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Cfish
Joined: Feb 24, 2016 Posts: 477 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2016 3:23 pm Post subject:
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prgdeltablues wrote: | My tip:
I've got into the habit of measuring the resistance between V+, ground and V- before I install any ICs, and checking the result against the schematic.
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Just caught a dead short on a factory strip board today, that I failed to spot on a thorough pre build inspection. Lost a pretty new power supply over not doing this a couple of years ago. Is a good habit.
I also power the board with ICs out and do a final voltage check, saved powering pin 7 on a TL072 more than once with this step. And if that piece of steel wool is there, it shows up with the magic smoke in the ICs where it belongs. |
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Inventor
Stream Operator
Joined: Oct 13, 2007 Posts: 6221 Location: near Austin, Tx, USA
Audio files: 267
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2016 3:34 pm Post subject:
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Here is my "Neat Freak Technique" video, me at 2x speed sounding like a very informative chipmunk:
https://youtu.be/wLqEPZiYrj0
Les _________________ "Let's make noise for peace." - Kijjaz |
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Cfish
Joined: Feb 24, 2016 Posts: 477 Location: Indiana
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gabbagabi
Joined: Nov 29, 2008 Posts: 651 Location: Berlin by n8
Audio files: 23
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:57 am Post subject:
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Love this Thread!
Thanks PHOBoS for reminding me on sprint layout!
After all this years i have the feeling the software is doing what I want, not the other way round
cheers
bb |
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Grumble
Joined: Nov 23, 2015 Posts: 1294 Location: Netherlands
Audio files: 30
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:19 pm Post subject:
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thanks Grumble !
holy crap ! that's sooo cheap compared to the rip offs i've seen around the net. Up to 8 euros each in some cases
will make sure i buy some of them, it looks like Holland is the place to go for good bargains |
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Grumble
Joined: Nov 23, 2015 Posts: 1294 Location: Netherlands
Audio files: 30
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 1:05 am Post subject:
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alanwilder81 wrote: | it looks like Holland is the place to go for good bargains |
China |
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AlanP
Joined: Mar 11, 2014 Posts: 746 Location: New Zealand
Audio files: 41
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 1:40 am Post subject:
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Couple tools that are not obviously useful --
Tweezers. Very useful for fine manipulation, easier in the hand than needle nose pliers (it's not like we're working with 240VAC gauge wire, usually.) The cheapo kind normally used for eyebrows is what I have, works a treat.
Stainless steel dental pick. Solder does not stick to this material. Use either desoldering braid or a solder sucker to remove as much molten solder as you can from a plated through hole on a PCB, and if there's a remaining bit you cannot get rid of, heat the solder up, poke the dental pick through, and let the solder cool while holding the pick through the hole, as deep as possible. If you buy the same (cheap) resistors and caps I do, you'll find that there is enough room to jam the replacement part through. It's also useful for shoving parts of component leg out of a plated through hole. Small Bear carry these, in their Tools section. It's more a niche-ly-useful tool.
8mm and 10mm ring wrenches. The 10mm fits Alpha pots (9mm and 16mm pots both), and the 8mm fits 3.5mm jacks of all kinds (except knurled and those weird ring slot ones), and also toggle switches.
Spare aluminium enclosure, or other heavy metal paperweight. This is a very non-obvious usage.
Take your enclosure. Stick a big blob of blu tack on. (You did get a packet of this after I recommended it in the first page, right?)
Take your surface mount PCB. Jam it onto the blu tack, HARD. The board is now stable to solder onto, and you can turn it around for better angles (can't do that with a vice, easily!)
Stanley knife (not a boxcutter, of the snap-off blade type, but a proper Stanley knife.) Partly to open up boxes, but also partly for when you're debugging boards that you stuffed up good and proper at the PCB design stage, and need to cut traces, but don't want to ruin the edge on your current Exacto blade. |
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 3:26 am Post subject:
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hey Ed,
i thought the shop was Dutch,as i took a look at its website and i recognized some dutch words. Damn china
anyway its a to go place for cheap products to buy in bulk
how do you go about soldering those tiny smd chips by the way ? |
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 3:38 am Post subject:
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thanks alanp !
very useful tips ! this thread is getting very interesting.
i expect more and more people to come here and share their knowledge as well as making the most of what is being documented.
How i would have coped with synth DIY without internet is beyond me.
Besides the obvious,say all of the golden schematics we find at a click, what's really unvaluable is the almost real time advices, answers and tips from expert chaps that willingly enlighten poorly trained boys like me.
let's guys keep this fantastic work up |
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Grumble
Joined: Nov 23, 2015 Posts: 1294 Location: Netherlands
Audio files: 30
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:38 am Post subject:
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alanwilder81 wrote: |
how do you go about soldering those tiny smd chips by the way ? |
My daytime job is at a biomedical enginering division at a university and they had some surplus microscopes, which happens to be a stereo microscope with a large focal distance that proved to be a great help when soldering components this small.
Especialy the age I find myself in |
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:40 am Post subject:
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Ed you are so lucky |
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:43 am Post subject:
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i will have to get by with some magnifying lens |
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Cfish
Joined: Feb 24, 2016 Posts: 477 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:19 pm Post subject:
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I had seen this tip a long time ago on YouTube, and have only recently tried my hand at etching circuit boards and realized how useful the tip really is.
You can use a sharpie to touch up imperfections in a toner transfer before you etch the board.
In the last board I etched I didn't get a good transfer and was impressed how well it worked. Last edited by Cfish on Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:43 pm Post subject:
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to Chris,
which you tube tips are you referring to? The small smd to DIP adapter? |
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Grumble
Joined: Nov 23, 2015 Posts: 1294 Location: Netherlands
Audio files: 30
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PHOBoS
Joined: Jan 14, 2010 Posts: 5591 Location: Moon Base
Audio files: 705
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Grumble
Joined: Nov 23, 2015 Posts: 1294 Location: Netherlands
Audio files: 30
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 8:04 am Post subject:
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Wonder how many diy-ers have a bike backlight at their workbench |
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Grumble
Joined: Nov 23, 2015 Posts: 1294 Location: Netherlands
Audio files: 30
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 8:06 am Post subject:
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PHOBoS wrote: | GMTA ? |
GMWA |
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Cfish
Joined: Feb 24, 2016 Posts: 477 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 11:14 am Post subject:
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Ok guys, the last 2 posted pictures prompted me to open a work bench pictures thread, just for fun.
Grumble and PhoBos, you have again inspired me |
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 1:32 pm Post subject:
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it looks like this thread has turned into a work bench pics contest. Who's winning what? |
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alanwilder81
Joined: Sep 03, 2016 Posts: 310 Location: italy
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2017 3:35 pm Post subject:
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hello chaps
what ìs your favorite solder iron wattage ? 15 W or 30 W for PCB components soldering?
i am a beginner ,so i would feel better and on a safe side by using a 15 W iron. any thoughts? |
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blue hell
Site Admin
Joined: Apr 03, 2004 Posts: 24079 Location: The Netherlands, Enschede
Audio files: 278
G2 patch files: 320
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2017 3:47 pm Post subject:
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It is best to have a temperature regulated soldering iron.
When that is not an option I'd go for 30 or 45 Watt or so.
15 Watt would only be useful for really small work.
A common mistake for people starting on soldering is to use not enough power or a temperature set too low.
This may seem like a contradiction, as it seems safer to work on a low temperature. But ... on low temperatures it takes longer to make a good solder connection and this will do more damage than soldering quickly with a properly set temperature. _________________ Jan
also .. could someone please turn down the thermostat a bit.
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wackelpeter
Joined: May 05, 2013 Posts: 461 Location: germany
Audio files: 10
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2017 4:51 pm Post subject:
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second what Jan wrote above...
I'm using only a small and really cheap no Name soldering Station, but i can regulate the temperature. Cost me only 20 Euro or so... Nothing fancy and they only last 2-4 years but they'll do the Job for me... _________________ https://soundcloud.com/bastian-j |
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