Brett Owen Rees VK2TMG wrote: > Cecil, > > Thanks for the pointer to the Softrock txrx kit - it looks like a lot of > fun for not many dollars. A question for you - is mounting the surface > mount components do-able for the average ham with no special surface > mount gear? > > Tnx es 73 de Brett VK2TMG
Besides soldering with an iron there are three other techniques available for soldering SMT's. I document the use of a toaster oven on my site and there are links to sites that use a embossing air gun, and another that uses a skillet. The oven is good for two sided boards, the embossing gun is good for two sides, one side at a time, it's also good for removing or salvaging componets off a board, and the use of a skillet, good for single sided boards only. The site with the embossing gun tutorial has a small supply of soldering paste for sale. In these methods the oven or the skillet, should not be used to cook food any longer, lead poisoning is not a good thing. I personally have used the oven and the embossing gun methods and they both work quite well. both allow you to take your time and place the components before soldering the whole board in one shot. I have poor vision and I find that soldering SMT boards with an oven considerably easier that soldering a board with components. < URL:http://www.hpsdr.com/Public/Projects/SMT/SMT.html > I recommend if you are going to try these methods, to read up on it first, once you start soldering it goes rather quickly and you have no time to be looking information up, and that you try it on a simple project first like a dummy load. -- Cecil KD5NWA www.qrpradio.com www.hpsdr.com "Sacred Cows make the best Hamburger!" Don Seglio Batuna
