Off Topic Electronics Kit Christmas Emergency Help.

[Sinphaltimus]

Hi.

So one of my boys is an amazing musician. I decided to build him this for Christmas -

http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/workshop/video/make-perfboard-prototyping-with-collin-cunningham.html?CID=bbaugust3092888&sp_rid=MjAzMDY3NjUzOTcS1&sp_mid=3092888


Problem is, I don't really know how to read schematics beyond a few simple circuits so there are two things I do not know - which I discovered at the end.

I do not know how to connect the potentiometers. I do not know precisely how to complete this circuit - I'm not using the foot stomper switch which is illustrated in the schematics but not the simple drawing.

As you can see, the simple drawing does not show battery, in/out jacks or potentiometer connections.

I thought I'd go with what made sense after connecting a multimeter and tracing the connections on them. The potentiometers have 3 connections. Looking at the knob with the connections below the know I guessed the left side would be one lead, the middle is the potentiometer part and the right side connector the ground. But this doesn't work.

I need a translator please.....Christmas is depending on it for one particular child of mine. :/

Edited December 18, 2016 by Sinphaltimus

[GroovyBee]

Can you take pictures of what you've made and what potentiometers you are trying to connect to the circuit?

[Shift838]

Hi.

 

So one of my boys is an amazing musician. I decided to build him this for Christmas -

 

http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/workshop/video/make-perfboard-prototyping-with-collin-cunningham.html?CID=bbaugust3092888&sp_rid=MjAzMDY3NjUzOTcS1&sp_mid=3092888

 

 

Problem is, I don't really know how to read schematics beyond a few simple circuits so there are two things I do not know - which I discovered at the end.

 

I do not know how to connect the potentiometers. I do not know precisely how to complete this circuit - I'm not using the foot stomper switch which is illustrated in the schematics but not the simple drawing.

 

As you can see, the simple drawing does not show battery, in/out jacks or potentiometer connections.

 

I thought I'd go with what made sense after connecting a multimeter and tracing the connections on them. The potentiometers have 3 connections. Looking at the knob with the connections below the know I guessed the left side would be one lead, the middle is the potentiometer part and the right side connector the ground. But this doesn't work.

 

I need a translator please.....Christmas is depending on it for one particular child of mine. :/

 

I have hooked quite a few guitar pots up for my guitar stuff.

 

POT (SHAFT FACING DOWN)

 

3 2 1

 

3 = OUTPUT

 

2 = INPUT

 

1 = GROUND

[Sinphaltimus]

Can you take pictures of what you've made and what potentiometers you are trying to connect to the circuit?

 

 

Yes and I will, but I just had to clean up for dinner and the boy will be home so tomorrow perhaps.

 

Shift838 - Shaft down?

 

uhm,

 

Assume this photo is how I'm looking at them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Looking at the schematic:

 

 

Can you show me how to connect these using this illustration?

 

 

 

It is safe to assume I setup the board correctly.

Edited December 18, 2016 by Sinphaltimus

[Shift838]

yes shaft down bottom of unit up.

[Sinphaltimus]

yes shaft down bottom of unit up.

On the schematic, the arrow is the input correct? (potentiometer)

 

In that case, I guessed correctly. Must be something else wrong. I'll have to start desoldering and testing tomorrow.

[CC Clarke]

Is the picture of the board w/components supposed to represent the schematic above it? If so, it doesn't (without seeing the reverse side.) If not, never mind.

 

Posting a pic of your board would be easier to find any wiring error(s).

 

As for the determining the pinouts of the pots, (without a data sheet) use your multimeter (set to Resistance) across the two outer contacts. You should get a single resistance that doesn't very when the trimmer is rotated. Then measure from one end across the middle. When turned, the output resistance should vary.

 

CC

Edited December 18, 2016 by CC Clarke

[GroovyBee]

This is how the pots should be wired. There are also a few connections missing on that image:-

 

<---- Click to enlarge

 

Edit #1: Missed a pot:

Edit #2: 3rd pot was wrong. This is the correct version:

Edited December 19, 2016 by GroovyBee

[Sinphaltimus]

Yes, that illustration is supposed to represent the schematic with only one difference. The schematic has a stomper switch (DPDT I think) and the illustration doesn't.

Shift, thanks for that. There is still one more potentiometer to go. The 100k one. Located to the right of the 500k on the schematic.

My potentiometers are not at all wired the way you drew them. Sucks the illustration wasn't that accurate as it was my only true guide. Right off the cliff. LOL.

Edited December 18, 2016 by Sinphaltimus

[GroovyBee]

Is the picture of the board w/components supposed to represent the schematic above it? If so, it doesn't (without seeing the reverse side.) If not, never mind.

The components laid out also include the EZ LFO circuit shown in the box.

[GroovyBee]

Did you get this working in time?

[Sinphaltimus]

No. I never got to do any adjustments because I'm still unclear. None of the instructions above are a complete project.

 

Shifts adjustments don't include the input output jacks and I have 3 potentiometers, his diagrams only showed 2 then one.

 

I'm thoroughly lost and confused. It sucks That Jameco sells this like this.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Sinphaltimus

[GroovyBee]

No. I never got to do any adjustments because I'm still unclear. None of the instructions above are a complete project.

OK. Post a picture of your board and we can take it from there.

 

Shifts adjustments don't include the input output jacks and I have 3 potentiometers, his diagrams only showed 2 then one.

The only pictures showing pot wiring are mine. They show how all 3 pots should be wired, but in two images. I didn't show the jacks because you didn't ask for that info.

 

I'm thoroughly lost and confused. It sucks That Jameco sells this like this.

Well kits are just that, kits. The "fun" comes in building them yourself.

[Sinphaltimus]

I'll have to wait until I can photoshop the pics. Since I only have red wire, it's going to be nearly impossible to trace in photos unless I edit them in PS first. And I'm in the middle of another failing project.

[GroovyBee]

I'll have to wait until I can photoshop the pics. Since I only have red wire, it's going to be nearly impossible to trace in photos unless I edit them in PS first. And I'm in the middle of another failing project.

As long as you post images of both sides of the perf board it doesn't matter about photoshopping anything.The circuit isn't all that complex.

 

Edit: Listing the Jameco/Mouser/Digikey part numbers of the pots, jacks and switches you have will also help.

Edited December 29, 2016 by GroovyBee

[Sinphaltimus]

I appreciate any and all help. The issue I have with the kit is the schematic doesn't match the illustration or the parts list. And the illustration doesn't show how to connect the POTs or the Jacks or the battery connector. And there are no instructions.

Here, I've included too many pictures with a large PNG for navigating the mess of wires. AND the parts list.

Thanks for having a go at it.

unorganized.zip

[CC Clarke]

First off, I mean this as a constructive critique, no ego, or anything like that.

 

You're fighting two issues here. The first is inadequate documentation. The second is your workmanship, and by that I mean you can easily create more problems than you solve if you don't get a handle on your soldering, you can damage components or worse. . . Few things in life are as satisfying as building something that not only works but is assembled properly. Sexy soldering falls into that category. If you destroy boards and components, you'll end up frustrated and miss out on a skill that is very easy to master once you know how to do it. Practice is a big part of learning (as well as failing, and avoiding making the same mistake twice.)

 

I certify solder operators, and see these types of problems with most every student who's never performed high-reliability soldering before. This board doesn't need to survive a moonshot, but the basics still apply.

 

A couple of observations that if you follow, will yield better results and eliminate bad habits:

 

1. Put the board away and practice some of the basics for an afternoon; like tinning wires, (do fifty wires on each end) splicing, (I'll address that separately) and through-hole soldering on a scrap PCB. When tinning, only tin the wire up to the point where the solder flows one to two wire diameters from the insulation. (A common theme I'll repeat.)

 

2. Use the right tools. That means the proper flux, acid brushes to clean the flux with and good-quality wire. The old adage, "Good tools do a good job" is a fundamental requirement for decent soldering. You needn't spend big bucks either. I recommend spending the bucks for an Opti-visor. http://www.techni-tool.com/298IN072They're worth it, and you'll use them for lots of things. The lighting kit is a must-have: http://www.micromark.com/quasar-lighting-system-for-optivisor,8608.html. Check Amazon.com for good deals on these too. I showed up at work with a set of these one day, (I used them daily in my previous job) and within two weeks, a dozen people had ordered them.

 

For hand tools, solder wick, (please tell me you're using this stuff!) and nearly anything else you could ever need, this is a great source: http://www.techni-tool.com/

 

3. Learn the basics of what makes a good (wire) solder joint. In a nutshell, the filet should be smooth on the pad and tapered onto the wire conductor. Example 1 shows your best joint. Note how it's mini-volcano-shaped. That's what you want on EVERYTHING. The end of the wire insulation should be one to two wire diameters from the solder. Never embedded into the joint and never charred. Watch someone who knows what they're doing on You Tube. (Get second opinions, because there are an awful lot of hobbyists trying to impress people with their new Xmas cameras, reinforcing bad habits online.)

 

4. Use good quality wire. And by that I mean Teflon-insulated, stranded wire, in the proper gauge. Teflon insulation resists melting and drawing back from the heat. The single-strand, cheap stuff you've got is a PITA to work with. Not impossible, but you need to be skilled in soldering to pull it off. I avoid it entirely.

 

5. Don't wrap wires for splicing - that's called a Western Union or lineman's splice for a reason - electricians do it - not electronics techs. Twist it all up and where will it always break? On the ends of the wires, right by the insulation - wrapping is convenient, but mechanically stressful on copper wire. Rather, do a lap splice. With properly stripped and tinned wires, line them up end to end with the tip of the conductor one to two wire diameters from the edge of the insulation. Apply flux, (liquid- not paste!) heat, then "paint" the two wires to flow the solder. Not too much solder - you should be able to discern the outline of the conductors in the joint. 99% of your joints have WAY too much solder on them. Again, you should be able to see the wire outline, not a blob on the pad. Heat and "paint" the solder - the flux will do the rest.

 

Clean the remaining flux completely. Apply polyolefin heat shrink (a kit of various gauges is cheap and lasts a long time. You'll be surprised how often you reach for it. NEVER use electrician's tape to insulate a splice. That's for . . . electricians. Over time, it gets warm, and gummy, and can slide or roll off, exposing the joint.

 

6. Immediately remove flux after each solder joint is complete with IPA and a proper acid brush. Nearly all of your joints exhibit flux debris. Sticky boards attract contaminants and obscure solder defects. And they're . . . sticky. . . nasty.

 

7. Use the shortest lengths of wire to do the job on the PCB. That means forming them into L shapes or whatever, placing the leads through the holes and taping them down before applying solder. Your board will look professional and be easier to troubleshoot if required. Fighting a rat's nest or worm orgy is no fun.

 

I've attached one pic w/examples. More if you need them. Practice and you'll be a pro in no time!

 

CC

Edited December 30, 2016 by CC Clarke

[Sinphaltimus]

Thank you for all that useful info. I will certainly make some improvements to my workflow. to address some of these concerns:

 

You're fighting two issues here. The first is inadequate documentation. - This is my primary concern. I need proper documentation to complete this project. I cannot possibly move forward on my own with this because I don't have the background knowledge of electronics or components to even begin to imagine how this should be.

 

The second is your workmanship - I'm always seeking to improve my skills as a hobby enthusiast. I'm uneducated completely in the ways of soldering electronics despite the fact tht I've been doing it for 30+ years on my own projects at home. 90% of the time things just work and I get lucky so I get by, which brings me back to my primary concern being the proper project documentation. Without that, there's no sense in moving forward with this particular project.

1. Practice makes perfect. Perhaps I will be able to set aside some time to practice here and there.

2. Hot good flux, never heard of an acid brush so may need some clarity there or maybe just google. Optivisor - those are sweet. Probably won't have one for a while. I'm currently getting by with digital macro (cell phone zoomed in and focused - supported by helping hands). I also stack reading glasses. Yeah, funny and strange but they work. I'd be hard pressed to spend upwards of $60-$70 on something I'll rarely use when I get by with other things for now. I'd have to say the same thing for the lighting. Yes, I definitely use solder wick and for bigger less sensitive jobs a suction tube and a desoldering iron with a squeeze ball.
3. I hear that!
4. GREAT! That's always been an issue. I can't wait for M@ to see my "bridge" I made - nearly every wire melted through the insulation because I was having so much trouble getting things to solder properly. But there were no electronic components attached so no damage to sensitive parts. (different project - https://www.facebook.com/SExmortus/posts/10207803592039731). My flux has helped me tremendously with this wire but it's still very difficult to work with I agree.

5. Old bad habits. I definitely started played with electricity well before electronics. Duly noted. Good technique points that I've heard a million times but hardly practice because I forget these things. And I never knew about cleaning the remaining flux off. I assumed it stayed for protection. And electrical tape, yeah, because I never get to purchase the shrink wrap when I need it the most. I'll try and get some ordered today.
6. I'll have to look in to this.l don't know anything about it besides what you posted here.
7. Understood.

Great and thank you for the pics.

I started life as an electronics technology student in Thomas Edison High school. I flunked out and was asked to transfer out of the school instead of getting kicked out. I tried my hardest and was told I was simply not good enough. Years later I discovered I was color blind. I simply couldn't read the color code on resistors and such - that's why my classwork was top notch but I couldn't pass the exams. I never made it to soldering level. My education stopped just as we were starting with oscilloscopes. After learning all the math and laws (ohms and such) etc..I simply couldn't figure out anything with identifying some key components. I was convinced I was stupid. So I got in to creative computing instead. I stuck with electronics as a hobby because I love it. But never took any classes after HS. I just have no fear of it. If I can make most of my projects work, anyone can.

You are a great fit with this community, thank you much. I'm learning all the things I Always wanted to but put aside for the rest of life. Which brings me back to my primary concern, I don't have any working plans to complete this project so it's pretty dead in the water at the moment. Even if I was a NASA certified solderer.

 

I do test all my solder points for shorts and continuity (the extent of my knowledge) so I'm pretty sure that's not the issue with this project despite how horrendous it looks. I may have soldered the POTs wrong because I guessed with those as well as the jacks (no documentation). If I had a proper description of where and how to install both jacks and all three POTS I think this project would work. If I had that and it doesn't work, I am prepared to desolder just about everything and start again.

I said it when I first joined here, it's like I'm walking through a valley of electronics and programming Gods. I can't think of anyplace I'd rather spend my hobby time. Thank you much and so greatly appreciated. Really.

[CC Clarke]

I also added some tips in your other post in the 99/4 HW/SW Development section a few min ago that may be of help to anyone looking to increase their solder skills.

 

As for color-blindness, some QA departments require testing for this to certify solderers. Bad story: I worked on a job with a guy who mixed some critical chemicals (in color-coded containers) into some very expensive flight-level hardware. During subsequent operation, we had a catastrophic failure. A team was called (independent of us) in to investigate and compile a report. It turned out the wrong chemicals were loaded into the wrong tanks, resulting in the "problem." The guy who load them turned out to be color-blind and had been hiding it from us. That little (preventable) mistake cost a couple of million bucks and of course, he was removed from his position.

 

When you're working on (the really) expensive hardware, mistakes are bound to happen, no matter how many checks are made. As long as you own up to it, nobody gets pissed if it's caught early, before damage occurs.

 

No one is immune, including yours truly. I always tell this story to new people who have never worked on high-rel hardware before:

 

Once, I found a tiny (.08") screw on the floor that looked like it came from one of my devices that had been installed in a higher level assembly and passed testing. (This was a billion dollar piece of hardware when assembled.) When I brought it to the attention of the boss, he shrugged it off and said (and I quote) . . . "Ain't nothing in this pig held together by one fastener!" To which I replied, "Yes there is, and it's located in the hardware I installed. If I'm wrong, we lose time. If I'm right, and we don't verify it, we could lose everything, and kick ourselves in the ass for eternity for not checking."

 

After a moment, he let out a long exhale and said to everyone assembled, "Open it up!" I felt about one inch tall because a lot of people had to undo a lot of work to check this. Hours later, they accessed the space and sure enough, there was no fastener installed. We called a quick meeting and I was definitely in the limelight. I felt horrible. The Lead Engineer said, "Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest. This tiny screw could have meant the difference between success or failure. Never hesitate to call attention to detail, even if it means making yourself look bad in the process. I will never get upset for preventing failure. Knowingly hide something and if I find out, you're gone. Credibility is what makes everything work, and without it, we can't put faith or trust in what we build." Everybody who stayed up all night to discover my error, shook my hand and congratulated me - this was the opposite reaction I expected. Nobody was mad. That experience drove home an important lesson about never taking anything for granted where workmanship is concerned, that I apply to every project I work on, big or small, cheap or expensive. Credibility that takes years to acquire can be destroyed in a second. You can bet that verification of my mistake was added to the procedure. In the High-Rel world, many changes to procedures exist because of lessons learned - sometimes the hard way.

 

So if you're soldering and suspect a problem, check it up-front, before you proceed. The extra time to verify any questionable workmanship is always worth it.

 

CC

Edited December 30, 2016 by CC Clarke

[CC Clarke]

Before I forget what you mentioned in your post regarding flux. . .

 

The purpose of flux when soldering (not time travel, ie: flux capacitors) is to remove contaminants and promote proper wetting (coverage) of the solder joint, yielding a smooth, shiny surface. Contaminants (from the operator's hands, on the solder, and components being joined) are supposed to join in suspension with the flux and rise to the top of the joint when heated, allowing easy removal after the joint cools. The longer you wait to remove flux, the harder it is to do so.

 

Inspection of the joint requires being able to see the joint, so all flux residue needs to be removed for thorough visual inspection. This is another reason you don't want solder "blobs" for joints; you can't tell what is actually joined, if the through hole is properly filled, (voids can form) or components are physically damaged.

 

The (newer) IPC standards which I certify and teach to are a combination of the multiple workmanship standards that have existed for decades within DoD, NASA, and private industry. Each can specify any exceptions in-house, but the IPC standards are becoming more and more prevalent. Once you're certified, the cert stays with you - not the company or organization you work for a period of two years. Trainers and students alike have to re-certify to remain current.

 

Personally, the IPC standards are much more relaxed than the standards to which I was originally trained, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It required expending a lot of time to get the joints "perfect" and by perfect I mean they had to stand up to many requirements that aren't always realistic. The good thing is the requirements are more standardized, so most companies are singing to the same sheet of music. Written testing (as opposed to practical performance testing which I grade) is conducted via computer with IPC regional centers because . . .

 

The Chinese (who are required to exhibit the same workmanship standards in their exported products as specified in contractual requirements) began copying IPC docs (and tests) to prove organizational certification, rather than comply with regional training center --like we have to do in the US. (Presently, the Chinese don't innovate - they imitate.) IPC is a money-making organization, so to protect their turf, so to speak, IPC went to online testing, minimizing fraudulent credentials. This has the bonus of legitimizing the Chinese training market for them. Smart, eh?

 

You can purchase their training guides on their website, along with lots of other useful documents. (But none are cheap.)

 

http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=Standards---for those who may be curious.

 

While I'm on my soapbox . . . I'll put together a list of good tools that will make any electronics bench useful and post back.

 

CC

Edited December 30, 2016 by CC Clarke

[CC Clarke]

I'm on vacation and the wife's at work, so I have time to burn on stuff like this. This isn't all-inclusive, but it's close. It took me years to buy all of these tools, but the savings in time and results I get when using them are worth it.

 

 

Electronic Workbench Tools

The majority of these items are sourced from Techni-Tool, but it pays (or saves) to shop around. Many of these tools cost more than what you’ll find at hobby stores, but as a craftsman, I don’t mind paying more for a set of tools that will last forever (or years under heavy use.) Your mileage may vary. At work, cost is irrelevant, but at home, I tend to buy the highest quality for the best value.

The first tool to invest in is the most important one on your bench -a good quality of comfortable safety glasses. The rest of these tools are of little use if you’re blind. http://www.techni-tool.com/147SF142

If you’ve ever seen what solder splatter does to an eyeball, (or the flying cut end of a wire or component) believe me, it isn’t pretty. I cannot emphasize the use of safety glasses strongly enough. Sermon over.

Wire Strippers:

Mechanical (Good) For 22-10 gauge: http://www.techni-tool.com/618PL1117 These should satisfy most needs. You might want to go a little smaller -depending on your projects, to #28.

Thermal (Best) These are the preferred method to avoid nicking or marring conductors when wire stripping. Pricey, but after using all manner of thermal strippers, I prefer these from Teledyne: http://www.techni-tool.com/768ST026

These (American Beauty) strippers are really good too, and have the added benefit of compatibility with tips for resistance soldering tweezers, which are the best tool to work on solder cup connectors: https://americanbeautytools.com/Thermal-Strippers/164 Much too expensive for home use, but like I said, really nice and prevent damage to connector body inserts.

Acid Brush: Buy in bulk and save. These are used to remove flux (and pretty much anything else) from PCBs and wire joints- http://www.techni-tool.com/872SO014EA Old Pro tip: Use scissors to cut them at a 45 degree angle 1/4 “ from the metal handle for best results. You get the handy combination of hard and soft bristles in one brush!

Menda Pump Dispenser: This is the industry standard for IPA (isopropyl alcohol for you normal people following along) storage on your bench - http://www.techni-tool.com/548CH7353 Handy!

Obligatory Memorable Bad Story: At TI, I observed the 99/4 repair tech at the bench next to me dipping his soldering iron tip in his Menda dispenser to clean it off, rather than the wet sponge on his solder station. I casually mentioned that IPA was kind of flammable and he pretty much blew me off. Okay . . .

A few nights later, I heard a commotion and glanced over at his bench which was pretty much totally on fire. Not only had he ignited the IPA on the top of dispenser, but he panicked and knocked it over (the top wasn't on tight) and spilled IPA all over the place. A couple hundred of my fellow employees got a (real) fire drill out of it. He was later fired for stalking women in the (confined) burn-in racks with his pants around his ankles. Just another never-a-dull moment @ TI night!

Hand Tools:

Diagonal Cutters: There are lots of types of cutters, but the diagonals are good for general purpose use. Wiha, Sandvic, and Lindstrom hand Tools are hard to beat. If you spend $$$ for any one hand tool, buy decent cutters. These last a long time (but aren’t meant for large gauge wire!) http://www.techni-tool.com/844PL164http://www.techni-tool.com/844PL164

Tweezers: Fine and coarse, you always need tweezers. This is a Swiss-made set that works great and is cheaper than other same-quality sets: http://www.techni-tool.com/758TW546 Be warned: If you drop them on the floor, their most likely ruined! In this case, Swiss=precision.

Wire Forming Pliers: Anytime you work with wire or discrete components, you’ll need to bend leads. Avoid any tools with serrated edges which leave tooling marks on the components or deformation in conductor insulation. These are the right tools to do it properly:

Duckbill (or Flat-nosed) Pliers: This is a good quality, less expensive set: http://www.techni-tool.com/352PL2842

Round-nosed Pliers: These get more use than duckbill pliers, but can get expensive; this set is relatively inexpensive: http://www.techni-tool.com/352PL2843 These Lindstom’s are pricey, but I love them: http://www.techni-tool.com/844PL759

Other Tools:

Multi-Meter: This is an indispensable tool I use constantly, so I will pay more for the best. Almost any meter is better than none at all. I’ve relied on the Fluke 77 series for more than twenty-five years and can say without reservation, these things can take a beating. The battery seems to last forever. http://www.techni-tool.com/374ME774

Optivisor: Another tool I use constantly around the house or at my bench. There are lots of similar magnifiers out there, but after trying most of them, this is my favorite: http://www.techni-tool.com/298IN072 Great for removing splinters (see Swiss tweezers above) and things of that nature.

Let there be light: No Optivisor is complete without the Quasar LED attachment: https://www.amazon.com/Quasar-Led-Lighting-System-Optivisors/dp/B0058ECQ46/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=71c498ca5213318381e42a2d88e4c18f

Solder Stations: The self-adjusting (no temp controls!) Metcal solder stations are expensive and worth every penny. Tips are expensive too, so I recommend buy both used. Here’s one of their least expensive: http://www.techni-tool.com/551SO1195 You'll sneer with self-righteousness at lesser stations for the rest of your life if you get one of these. Le crème of le crop.

My favorite (for a single outlet control) is the MX-500. Small, mighty, perfect.

Kester is the goto name in solder:

.062” http://www.techni-tool.com/488SO061

.025” http://www.techni-tool.com/488SO144

Heat Gun: If you use heat shrink tubing, (and who doesn't?!) you need a heat gun to shrink it properly (never a match or lighter!) Weller’s heat gun is light and compact, and actually a pretty good buy. http://www.techni-tool.com/812PR010 I’ve used this model for 25 years.

Old Pro Tip: The switch has three settings, OFF, Heat, and just air. Always set it to air after using the heat setting to gently cool the heating coils, which prolongs the life of the tool.

As long as you’re interested in a heat gun, you’ll need . . . heat shrink! Here’s the best: (polyolefin from 3M; my preferred color is clear so I can spot broken joints) http://www.techni-tool.com/105PR577 Anything 3M makes always does what it says it will. This heat shrink is no exception.

Solder Wick: http://www.techni-tool.com/237SO225 This has rosin flux (and multiple sizes) to quickly remove flux. I know some people use the old-style one-handed vacuum pumps, but they can be more trouble than they’re worth. If you do a lot of component removal, (especially ICs) invest in a real de-soldering station. Metcal is one vendor.

Static Safety. If you work with IC’s and many PCBs, ESD is a concern, especially in low humidity environments. You’ll need a mat: http://www.techni-tool.com/105ST6427 A wrist strap: http://www.techni-tool.com/WWG22C690 and of course, you’ll need to connect the mat to a suitable ground.

Here’s an affordable kit with everything: http://www.techni-tool.com/758ST017

​These are my preferred tool to lap splice or attach wires to pots, etc. The tool can be taken apart and laid into a wire bundle when needed: http://www.techni-tool.com/711IE015 I always wrap tape around the serrated edge of the roach clips to prevent deforming wire insulation.

Optional Tools:

Chemtronics Flux-Off: This does a great job (better than IPA) but costs more. The result is a PCB that’s hospital-grade clean with little scrubbing: http://www.techni-tool.com/237CH5301

Solder Fume Extractor: You can hold your breath while solder fumes are rising towards your nostrils or use one of these instead: http://www.techni-tool.com/606PR8115 Prices are all over the map on fume extractors, so this is a good-quality alternative to those costing over $1000.

​Solder Holder: I have one for each different diameter roll of solder on my bench: http://www.techni-tool.com/812SO001

Stereo Microscope: When you want to do the best job possible, nothing beats this for close-up work. Even your smallest movement is magnified, so one of these makes you extra careful. I finally found one I could afford (a Bausch and Lomb on eBay) after two years of searching. Here's what they look like: http://www.techni-tool.com/516IN714

Fiber-Optic Light: In the old days, we had to walk through two feet of snow (backwards!) to get to work. When we arrived, we were forced to toil under a pair of incandescent lamps that cooked the tops of your hands after a few hours. Now, there are fiber lights on flexible stalks, and all the heat is contained in a separate housing.http://www.techni-tool.com/560IN301 Bulbs are expensive!

Super-pointy test leads: Standard test leads are usually too big for ICs and hard-to reach areas. These probe tips are replaceable, and sharp enough to pierce insulation (I hate doing that, but sometimes you've gotta do what you gotta do.) http://www.techni-tool.com/458TE6275

Electronic Surplus Stores: Many large towns have one of these places. You can save a fortune if you know what you're looking for. (Especially with good quality, Teflon insulated wire.) Here's one I like to haunt when I'm in the Orlando area: http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/

Okay, I'm out of things for you to buy. Start small and work your way up. The hand tools and a good solder station should be your first priority. And oh yeah, please don't forget the safety glasses!!

Happy soldering,

CC

[Sinphaltimus]

Thank you for these tips and lists. And I must say, I enjoy reading your posts. They are well written, informative and entertaining. Bravo.

[Sinphaltimus]

This is how the pots should be wired. There are also a few connections missing on that image:-

 

PWMboard.jpg <---- Click to enlarge

 

Edit #1: Missed a pot:

Edit #2: 3rd pot was wrong. This is the correct version:

PWMboard3.jpg

Ok, I spoke to Jameco and they pointed me to the correct schematic here:

 

http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/2121092Schematic.pdf

 

I'm not that good at reading these but I can do pictures. Can anyone update the illustration showing jack connections and pots connections?

 

I can try it myself for sure and make a best guess. But that means even more de/soldering if I get it wrong and don't damage anything.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Sinphaltimus

[CC Clarke]

This basic tutorial should help with the pots: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-measure-resistance-of-a-Potentiometer/

 

The headphone jack pinouts are described here: http://www.electro-tech-online.com/attachments/stereo-headphones-plug-and-jack-png.30117/

 

CC

[Sinphaltimus]

Well, I went off the new schematic supplied by JamesCo and still no dice. I'll post pictures tomorrow as well as an updated diagram illustrating how I connected the pots and jacks.

I started with all new components except the chips (which are socketed and never once connected during soldering) and one capacitor I had to recover from the first build. All the other parts they send numerous amounts off (except the PCB but I have a bunch of those so I just used a new one). It's a much cleaner job with shorter wires and proper soldering of wires together when needed. I had two projects to complete today and neither work at the end of the day. I guess I gotta the terrible days with the good ones...