[Elecraft] Poor soldering (was: Does build quality affect performance?)

[Craig Rairdin]

> However, since the biggest problem that beginners seem to have is 
> poor soldering, sometimes a beginner's rig may have poor joints 
> that don't cause problems immediately.

With that in mind, what are the most common soldering problems? Could we
head off errors by discussing them here or beefing up the material on the
Elecraft Web site on this topic?

Is it:

 * Iron too hot/cold
 * Wrong tip
 * Too much heat applied (damaging part or pad)
 * Bad technique
 * Wrong solder
 * Too much/little solder

Or something else?

Depending on what the symptoms of the problems are, this would also help new
owners choose a builder and help purchasers of used units inspect the work
before buying.

When I decided to build a K1 I spent a lot of time reading the material on
the Elecraft Web site, then I bought a suitable solder station rather than
resurrect my old Radio Shack iron. Both my K1 & K2 turned out great with no
problems in checkout, alignment, or everyday operation, but you have me
worried that I might have screwed up in ways I haven't discovered yet. :-)

Craig
NZ0R
K1 #1966
K2/100 #4941