Controller Kit 1Building an electronic kit is not as difficult as one would at first think. Good preparation and the right tools will make it a simple task, but use a blunt or not clean soldering iron, the wrong solder, and it can be a disaster.
The kit is set up so that the parts that are the shortest,like resistors will be installed first, then the Ic's, and sockets,the crystal clock, thicker IC'c, capacitors, then the stand up resistors, sockets, and finally the transistors. This procedure allows a whole group of resistors to be plugged into the board, then the whole board is turned over and all parts soldered in one procedure, and since they are all the same height, they stay in position tight to the board. Cut off the leads, and go the next part.
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How to solder
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While most people opting for the Kit will probably consider themselfs good solderers, it is important to master a couple of techniques before begining.
The first is thermal transfer.
A hot soldering iron tip is the source of heat for the soldering operation. It is of utmost importance to keep the tip coated with a thin clean coating of solder. If the tip has had a chance to cook for two long, it will turn dark, and solder will not stick to it. A damp sponge, or damp cotton cloth that the tip can be wiped on will help keep it clean.The circuit board has a ground plane coating most of the rear of the board. Many of the components will solder to this. Because the ground plane would draw much of the heat away from the solder joint, we used a thermal break on all ground connections. This helps keep the heat focused on the joint, but still needs to be heated more than other non ground connected points.The connection to be soldered, should be soldered quickly,so the part is not overheated, so it is again important that the iron tip is clean and "tinned" with fresh solder. The coating should be just a plating of solder, not a ball, as too much solder will cause solder bridges between closely spaced pins.To do the soldering, place the iron tip right on the lead to hole juncture, and touch the solder to the iron just as the tip touches the board/lead, so the freshly melted solder acts as a thermal conduction enhancement, to bring the whole lead/hole to soldering temperatures. The way to know it is hot enough, is for the molten solder to sink into the hole, and fill it completely right through to the other side. Too much heat, and the part can be damaged, too little, and you have the notorious "cold solder joint", which in many cases is no solder joint at all, only solder on the part lead, and no penetration through the plated hole. |
The first resistors, 1K
Install 1k resistors at all highlighted positions, confirming the part numbers as you do.
The three stand up 1K resistors at R24,R25,and R26 will be installed later. |
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