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[Poopmonkey]

I'm getting a Xenon Jtag-able in about a week or so and I'm not that handy with a soldering iron since it's kinda hard for me to solder really small things since my hands shake a bit. Anyways, I got pretty much everything, the diodes, I got my LPT cable already made from my old hdd uncrippling of another xenon and all I need is the AWG 30 cable from radioshack. I also have some rosin core solder and some zinc chloride aka flux. Basically, once I get the wire what do I do? Do I just strip, dip wire into flux, touch iron to flux and touch iron to solder and then place wire on point and then solder on point? Basically, I'm just interested on what the process is.


Also, would a 40 watt iron be too strong for this work?

[dennisv9]

QUOTE(Poopmonkey @ Feb 3 2010, 07:48 AM)

I'm getting a Xenon Jtag-able in about a week or so and I'm not that handy with a soldering iron since it's kinda hard for me to solder really small things since my hands shake a bit. Anyways, I got pretty much everything, the diodes, I got my LPT cable already made from my old hdd uncrippling of another xenon and all I need is the AWG 30 cable from radioshack. I also have some rosin core solder and some zinc chloride aka flux. Basically, once I get the wire what do I do? Do I just strip, dip wire into flux, touch iron to flux and touch iron to solder and then place wire on point and then solder on point? Basically, I'm just interested on what the process is.
Also, would a 40 watt iron be too strong for this work?

funny username you have  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

but, 40 watt iron... OMG... you will burn the traces of the mainboard if you are not careful. but, 40 watt will do fine, if you keep that in mind. if you are not that handy, try something like a 15 watt iron. i personally like to use a 15 watt iron, if you keep the soldering iron a little bit too long an a pad, it will not burn it off immediately. it will be burned off, if you keep your 40 watt iron on a pad to long!

well, if you already uncrippled a xbox, jtagging would be a piece of cake. since the jtag wiring is really easy to solder on a xenon. just pre-tin your stripped wire and pretin your soldering pads on the mainboard. then just put the pre-tinned wire on the pretinned soldering path, reheat the pretin wire a little bit and you are done! the lpt soldering points are really, really easy if you use the bottom points (then the elco's are not in the way). same for jtag wires, if you solder them underneath the board you have plenty of space.

you can use flux etc, i never use it (hard to get where i live, haven't found a shop that sells it!). but flux is not needed for a xenon, or at least that is my opinion!

for the xenon jtag wires you do not need the diode soldered directly onto the board, you can solder them inbetween 2 pieces of wire (that is how i did mine, works fine).
good luck

[PersuasiveDick]

QUOTE(dennisv9 @ Feb 3 2010, 10:41 AM)

funny username you have  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

but, 40 watt iron... OMG... you will burn the traces of the mainboard if you are not careful. but, 40 watt will do fine, if you keep that in mind. if you are not that handy, try something like a 15 watt iron. i personally like to use a 15 watt iron, if you keep the soldering iron a little bit too long an a pad, it will not burn it off immediately. it will be burned off, if you keep your 40 watt iron on a pad to long!

well, if you already uncrippled a xbox, jtagging would be a piece of cake. since the jtag wiring is really easy to solder on a xenon. just pre-tin your stripped wire and pretin your soldering pads on the mainboard. then just put the pre-tinned wire on the pretinned soldering path, reheat the pretin wire a little bit and you are done! the lpt soldering points are really, really easy if you use the bottom points (then the elco's are not in the way). same for jtag wires, if you solder them underneath the board you have plenty of space.

you can use flux etc, i never use it (hard to get where i live, haven't found a shop that sells it!). but flux is not needed for a xenon, or at least that is my opinion!

for the xenon jtag wires you do not need the diode soldered directly onto the board, you can solder them inbetween 2 pieces of wire (that is how i did mine, works fine).
good luck

Thanks for the info bro, you've helped me a lot with your message and I hope it also helps OP's problem  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bdaybiggrin.gif)

[craz3d]

_NEVER_ touch solder to the tip of the iron.

Heat up the element in question and touch the solder to the element.  If you touch the solder to the iron, it will just stick to the iron.

[PersuasiveDick]

QUOTE(craz3d @ Feb 3 2010, 06:57 PM)

_NEVER_ touch solder to the tip of the iron.

Heat up the element in question and touch the solder to the element.  If you touch the solder to the iron, it will just stick to the iron.

Well it's still recommended to melt some solder on the iron to tin it right?

QUOTE

There's a process called tinning, which is basically coating something with a fine layer of solder. You should ensure your iron is always nicely tinned, as an un-tinned iron will not melt solder well, if at all. Also you should pre-tin the pieces you're working with. You'll find very quickly that trying to attach two un-tinned components will be an excercise in frustration, the solder won't stick and the cold-solder-joints will just fall apart when the heat is removed. Tinning is very easy. To tin your iron you need only put some solder on your clean iron, you'll find an un-tinned iron is kind of yellow, a nicely tinned one will be shiny and silver. When it starts to go a funny colour, clean it and if necessary tin it. Tinning isn't necessary often, typicalyl once per long session is enough, but more often if you rub it on your jeans a lot.
.

Source: http://www.gamesx.com/misctech/solder1.htm, Rule 5

[Poopmonkey]

Yeah, when I uncrippled a xenon is was incredibly difficult. I'll consider getting a less powerable iron I don't want to mess it up. But thanks guys.

[craz3d]

QUOTE(PersuasiveDick @ Feb 3 2010, 02:00 PM)

Well it's still recommended to melt some solder on the iron to tin it right?

Source: http://www.gamesx.com/misctech/solder1.htm, Rule 5

The idiot that wrote that guide also recommended wiping off excess solder onto your pant leg, so take what you will from that 'guide'  Honestly, that's a pretty irresponsible thing to post online.

Some solder will naturally accumulate on the tip of your iron as you work, the point I was trying to make is that to properly tin a wire or component lead, you should heat up the element's lead and touch the solder to the actual lead, not the tip of the iron.  If you're not some broke-ass kid trying to piece together a working hack with whatever pocket change and lunch money you can accumulate, I'd recommend buying some "Tip Tinner and Cleaner" such as this product : http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...oductId=2062721

Since I generally recommend people to get rosin-core solder, so that they don't need to buy separate flux, it's better to use something like the aforementioned product.  It works really well; basically, between components, or as you start to notice the tip getting dirty, you stick the tip while its hot into the Tip Tinner/Cleaner.  In its room-temperature state, the compound is a solid, but when it makes contact with the iron tip it melts and cleans/coats the tip to give it a nice shine and good heat transfer.

This post has been edited by craz3d: Feb 4 2010, 02:56 AM

[Poopmonkey]

Well, yeah I got rosin-core solder. I used it previously, but I used separate flux with it. Is that overkill?

This post has been edited by Poopmonkey: Feb 4 2010, 04:19 AM

[craz3d]

Yes, the rosin acts as flux.

[thwack]

The rosin does act as flux, but if you used it and had difficulty with the old uncrippling, I'd highly recommend going over-kill and using flux as well. Might save time and headaches (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[PersuasiveDick]

QUOTE(craz3d @ Feb 4 2010, 02:50 AM)

The idiot that wrote that guide also recommended wiping off excess solder onto your pant leg, so take what you will from that 'guide'  Honestly, that's a pretty irresponsible thing to post online.

Some solder will naturally accumulate on the tip of your iron as you work, the point I was trying to make is that to properly tin a wire or component lead, you should heat up the element's lead and touch the solder to the actual lead, not the tip of the iron.  If you're not some broke-ass kid trying to piece together a working hack with whatever pocket change and lunch money you can accumulate, I'd recommend buying some "Tip Tinner and Cleaner" such as this product : http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.js...oductId=2062721

Since I generally recommend people to get rosin-core solder, so that they don't need to buy separate flux, it's better to use something like the aforementioned product.  It works really well; basically, between components, or as you start to notice the tip getting dirty, you stick the tip while its hot into the Tip Tinner/Cleaner.  In its room-temperature state, the compound is a solid, but when it makes contact with the iron tip it melts and cleans/coats the tip to give it a nice shine and good heat transfer.

Ok, thanks for the heads-up. I'll have  agree with you, his pants thing is irresponsible and stupid. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

This post has been edited by PersuasiveDick: Feb 4 2010, 10:49 AM