To be honest, my main gripe was with the diodes Merlin was talking about, the rectifier diodes are head to head, with no room to properly heat the solderpad after you've placed and soldered the first diode.
I am not soldering with a very fine point, but it is not a chisel point. I have an Antex iron which has a chisel point, might try that one.
My soldering technique is not to blame, pretty sure. These are definitely not the first PCB's I am doing nor the first SMT parts.
It's just a pretty tight layout, which is why I made a more spacious single sided layout with more TH components.
But yeah, it is a pretty shitty iron I am currently using, so I think I will bite the bullit, and get a new one. But I think I'll get two. A bigger one for speaker terminals and heatsinks, perhaps also to thicken solder tracks, and a smaller one for general soldering.
I am not soldering with a very fine point, but it is not a chisel point. I have an Antex iron which has a chisel point, might try that one.
My soldering technique is not to blame, pretty sure. These are definitely not the first PCB's I am doing nor the first SMT parts.
It's just a pretty tight layout, which is why I made a more spacious single sided layout with more TH components.
But yeah, it is a pretty shitty iron I am currently using, so I think I will bite the bullit, and get a new one. But I think I'll get two. A bigger one for speaker terminals and heatsinks, perhaps also to thicken solder tracks, and a smaller one for general soldering.
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well all i can say is that i had zero issues with anything you are claiming is a problem, so there IS a problem with either your technique or equipment or both. its ok, thats not meant to criticize, but you are blaming the boards and the designer for problems that are due to operator error IMO. just flow solder into the diode gap you are talking about, they are connected in series there from memory anyway (check that). add a touch of flux on the pads and 'leads'; use a high mass tip, crank the heat on the parts and flow solder into there, dont be precious about it.
it absolutely must be a high mass tip, if you arent using one, then all the heat in the world will just be sucked out; no matter what the quality of the iron is. making your single sided and more pth layout might make it easier to make up for lack of SMD technique (these are not hard boards, particularly the PSU) but it will do so at the expense of performance. parts for the hobbiest will get harder and harder to do by hand; best you get up to speed now, this is all pretty straight forward stuff, nothing smaller than 0805 or soic pitch etc
to thicken solder tracks? why would you want to do that? nothing needs thickening.
it absolutely must be a high mass tip, if you arent using one, then all the heat in the world will just be sucked out; no matter what the quality of the iron is. making your single sided and more pth layout might make it easier to make up for lack of SMD technique (these are not hard boards, particularly the PSU) but it will do so at the expense of performance. parts for the hobbiest will get harder and harder to do by hand; best you get up to speed now, this is all pretty straight forward stuff, nothing smaller than 0805 or soic pitch etc
to thicken solder tracks? why would you want to do that? nothing needs thickening.
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Jeeeeezzzzz, get a life man.
In the PSU I am building for a soundcraft console, and which does 5A per rail, I like to tin the tracks. And SMT parts need to be soldered to pads, not to eachother using globs of solder.
And I am not blaming anyone, it's a superb layout, and the fact that it is compact certainly contributes to extreme bandwidth and stability. But it is a very compact layout, and I think the diodes are hard to solder properly.
In the PSU I am building for a soundcraft console, and which does 5A per rail, I like to tin the tracks. And SMT parts need to be soldered to pads, not to eachother using globs of solder.
And I am not blaming anyone, it's a superb layout, and the fact that it is compact certainly contributes to extreme bandwidth and stability. But it is a very compact layout, and I think the diodes are hard to solder properly.
Well, I'm going to pick up that weller tomorrow and see how things go.
I've been using a 30 watt iron - not really meant for smd - but so are my thick fingers (they're not meant for smd too).
I've been using a 30 watt iron - not really meant for smd - but so are my thick fingers (they're not meant for smd too).
Jeeezz, the designer of the amp and a guy who's built just a couple of these already was trying to help you out, man. So, why the attitude?
(qusp you really could be the chairperson, secretary and treasurer for TWA - 'the wire anonymous')
opc/qusp, be sure that there are plenty of others new to smt work who are reading every last word you write to help improve our technique!
(qusp you really could be the chairperson, secretary and treasurer for TWA - 'the wire anonymous')
opc/qusp, be sure that there are plenty of others new to smt work who are reading every last word you write to help improve our technique!
If you have many projects with smt parts, you can buy a syringe of solder paste, add a tiny drop to each pads and put the smt parts on top. Then use a toaster oven and cook it good! Don't put in any other parts than smt when cooking...
This is just an example, you can also get from Digikey, Mouser, etc...
Solder Paste, SMD & SMT Rework Solder Paste, Long Shelf Life, Ships Fresh!
Never reuse the toaster oven to cook food after... never ever...
I prefer using my soldering iron. Just put a tiny bit of solder on one of the pads, place your smt part on top and then heat up the pad where you added solder. It will melt and attach the part to the board. Then you can solder the other side.
Ciao!
Do
This is just an example, you can also get from Digikey, Mouser, etc...
Solder Paste, SMD & SMT Rework Solder Paste, Long Shelf Life, Ships Fresh!
Never reuse the toaster oven to cook food after... never ever...
I prefer using my soldering iron. Just put a tiny bit of solder on one of the pads, place your smt part on top and then heat up the pad where you added solder. It will melt and attach the part to the board. Then you can solder the other side.
Ciao!
Do
haha to each other AND the board they are sitting on, thus telling you to flux the pads and FLOW (operative word) solder into the gap...... heat conduction is an amazing thing....... hey you obviously know it all, even when you are having issues with a BASIC SMD build. so why is it you were whining in here again if you didnt want to take any advice that might dent your precious ego? just for the sake of whining? dont you have a significant other to whine to?
what has the rails of nearby equipment got to do with anything? you arent trying to pull 5A with this, am I supposed to be impressed?
what has the rails of nearby equipment got to do with anything? you arent trying to pull 5A with this, am I supposed to be impressed?
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😀
hey Pinnochio, nah havent forgotten, just distracted, thanks for the nudge
ok maybe i forgot a little bit, its on my roster, but theres a fair bit of backlog on my roster at the moment. cant complain in this climate, but it certainly lowers my tolerance for people wasting my time (not you)
hey Pinnochio, nah havent forgotten, just distracted, thanks for the nudge
ok maybe i forgot a little bit, its on my roster, but theres a fair bit of backlog on my roster at the moment. cant complain in this climate, but it certainly lowers my tolerance for people wasting my time (not you)
Hakko is a good brand but I don't know about this specific model... I would go for the Weller. It is a sure bet, especially at 249$
Do
I have the fx888 and a brand new chisel tip waiting for some smt components to try it out on.
Parcels of components will arrive over the next few days and I'll be starting my first smt project(s) this weekend.
Parcels of components will arrive over the next few days and I'll be starting my first smt project(s) this weekend.
I picked up the hakko fx-888. It was on sale at Active components and plenty of great reviews on Amazon for it.
nice one, should be a great station; I was going to buy a new hakko a while ago, but i cant seem ti get past the yellow and blue everything theyve got going on with the new models; so i'll stick with then 936 for now, shes served me well for years. i'll probably get a metcal next time i upgrade.
people should know they will get help in this thread and posting noobish smd questions is perfectly fine, but being a dick when people suggest there could be something you are doing wrong.... is not.
people should know they will get help in this thread and posting noobish smd questions is perfectly fine, but being a dick when people suggest there could be something you are doing wrong.... is not.
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What are the down sides to using an SE-SE per channel balanced into each one.
So SE-SE #1 L+L-, SE #2 R+ R-
So SE-SE #1 L+L-, SE #2 R+ R-
There's no downside at all really... you're basically making a dual-mono LME49990 based BAL-BAL.
I've tried it, and it works quite well. I might even have measurements around somewhere.
Cheers,
Owen
I've tried it, and it works quite well. I might even have measurements around somewhere.
Cheers,
Owen
That depends on the joint you're soldering, and how much thermal mass there is. If you're soldering a pin on a heatsink, you should probably have the iron on max temp. If you're doing the legs of an LME49990 then you might want it lower.
A general rule would be that if you're waiting for the iron to heat the joint, then it's not hot enough. You should be able to tin the tip of the iron, touch the joint, and immediately start melting solder onto the joint. If there's a lag where the solder doesn't melt, then the temp is probably set too low.
When it comes to thermally damaging components, I would say that time in contact with the joint has a greater influence then the actual temp of the iron. I often solder at a pretty high temp (740F), but I always move quick.
Cheers,
Owen
A general rule would be that if you're waiting for the iron to heat the joint, then it's not hot enough. You should be able to tin the tip of the iron, touch the joint, and immediately start melting solder onto the joint. If there's a lag where the solder doesn't melt, then the temp is probably set too low.
When it comes to thermally damaging components, I would say that time in contact with the joint has a greater influence then the actual temp of the iron. I often solder at a pretty high temp (740F), but I always move quick.
Cheers,
Owen
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