> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sandy W5TVW > Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 7:18 PM > To: Frank C Van Cleef; elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? > > One "reason" I don't care with SMD stuff, is the cost of > "proper" soldering gear for them! The Optivisor and > magnafier florescent lamps I have, who can spend many times > more than a kit would cost for an SMD "soldering station"? > (Not to mention looking for missing parts on my "unclean > room" workshop!!)
Sandy Good lighting and inspection capability is essential for any construction work, through hole or SMT. You would actually find less issues with lighting on SMT work although in some cases you are correct, because of the reduced pitch of the parts, especially IC pins, a good magnifier can become essential. > Big smile ;^) Only as long as you do not drop any parts (especially MLCC's as they have no markings!), then its frown time! There is still a lot to be said for all the parts having the value marked well, and Elecraft do well by supplying the through hole parts on bandolier from a sequencer so they can be removed in line with the assembly manual, not so easy to do that with SMT. This was missed in the earlier posts. John (GM1BSG) > 73, > Sandy W5TVW > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Frank C Van Cleef" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> > Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 10:20 AM > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? > > > | > | With all due respect to those of us who have to squint ever > harder to see > | what used to stand out > | clearly: I, for one, would be delighted to have a kit > based primarily on > | SMT devices to try my hand at. I have a fine-tip iron and > an Optovisor at > | hand, and I love to build kits, so if SMT is the coming > thing, let's have at > | it! It may not be everybody's cupp'a'tea but new things > are interesting and > | exciting to try, and isn't that what it's all about? > | > | Perhaps a kit of, say, the K1's complexity to start with. > The TAPR project > | described below is a pretty big gulp to start with, so > perhaps something a > | little less complicated would be in order for a first project. > | What say, Elecraft guru's, I bet the challenges of > designing an SMT kit > | project would be exciting on your side as well!? > | > | 73 de W1WCG > | Frank Van Cleef > | > | ----- Original Message ----- > | From: "Richard T Perry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > | To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> > | Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 5:29 AM > | Subject: [Elecraft] OT: SMT kits? > | > | > | Ok, folks - this is off topic, but since y'all have been a > font of knowledge > | about kit building, I thought I would try this question... > | > | How hard is SMT soldering, really? I've been lusting after > the TAPR Software > | Defined Radio > kit,(http://www.tapr.org/tapr/html/Fdsp10.html) but it's > | majority SMT. I'm in my 30's, with fairly steady hands and > decent vision... > | with the proper tools, should I be able to do this? Any > experienced SMT > | builders out there got any pointers? > | Please respond to me directly - I'll summarize for the list > later if there's > | interest. > | > | Now, for the other shoe - I just ordered a KX1 to go with > my now almost 5 > | year old K2 (#668). This should be fun! > | > | 73 DE KF4BAL/V73 > | Richard Perry > | _______________________________________________ > | Elecraft mailing list > | Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > | You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > | Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > | http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > | Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > | Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > | > | > | _______________________________________________ > | Elecraft mailing list > | Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > | You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > | Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > | Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > | Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > | > | > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com