I guess if you're building something that goes into a spacecraft or is life support equipment, you want to do everything you can to make the product as reliable as possible. In most cases, ham gear, especially hand assembled ham gear, doesn't fall into that category.
Mass produced through-hole assembly where the PCB is wave soldered requires the parts to be held in place and leads trimmed prior to soldering. I recall a "staking" tool that would flatten the component lead very close to the PCB and trim off the excess in one operation. Replacing parts where the components were staked in is a PITA. -- Art Greenberg WA2LLN a...@artg.tv On Sun, Mar 25, 2018, at 12:18, Don Wilhelm wrote: > I agree, the stated NASA "method" does amaze me. > First, the K2 is not likely to go a space journey. > > Components with pre-cut leads may require 3 hands. One to hold the > component, one to hold the soldering iron and another to hold the solder. > I would assume that NASA directive was for wave-soldering boards and > does not apply to hand soldering. > > I personally have a guideline which says "do not ever trim an unsoldered > lead" - watch as you trim and go back and solder it. > > Of course, I am one who inserts multiple components before soldering. > > I have never seen a failed solder connection in my work nor had any > reports of solder joint failure from those I have built the K2, K1, KX1 > or XVseries transverters. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > > On 3/25/2018 11:33 AM, James F. Boehner MD via Elecraft wrote: > > Jerome, > > > > Now this is interesting. This is totally opposite of the way most of us > > were taught to solder. Among the kits I used to put together were Heathkit > > and Ramsey, both of whom recommended securing the parts in place by > > spreading the leads, soldering, and then cutting the wires close to the > > solder blob, checking for shorts. I assume that goes for Elecraft also, but > > I have not built any of their radios as kits, so not sure. > > > > So how did NASA handle the potential difficulties? Did they have precut > > parts? Did the tech have to place the part in the board and cut the leads > > first? If the part was loose, how was it held close to the board, owing to > > the fact that holding the solder and the iron took two hands? What if the > > lead length was overestimated and potentially could cause a short? Could > > the wire be cut and the joint reheated, or did the part have to be removed, > > recut and reinserted? > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to a...@artg.tv ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
