New guy... Equipment choices... Practice Boards.

[wiretoptrvl]

Hello all.

As I partially titled this thread, I am the proverbial "New Guy." I have come here to solicit opinions and ask a few questions. I hope you won't mind passing on a little knowledge.

I have very little - as in almost no experience building circuits and more important soldering. What little experience I do have was from about 30 years ago when I took a circuits introduction class at a local tech school. I did OK in the class, but almost all is forgotten now.

I have become a jack of all trades in my later years as I do anything that needs to be done around the house and/or garage. Not wanting to pay anyone for something I can (or should be able) to do myself.

After reading up on an issue I am having with my instrument cluster from a favored car, it seems that most of the problems with my cluster have been historically related to (a) bad capacitors and (b) bad solder joints. This according to the forum I frequent for my model car.

So, I have decided to do it myself...

Pursuing that path, I have ordered a rework station set... I searched Amazon until I found the set with a price I can live within, the highest rating, largest number of comments, and fewest complaints and this is what I settled on. I chose this one. I am hoping this is a complete set.

Specifications:
SMD Rework Station

1. Brand: YiHUA
2. Power Consumption: ≤800W
3. Station: 853D
4. Output Voltage: DC 0V~15V
5. Input Voltage: 110V AC
6. Working Environment: 0℃-50℃
7. Pated Current: 6A
8. Storage Environment: -20~80℃
9. Acoustic Sound Level: ＜45db
10. Load Stability: ＜0.01±2mv
11. Temperature Coefficient: ＜300ppm/℃
12. Ripple dB: ＜1mvrms(Virtual Value)
13. Protection Current: 1A~3A(Optional)
14. Cable Length: 52.36" / 133cm
15. Dimensions: (10.03 x 7.48 x 4.92)" / (25.5 x 19 x 12.5)cm (L x W x H)
16. Color: Black

Hot Air Gun

1. Voltage: 220V / 110V
2. Airflow Type: Brushless Fan Gentle Wind
3. Gun Temperature Range:100-480℃
4. Air Flow: ≤120L/min
5. Temperature Stability: ±1℃（Statisc)
6. Gun Heater Material: Ferro-Alloys
7. Cable Length: 35.63" / 90.5cm
8. Display Type: LED Digital Display
9. Soldering Iron Temperature Range: 200-480℃
10. Gun Heater Material: Ceramic Heater
11. Temperature Stabiliaty: ±2℃ (Static)
12. Tip of Ground Voltage: ＜2mv
13. Tip Ground Impedance: ＜2Ω
14. Cable Length: 33.85" / 86cm
15. Total Weight: 103.81oz / 2943g

Package Includes:
1 x Rework Station
1 x Hot Fire Gun
1 x Iron Stand
1 x Soldering Iron
1 x 11 Soldering Iron Heads
1 x CP-2015F Solder Wire
1 x 2 bags of Accessories
1 x Clean Cloth
1 x Manual

First question... For pulling and replacing capacitors and for general clean up of cold joints, is there anything else I would need that is not in the kit? One of the consideration I made for selecting this kit is that it also has a built in variable voltage supply. That keeps me from having to buy one separately for bench testing!

The second question I have is... Can someone recommend a good book for beginners that explains what I need to learn so that I don't destroy this new kit, the instrument cluster, or burn down my house? Sort of a beginners guide to circuit repair. Of course I will check out on-line videos, but I also like a good book for background.

Third, but very important... Is there any place I can obtain dead circuit boards that I can practice with? Currently I do not have any electronic devices in the house that I am willing to further destroy while I get my technique down?

And lastly, are there any other recommendations?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and for any suggestions made in response.

 

[Amar Dhore]

1. I would add few more items for soldering and these are optional but good to have:
- Flux
- Tweezers
- Solder wick

2. "Introduction to Schematics" is a good book to start with. Its available online for free.

Good luck.

 

[hevans1944]

That's a pretty nice kit you found. About the only thing I would add is an Edsyn vacuum-pump Soldapullt hand tool for use in conjunction with solder wick. A small spool of solder wick comes in your kit, but you may want to purchase other sizes. The Edsyn vacuum tool is easy to clean and useful for removing larger globs of solder, but solder wick is better for removing surface-mount devices (SMDs). I have found that a head-worn stereo magnifying head-set is essential for hands-free inspections without resorting to a hand-held magnifying glass. I sometimes use my headset with 2.5 diopter "reading" glasses, which alone provide decent magnification... not good enough to read the component codes off of SMD chip resistors, capacitors, and inductors, but okay for de-soldering.

And welcome to Electronics Point, @wiretoptrvl!

 

[wiretoptrvl]

1. I would add few more items for soldering and these are optional but good to have:
- Flux
- Tweezers
- Solder wick

2. "Introduction to Schematics" is a good book to start with. Its available online for free.

Good luck.

Tweezers... Definitely, thanks. I will find the book. I've been told that designing circuits is similar to programming (my former profession - I hope it will be that easy )

 

[davenn]

Third, but very important... Is there any place I can obtain dead circuit boards that I can practice with? Currently I do not have any electronic devices in the house that I am willing to further destroy while I get my technique down?

talk to your neighbours and friends about old electronics they are throwing out
My particular electronics job, I have more old circuit boards than I know what to do with
Do you have a mate in the electronics industry ?

go to the local TV / computer repair shop and ask for some of the old dead boards
tell them why you want them ... to learn soldering etc


Dave

 

[wiretoptrvl]

That's a pretty nice kit you found. About the only thing I would add is an Edsyn vacuum-pump Soldapullt hand tool for use in conjunction with solder wick. A small spool of solder wick comes in your kit, but you may want to purchase other sizes. The Edsyn vacuum tool is easy to clean and useful for removing larger globs of solder, but solder wick is better for removing surface-mount devices (SMDs). I have found that a head-worn stereo magnifying head-set is essential for hands-free inspections without resorting to a hand-held magnifying glass. I sometimes use my headset with 2.5 diopter "reading" glasses, which alone provide decent magnification... not good enough to read the component codes off of SMD chip resistors, capacitors, and inductors, but okay for de-soldering.

And welcome to Electronics Point, @wiretoptrvl!

I have been watching desoldering videos and it looks much easier than I thought it would be. After watching them I agree that a desoldering iron with "sucker" is something I want to get too.

I already have a set of "helping-hands" (the tiny arms with alligator clips and a magnifying glass. But I plan to build a bigger set that will be like a rotisserie so I can turn the work project anyway easily.

As for reading the components, I have various power reading glasses.

Thanks again.

 

[wiretoptrvl]

talk to your neighbours and friends about old electronics they are throwing out
My particular electronics job, I have more old circuit boards than I know what to do with
Do you have a mate in the electronics industry ?

go to the local TV / computer repair shop and ask for some of the old dead boards
tell them why you want them ... to learn soldering etc


Dave

Also good suggestions... especially the electronics shops. Thanks