[Elecraft] OT - Soldering Crystal Cans

[Don Wilhelm]

I prefer to solder the leads on after the crystal is mounted (it is the
quickest and easiest for me).  The way I do it is to turn the board upside
down on the workbench and insert cut-off component leads into the grounding
holes.  I then solder the leads to the board (do not cut them yet).

Then I turn the board up, press the leads into contact with the crystal can
using a screwdriver tip.  It is then easy to solder the leads to the crystal
can provided the iron has sufficient heat capacity.  Last step is to trim
the leads of the grounding wires on the bottom of the board and above the
solder joint on the crystal can.

When grounding to the top of a crystal can, I do it about the same way
(solder the ground lead first), but I bend the wire over the top of the
crystal first to assure that I will have enough length after I solder it to
the board.

73,
Don W3FPR

----- Original Message ----- 
>
> Here's how I do it... YMMV:
>
> I prefer to attach the ground wire to the can BEFORE i install the xtal.
>