[Elecraft] desoldering

Wed Mar 24 20:22:15 2004

I've had very good luck with the GS Solder Popper, which is a hollow 
tip iron with a spring loaded vacuum pump built on.  You cock the pump, 
place the hollow tip on the pad around the lead tip, melt the solder, 
and push the button -- and, whap, you've got a pretty clean hole with 
leads that are either in the clear or can be worked free using your 
regular iron.  It's not a Hakko 808, but for about $35 it's 80% of one. 
  I got mine at Action Electronics.  You can find them on the web.  I'm 
sure they're available from other places as well.

best wishes,

dave belsley, w1euy

On Mar 24, 2004, at 5:22 PM, David Toepfer wrote:

> Other than the Hakko 808, or perhaps riggin up my own pump to a RS 
> desoldering
> iron, does anyone else suggest an affordable (< $500) desoldering iron?
>
> dt
> .
>
> --- Ron D'Eau Claire <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I've done it with a 10-pin resistor pack, but keep in mind that the 
>> most
>> expensive part you have is probably that PC board, considering the 
>> cost of
>> rebuilding a new one if you destroy the old one. So be "gentle" with 
>> it!
>>
>> I was able to remove the RP without destroying the board using a 
>> hollow-tip
>> iron with a solder sucker attached like the popular Hakko that is 
>> often
>> mentioned on the reflector here. I doubt if it could be done otherwise
>> because it requires a good seal to the pad on the bottom of the board 
>> to
>> pull the air and solder down through the hole from the top side. You 
>> MIGHT
>> be able to get in there with your iron on the TOP side - holding the 
>> board
>> in a vise - to melt the solder while sucking from the bottom the 
>> moment it
>> melts.
>>
>> So don't feel bad, Bill. I was writing the assembly procedure for the 
>> KX1
>> manual, installed RP5, took a picture (for Figure 4 in the manual) 
>> and was
>> sitting at the computer adding call-outs when I suddenly realized 
>> that the
>> last three digits weren't right.
>>
>> What a "sinking feeling" indeed!
>>
>> Ron AC7AC
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: [email protected] 
>> [mailto:[email protected]]
>> On Behalf Of Bill Tippett
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 1:25 PM
>> To: [email protected]
>> Subject: [Elecraft] Removing Resistor Packs
>>
>>
>> 	Well I just made my first major mistake!  I installed
>> RP2 in the RP3 slot (which is unused but in the same area
>> and also marked as a 10k on the RF board).  I've removed solder from 
>> the
>> bottom holes such that I can see the pins through the holes, but the 
>> pack
>> will not budge as I heat pins from the outside edge in and gently 
>> pull the
>> pack from the top.  I believe the problem is solder on the top side
>> underneath the pack body which I cannot remove.  Before I clip the 
>> pack off,
>> remove the pins and order a replacement, has anyone had success 
>> removing
>> resistor packs?  I only have solder wick and a hand-held solder 
>> sucker so
>> please don't get fancy on me.  ;-))
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list: [email protected]
>> You must be subscribed to post to the list.
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe see:
>> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Elecraft Web Page: http://www.elecraft.com
>> Also see: http://www.elecraft.com/elecraft_list_guidelines.htm
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list: [email protected]
> You must be subscribed to post to the list.
> To subscribe or unsubscribe see: 
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Elecraft Web Page: http://www.elecraft.com
> Also see: http://www.elecraft.com/elecraft_list_guidelines.htm