before doing this
I tried a cheap de-soldering pump but had better luck with a de-soldering wick and changing soldering iron tip sizes for different size components.
I don't use a damp sponge for the iron but one of the metal cleaners and a small tin of tip tinner.
Bear in mind it takes a while for an iron to get heated before use.
Start small and practice.
You can start with a $15 Stahl station from Parts Express , a set of various tips for a few bucks , and a as a previous poster mentioned practice desoldering and soldering on an old discarded piece of gear . I used an old console record player that had been thrown out . Make sure you are following safety procedures before doing this
I tried a cheap de-soldering pump but had better luck with a de-soldering wick and changing soldering iron tip sizes for different size components.
I don't use a damp sponge for the iron but one of the metal cleaners and a small tin of tip tinner.
Bear in mind it takes a while for an iron to get heated before use.
Start small and practice.
Did you give up soldering, or strive to improve?
That's the important takeaway, IMHO.
Unfortunately she never volunteered lessons.
My soldering works. I guess that variations in solder height and solder diameter and solder shape did not meet consistency standards. Which ever, or maybe all of those don't stop my solder joints working in the very long term.
My soldering works. I guess that variations in solder height and solder diameter and solder shape did not meet consistency standards. Which ever, or maybe all of those don't stop my solder joints working in the very long term.
DIY
I, too, place functionality & reliability standards above aesthetic standards. As a general rule.
Not much more frustrating than something that looks pretty but isn't worth a darn, whether cars, amplifiers, opposite sex.🙂
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