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Author Topic: Soldering  (Read 57 times)

DeathMetalGod

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Soldering
« on: December 02, 2004, 10:55:00 PM »
i just got my xecuter 3 and am wondering what solder to buy and what soldering iron to buy? ALso i heard someone talking about wetting, is this important and if so what do i do ?
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Overdriven6

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Soldering
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2004, 11:02:00 PM »
QUOTE (DeathMetalGod @ Dec 3 2004, 07:27 AM)
i just got my xecuter 3 and am wondering what solder to buy and what soldering iron to buy? ALso i heard someone talking about wetting, is this important and if so what do i do ?

not sure what wetting is but you should get a solering iron around 15 watts and rosin based solder.  If you get any other type i can corrode the tracks on your mother board. All this stuff cnan be boutght for around $10 at radioshack.  :D
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MelkorBauglir

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Soldering
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2004, 06:29:00 PM »
actually it will cost you more than $10

I use a 45 Watt Weller, higher wattage doesn't mean hotter temps, it just means that it holds it's temp better while soldering.  It's important to have the iron in contact with the board for as short a time as possible.

I use .020 organic core (331) solder, seems to work ok for me.

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xiii13

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Soldering
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2004, 08:30:00 AM »
Without "wetting" you would get a cold solder joint. Wetting is where the solder actually bonds into the trace or leads or whatever. You should get a soldering iron that will allow proper "wetting" within 2 seconds of applying the iron to the board. In class C electronics (even though this would be considered class A, normal household electronics), you should never have the soldering iron applied for more than 2 seconds, because damage may result even if not visible at all, I just always use class C standards in everything I do as to avoid any fuss in the long run.

Sorry for going so in depth about it but I am a EET major (elecronics engineering Technology).

Edit... P.S. Class C is higher standards than class A... btw...

This post has been edited by xiii13: Dec 8 2004, 04:31 PM
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Digitalden

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Soldering
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2004, 09:04:00 AM »
I bought my Soldering iron at Home Depot for $12 and used the free solder it came with and my mod went perfect
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sheliak

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Soldering
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2004, 09:50:00 AM »
No, a 45W soldering iron doesn't mean its hotter, but it does mean it puts out heat a hell of alot faster.  Newbies + 45W iron = bad.  But if it works for you, great.  I use a 30W myself.  Start out with a 15W iron.  The smaller diameter solder you use, the more controll you will have.  I usually use .015 or .020 diameter.  Look for Silver Bearing Rosin Core solder at Radio Shack.  For chip installation if need a D0 wire, don't use anything larger than 30 gauge.  Good luck.

This post has been edited by sheliak: Dec 8 2004, 05:50 PM
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hgeras

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Soldering
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2004, 09:50:00 AM »
Just check my sig.....
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Psylence

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Soldering
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2004, 10:13:00 AM »
I agree with sheliak, if you're new to soldering stick with a 15 w iron.  I use a 30 and have never had problems though.  Just get the smallest diameter solder you can find that's resin core as has already been said.
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