Hello again,
I am pleased to hear that you have narrowed down the problem. There really
isn't far too much difficulty working with the SMD technology used on the
780. The solder is leaded and the soldering tip should not exceed 650 F at
any point in time when reworking any individual SMD lead. Do not use a basic
wall plug pencil soldering iron as these irons will burn and destroy the
sensitive components and PCB lands/traces/VIAS/etc.
Desoldering braid must be of narrow width and can prove to be frustrating in
the begining. Always practice on scrap PCB boards salvaged from electronics
you are disposing of (maybe that *Bleeping* printer you have sitting about
after choosing to skip buying expensive cartridges for; so instead you
bought a printer on sale to replace it. only to find yourself still paying
too much for ink.).
Tools I suggest you invest in so that you can do radio repair without the
need to build an additional room or dedicate a large space to electronic
repair.
- A NEW Weller WTCPK Soldering kit, these are the best secret out
there, and they have a wire insulation cutting tip which is thermally
controlled. Based on the ingenious magnetic temperature control tip
technology that made Weller one of the few soldering iron manufacturers to
still be around today. Changing the tip allows you to also change the
temperature. Use the 600 F tips on the 780. DO NOT USE A DAMP SPONGE on the
tip, this is a huge NO, Weller tips are plated to last a very long time,
non-Weller tips don't last long. Always tin the tip with solder (Tip tinner
should never need to be used and will damage the tip) after each joint, and
leave a ball of molten solder on the tip when placing back in the pencil
holder or turning off the pencil. Best of all: when everything is cooled
off, the soldering station breaks down, so that you can close the lid and
tuck it away in plain sight. There is a carry handle making this the most
portable soldering station I have ever used.
- Get a Hakko fluxed wire tip cleaner as a smart solution to the
damp sponge.
- Buy a 1 lb. spool of Kester 44 .015 Sn63/Pb37 Solder, this is
fantastic stuff, a single spool will last you a very long time. The
expiration date is clearly marked on the spool making it easy to determine
when you are working with old expired solder.
- Chemtronics Chem-Wik Desoldering Braid is a total must have. As
said previously, narrow width, you want to desolder a single SMD joint, not
the whole SMD. This product makes reworking and correcting solder joint
excessive solder errors rapid and helps prevent overheating the work piece.
- Quick-Chip is a product that I have mixed feelings, however,
there are certain tasks that are made easy when you use this tacky flux.
However, you will find that it leaves your work piece with a residue. It is
also super easy to accidently apply far too much of this product. This leads
me to my next tool
- A good set of dental picks. Use these to apply trace amounts of
Quick-Chip, work a SMD off your work piece, position a SMD on your
workpiece, and a multitude of other situations.
- A good array of tweezers. Not the type you buy for personal
hygiene. You will often find that certain SMD types and the locations they
are installed in require a different grip or angle. I am not a contortionist
and I would be impressed if you are.
- You will want very bright lighting coming from many directions.
Mistakes will be made and damage will be done if you dare to navigate with
poor lighting. You can be creative on this one.
- You will also want magnification. Don't bother with the gimmicky
"helping hand" tool as this will not be practical. You can be creative on
how you get a closer view. I use a lens I salvaged from projection
television set. I have used lenses from disposable cameras, and have had
luck placing a small lens over the camera lens on my phone to create an
improvised microscope. The solution you arrive at will be based on if you
are doing this at home or doing it while on vacation and have not expected
to repair something.
- There are many other items that you may need depending on how far
you want to go and how much understanding you have gained dealing with
electronic repair.
Granted a multi-meter and so on would be ideal, however, I am assuming that
you have a level of proficiency regarding electronics since you are not
afraid to open your 780 (which means you understand basic precautions and
procedure.) I am sure you could teach me several things about electronics
and I am only educated enough to give the aforementioned tool
recommendations based on my experience successfully repairing electronics of
all sizes both professionally and individually. My suggestions are only
worth what you value them at and therefore I assume they are of no worth
unless I'm told otherwise.
Hope you are able to get up and scanning with your 780 soon,
I can't imagine how difficult it must be, there is no radio that I would let
take the place of my 780, it is a wonder how I managed before I purchased
mine.
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