[Elecraft] SMD-based kits

[stephen Farthing]

Gentlefolk,
                Surface Mount is not that difficult even for old geezers 
like me with less than perfect eyesight. NORCAL did an SM kit as an 
introduction to the topic and I made that and it worked pretty well. I am 
half way through building a 23cm transverter kit from Kuhn Electronics 
which is all Surface Mount.Whilst the itsy bitsy components take some 
getting use to, a magnifier, a toothpick (for holding components down), a 
set of tweezers and a soldering iron with a tiny bit are all thats required 
(use a scrap motherboard, remove some somponents and resolder them). And a 
clean work surface. As usual practice makes perfect...and it helps a lot if 
the pcb is not too dense...


In some respects SM components are easier to work with than leaded ones. No 
need to drill the PCB...lots of new components which dont have leaded 
versions...as you colonials say,,,its not a problem, its a challenge...and 
in years to come i think that there may not be any leaded components 
produced...so we will have to adapt, as hams always have, to use new 
technologies...

Just my 50p s worth...

Steve


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "EricJ" <eric_csuf at hotmail.com>
To: <larry at telepostinc.com>; "'Don Brown'" <DolfinDon at msn.com>
Cc: "'Elecraft Reflector'" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:22 PM
Subject: RE: [Elecraft] SMD-based kits


> Toaster oven? My 19 year old son and I live alone. As a result there are a
> lot of strange melted substances draped over the heating coils in our
> toaster oven, but solder isn't one of them. Yet...are you serious or is
> "toaster oven" a slang word for some expensive SMD assembly equipment?
>
> Eric
> KE6US
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Larry Phipps
>
> I have no problem with SOIC parts, but the more popular SSOP and TSSOP 
> parts
> are almost impossible to deal with unless you use some trick like a 
> toaster
> oven to install the parts prior to other assembly.
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