[Elecraft] Heathkit Returns!

[Don Wilhelm]

I disagree that Surface Mount Technology has taken kit building out of 
the hands of most hams.  Yes, it is not a task for the sloppy builder, 
or for those who do not have good hand and small muscle control - you 
must hold those small parts in the proper place while soldering, but 
kits designed with 1206 or even 0802 size components are not a major 
undertaking.  Surface Mount is easier and faster to assemble than 
through-hole components -there are no leads to clip, and all the 
soldering is on one side of the board (at any one time).  Yes, care must 
be exercised - holding the component too tightly in tweezers can launch 
it into remote corners where only the vacuum cleaner can find it, so a 
gentle touch is required.

For those who cannot place the parts precisely, the solder paste and 
"toaster oven" techniques will work just fine, when heated to the proper 
temperature, the parts simply float into position.  It is a wonder to 
see the results.

OK, with the "aging of ham radio", there may be some problems, but that 
is an individual problem.  I am 71 1/2 years old and currently have no 
problem with SMD construction, but that may change as the years go by, 
but if I am still able to put through-hole components in the correct 
location, I should be able to deal equally well with Surface Mount 
devices.  Give it a try, it is not difficult at all, just different than 
thru-hole construction.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/9/2011 8:25 PM, Tony Estep wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 12:34 PM, Edward R. Cole<kl7uw at acsalaska.net>  wrote:
>
>> ... Surface-mount technology has taken kit building out
>> most hams hands...
> =============
>   I understand why Ed says this, but really SMT is not so scary. Many
> thousands of Softrock kits have been sold, and they are still selling at the
> rate of over 1000 per year. I built one, and it was lots of fun and not
> hard. I started with many trepidations, but the info on the Softrock sites
> told me everything I needed to know, and it worked the first time.
>