[Elecraft] [KX3] 160/80 meter SMT mod

[Brett Howard]

I've found the large hoof type soldering iron tips are best for soldering
the tiniest of parts and they also make it very easy to set the hoof over
the top of parts and just peel them off.  You can use the hole to set it
over the device.  Our technician who does nothing but solder 0201 to 0603
devices and hardcore rework all day long uses a VERY large hoof type tip
that can set over parts as large as 0805.  Once you learn to use a large
tip to work with small stuff its kinda hard to go back.  It also makes it
well easier to work on some of our higher frequency designs where there are
more and more layers with really dense ground structures on many layers.

~Brett


On Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 8:48 PM, Jessie Oberreuter <
joberreu-elecraft at moselle.com> wrote:

>
>      An easy way to remove SMT parts with a traditional iron is to use a
> small piece of wire to create a solder bridge across both ends of the part.
>  This will conduct the heat to both pads and then you can just lift the
> part off the board :).  -kb7psg.
>
>
>
> On Sat, 12 Jan 2013, John Fritze wrote:
>
>  I got some time today to look at the back side of the RF board, and yes
>> it's pretty tight but the mod went well with no problems.  I ordered the
>> parts (and spares) from Mouser with a couple of smaller tips for my
>> Weller.
>>
>>
>> Removal of the old parts was accomplished by moving back and forth between
>> both ends of each part until I could push them off the board. Everything
>> came off so cleanly that there was very little clean up on the pads.  I
>> used some extra flux, applied with a wooden toothpick both to the pads and
>> the new parts.  I put a little solder on one pad, oriented the new parts
>> and lightly soldered one end.  Holding it in place with another toothpick,
>> I then final soldered both ends.
>>
>> Slow, carefully and viola' job done.  Maybe an hour or so total time.  I
>> don't have any test equipment to prove a difference with the dynamic range
>> on 160/80 meters, but I regularly have wall to wall noise on those bands
>> so
>> it will be interesting to see what improvement there is.
>>
>> For those considering making the change themselves, I have only had
>> minimal
>> experience with SMT but am familiar with working with tiny stuff in my
>> business.  I am proficient at home brewing.
>>
>> --
>> John Fritze Jr
>> K2QY
>> AARA president 2013
>> ACACES secretary 2013
>> Albany County RACES Radio Officer
>> ARES ENY DEC Northern District
>> ARES Albany County EC
>> Hudson Div. Asst. Director
>> Twitter: @k2qy
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