Replacing an original XO & ceramics question

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Howdy guys, sorry to ask but I'm in need of an answer quite sharpish as I'm without music :(

Basically I removed a standard 16.3944 crystal and it's associated 2 x smd ceramic capacitors and replaced them with a discrete clock.

Now I wish to put the original crystal back in which is easy enough but the ceramics (15pF & 18pF) were 2mm by 1mm and far too small for me and my limited soldering skills to handle so the question......

Can I use small ceramic radials instead of the smd's? I will cut the legs back as far as possible. Will there be any implications?

Any answers would be truly appreciated.


Thanks
 
Actually, if you have a fine tipped soldering iron and clean the component pads thoroughly with solder wick, soldering those SMDs is really not that bad.

Using 0.5 mm diameter solder, tin one pad with as little tin as you can get away with. Then heat up this tinned pad while placing the component centered on the pads. Allow to cool. Solder the other pad. Touch up the first pad. Done. If you end up with a solder blob, just wick it off with the solder wick. And use new capacitors of the appropriate case size.

If you still don't want to solder the SMDs, use as physically small leaded caps as you can find and connect them with very short leads. The caps probably go from each XTAL pin to ground, so tapping off at the crystal with one pin would work as well.

~Tom
 
I just wonder why one would go back from external clock to on-chip clock?

There were pros and cons with the 'external' clock, pros being keys and strings sounded more like, well, keys and strings, detail was released which was good within it's own right but put a CD on that isn't too well mastered and the new detail turns to a prominent scratchy hiss. The main reason for reverting back to the on board crystal was the reduction of 'kick' in the lower levels and that just wasn't for me.
 
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