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Re: Back in the Saddle
This is a good video and should convince others that soldering SMD parts to a PCB isn't that tough. Keep in mind, this is a difficult part to solder to a board. By comparison, a 1206 SMD resistor or cap is child's play. This technique can also be used on the Si5351 which is probably one of the hardest parts to solder in the T41. If my fat fingers and poor eyes can do it, anyone can. Jack, W8TEE
On Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 07:05:43 PM EDT, Phil Taylor via groups.io <philbyt1@...> wrote:
John
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This may help. This guy uses an alternate method. Microscope is an absolute necessary item. One extra thing I do is add some flux paste to the chip edge before running the soldering iron along the pins to neaten and remove any bridges.
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Regards?
Phil
VK2KKZ
-- Jack, W8TEE |
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Re: Back in the Saddle
Thanks. My biggest problem is the two PE4312 chips (U3-U12). My first attempt using T5 Chipquik solder paste and a heat gun didn't go well. I couldn't get the solder to flow...though that is hard to see as all the 20 pins are under the chip.
For the main board I used a reflow oven, which worked perfectly. However, with the larger SMD components, like the TR1, I was afraid that before I got all the components placed and the board moved to the oven, some would shift position. So, I've hand soldered all of the U chips. I will now attempt the rest of the chips and components using the reflow oven. For the gigantic ;-) 1206 components, I used a toothpick to place solder paste on the pads, with the PE4312, I guess I will need to use a needle.?
I have tried to brace my shaky hand when placing these microscopic parts, but with pins only 0.23mm even the slightest movement will smear the paste across all the pins.
I was able to 3D print the solder paste stencil, but it became a mess with all the non-SMD component holes being filled with paste. If I try that again, I will edit the stencil to remove those holes. However for the PE4312 and other smaller chips, the paste placed was either bridging all the pins or non-existent.? |
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Just a few
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýI Just a few boards left at Hamvention. ?When they are gone its back to mail order sales. ?Drop by and get what you need.Ps i also have 7 signed (by Jack and Al) third editions of the book available at a discount from the Amazon price!!! Dr.?William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: www.VillaGrandPiton.com email:??bill@... ? |
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Hamvention
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýI am currently at Hamvention with a plethora of boards and kits. ?All set up in booth #2607 just across the floor from ICOM. ?Dr.?William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: www.VillaGrandPiton.com email:??bill@... ? |
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Re: Loosely connected !!
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýYeah its kinda of cool how you can throw together a bunch of stuff scattered on top of a table and it turns out it¡¯s a pretty good little radio! ? ? Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J62K(J68HZ) 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ VP2EHZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton ¨C J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: ? Moderator: North American QRO Group at Groups.IO. Moderator: Amateur Radio Builders Group at Groups.IO. ? email:? bill@... ? ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Jerry via groups.io
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2025 9:04 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [AmateurRadioBuilders] Loosely connected !! ? Main board,? RF board, buttons, 4 encoders,? display, a few connections,? and it works! At first try there was no audio to the computer speakers.? Also no rf on the spectrum display.? I tracked it down to the pcm1808. No digital out. So I? jumped on Amazon,? ordered one of the pcm1808 little boards so I could get a chip fast. Next day, took the chip off, replaced the original and.... Jerry KD4TNX? |
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Loosely connected !!
Main board,? RF board, buttons, 4 encoders,? display, a few connections,? and it works!
At first try there was no audio to the computer speakers.? Also no rf on the spectrum display.?
I tracked it down to the pcm1808. No digital out. So I? jumped on Amazon,? ordered one of the pcm1808 little boards so I could get a chip fast. Next day, took the chip off, replaced the original and....
Jerry
KD4TNX? |
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Re: Kits and parts.
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýYep, that the place. We are under the big tent this time.? See you Saturday! ? ? Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J62K(J68HZ) 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ VP2EHZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton ¨C J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: ? Moderator: North American QRO Group at Groups.IO. Moderator: Amateur Radio Builders Group at Groups.IO. ? email:? bill@... ? ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Jerry via groups.io
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2025 4:54 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [AmateurRadioBuilders] Kits and parts. ? Bill, Are you still in Building 2,? #2607? I hope to see you Saturday morning.? ? |
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Re: Tariffs
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýThe rags with people in the know said we would likely see initial ¡°shock¡± tariffs intended to get trading partners to the table for discussion.? Once the discussions started, the absolute best outcome is for both sides to agree to no tariffs¡ or to a system where if one side installs a tariff, the other side automatically installs an equal and opposite tariff for the same marketplace items.? What I am concerned about is that there seems to be a group that wants to make up the trade deficit(s) of the past by keeping tariffs in place even after the negotiations have concluded (which is a suboptimal solution).? While that essentially amounted to a mass exodus of equity from the USA to the trade partner at the expense of their workforce (yes, some countries could care less about their workforce), It could have the same impact here. ? We shall see how it all falls out. ???? ? ? Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J62K(J68HZ) 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ VP2EHZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton ¨C J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: ? Moderator: North American QRO Group at Groups.IO. Moderator: Amateur Radio Builders Group at Groups.IO. ? email:? bill@... ? ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Gordon Gibby KX4Z via groups.io
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2025 5:59 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [AmateurRadioBuilders] Tariffs ? Exactly as K9HZ predicted, this is starting to blow over.? ? ? Blustering and bellowing seems to be the modus operandi of various world leaders (it is not something that I applaud).? ? It was Teddy Roosevelt who coined the phrase to "speak softly and carry a Big Stick" -- but nevertheless some of our leaders are speaking loudly and still exercising a Big Stick -- and CBS news is reporting major rollbacks between USA/China -- ? ? We'll see what actually happens.... ? It was noted Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi in 1996 () who railed on the floor of our government that China had a 35% tariff against us -- and we only a 2% against them.? ? ?Did anything happen as a result?? ? I'm not enough of a historian to know.....until recently.? ?She claimed it was a JOB LOSER for the USA.? ? Hmmm....? ? Politics is strange stuff.? ? I have family members who have been harmed by policies that were not in favor of the average American Worker (according to Nancy Pelosi).? ? So I am willing to see something tried to even the score a bit.? ? It is funny who is championing this, this decade!? ? I happen to be in the demographic that has benefited fabulously from the financialization and globalization in the past couple decades -- which is why I could retire and now teach AP subjects for fun -- but I'm acutely aware of how the blue-collar portion of our nation has taken it on the CHIN from competition that seems unfair to me, and I think it was time to address those issues.? ? Even if I experience some inconveniences.? ? ? Such is life.? ? My homebrew satellite rotator system and K3NG-based controller PCB and systems are getting better and better and I'm luxuriously able to dabble and learn as much as I want, eat out whenever I wish, and so man other luxuries.? ?Many others don't have those niceties.? ? I feel for them, I teach STEM to try to give some a chance, and I volunteer (occasionally) at a free medical clinic to help those on the very bottom.? ?Working directly with the poor in my estimation is much better than demanding money from others to do the same. ? Sincerely, ? Gordon L. Gibby MD KX4Z ? ? ? ? |
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Re: Tariffs
Yep. As a former prof, I hate to admit it, but we oversold formal education. One comedian was performing on a college campus and after his show, he opened it for questions. One student asked: "Did you always know you were going to be a comedian?" His answer: "No. Like some of you, I got a BA degree in History only to find out that all the History factories were closed." My point is that some degrees are more marketable than others and that vocational training might be a more lucrative path for many. Indeed, the most underutilized educational institution in the US is the US military. I have a friend who wanted to be a pilot but found out the Air Force sees him as blind as a bat. So, he dropped the pilot idea and is now maintaining commercial jet aircraft for about double the highest income I ever earned. There's a teaching moment somewhere in there... Jack, W8TEE
On Monday, May 12, 2025 at 04:23:15 PM EDT, Doug W via groups.io <dougwilner@...> wrote:
On Mon, May 12, 2025 at 11:30 AM, Jack, W8TEE wrote:
if they agree to take HS graduates into their apprenticeship programs This is a great idea.? Now we just have to figure out how to explain to kids that the trades offer a good, well paying future.? Somewhere along the way our society decided that making minimum wage working retail with $250k in student debt is more desirable than making many times that working in a trade.
-- Jack, W8TEE |
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Re: Tariffs
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýI¡¯d vote for that!Dr.?William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner ¨C Operator Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it: www.VillaGrandPiton.com email:??bill@... ? On May 12, 2025, at 11:47?AM, Jack, W8TEE via groups.io <jjpurdum@...> wrote:
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Re: Tariffs
How about this to help vocational education: Almost all cities have abandoned property. Have the city fund a "rehab budget" to repair those houses and get them back on the tax roles. Work with local trade unions saying that, if they agree to take HS graduates into their apprenticeship programs, the city will let them rehab the buildings on a no-bid basis. When the project is done, the city sells the house to low-income families and uses the funds to continue the program. It's a win-win: The graduate learns a skilled trade, the union gets more (younger) members, the city puts properties back on the tax roles, and the supply of low-income housing increases. Jack, W8TEE
On Monday, May 12, 2025 at 12:15:48 PM EDT, John KC9OJV <greusel@...> wrote:
Great story of good pivots on your part. I agree we need to resurrect or preserve our vocational training but I fear that since our school funding is often at a local level the local tax payers have no appetite for paying for what are usually very expensive programs at the HS level. "College Prep" is relatively cheap by comparison.
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John
KC9OJV
-- Jack, W8TEE |
Jack, W8TEE
John Owens K1JO
Jerry
K9HZ